Singer, songwriter, drummer and multi-instrumentalist Jerry Velona has written and published 30 original songs in three albums and several EPs as well as a number of classic soul/funk covers in his album About Funk in Time. His voice has been used in radio and TV commercials, a cartoon pilot and the song At Last (there’s you) from the documentary film Lifestyles of the Poor and Unknown.
His songs have been used on MTV Cribs, album compilations of Yacht Rock and original Christmas songs, an HBO special and have received significant international airplay on college, public, commercial and satellite radio. He won a Billboard songwriting award for his song Hip Hop No More. His song Dream Girl reached #20 on the smooth jazz dot com charts. Jerry’s cover of the song Looking for Lewis and Clark by The Long Ryders was lauded by the Ryder’s Founder Sid Griffin who said, “Jerry Velona once again proves his musical worth in a balls-to-the-wall cover version… (and his) committed vocal and approach to the lyric…oh Mercy.”. Boston Globe rock writer Steve Morse said, “Jerry Velona is a superb craftsman. He shows striking versatility…Velona’s honest spirit is refreshing and blissfully indifferent to trends.”
Jerry performs with his bands, The Joint Venture Band and Pack of Viceroys who just released their debut album entitled Smoke Break.
