Worked my way through college playing in clubs with a trio. We called ourselves, "The High Times." We eventually discarded that title to become the "Feather Merchants." We were sort of a jazz-rock-comedy trio. The comedy came about because we were too lazy to learn new tunes so we just improvised shtick. I was playing organ and learned an important lesson in life: while the accordion is an orchestra in itself, girls go crazy for a guy with a ninety pound organ.

Well, the owner of the hotel had a cute niece who seemed to think I was the guy she should marry. (Before this I had my life all set. I was going to be a monk and live in the forest with several French maids and have jam sessions and barbecues on the weekends. An excellent mix of the carnal and spiritual don't you think?) So I told her if she could find one old married couple that was still in love after years of marriage, I would get hitched.

She did. We did. Best thing I ever did.

After a few singles I decided to go it alone and got a deal with Columbia Records. On the day I signed the contract there was a news story on TV that Clive Davis was fired as the president of Columbia Records. Everyone that had anything to do with my being at Columbia left with Clive. I spent two years there with nothing but some demos to show for it.

After getting away from Columbia, I got a deal at RCA. Things were looking up! I recorded an album with some of the best NY musicians (A Painting), had a great arranger and some of my best songs. The label loved the album and I put a band together to tour with. I showcased the new band at a club in New York called Tramps. All the top RCA execs were there. The head of Faberge was there. A very tall famous model was there. And the great American songwriter, Sammy Kahn was there also.

Well, I figured it was time to try something else. I teamed up with Bruce Bauer and we started playing the clubs around NY and Long Island. We called ourselves "Bauer and Fox."

Our last NY gig before leaving for the west coast was at Vinnie's Horseshoe Inn And Bamboo Hut. Say no more! We figured that if we were going to struggle, let's do it where the weather is nice. We went "Hollywood!" Well, almost. We went "San Diego."

For six months we played in local southern California bars and bowling alleys watching the local ethnics and Marines stab each other in the parking lot. That was enough of that.

Bauer went back to the East Coast and I found a job working for a local music production house called Tuesday Productions. This place was a jingle factory. A great place to get your chops together. We were writing and recording every day. All styles of music from shopping malls to pig drugs. Car dealers to beer commercials. Then one day two of the main writers, Ron Walz and Rick Patterson got the idea to start there own company. They asked me to join and we pooled our credit cards and Patterson, Walz & Fox was in business.

So I picked a topic that was always near and dear to me. Mankind going down the toilet at an alarming rate. Probably should be a comedy.

And so Meat Street came to pass. (Watch the News/Contact Us page for info on how the show is going.)

I am first and foremost, a song writer. The CDs released on Wire Duck have my stamp of approval. (Please note: no corporate record executives were harmed in the creation of this record company!)

Top left: CBS recording session. Top middle: Bauer & Fox. Top right: The Feather Merchants (Keith Falling, Gus Mancini and yours truly. Middle: The Hit Factory in New York. Recording the Mancini & Fox Album. Bottom Left: Sammy Kahn and me at Tramps. (This was the night I showcased my new band for the RCA execs). Bottom middle: The High Times. (That's what we called ourselves before the Feather Merchants. This was taken in a club on Long Island, NY. Notice the rubber chicken. It played a large part in our lives at the time). Bottom right: Looking way too hip walking under the "El" (elevated subway) in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, NY.
(CBS and Brighton Beach photos courtesy my brother, Dennis "Doc" Fox.)