Press Release
Source: The Cutting Room
Sixty years ago, two brothers named Farina wrote an instrumental composition, one of the brothers played guitar and the other a Fender steel guitar.
Today, the track has been covered by scores of artists and has found its way to countless movies and other commercial media. Many may not know the name of the brother’s song, “Sleep Walk”, but once they hear it’s opening sound and style, there’s an “aha” moment of recognition.
On November 17, Johnny Farina will perform “Sleep Walk” at The Cutting Room in New York City for his fans, along with a set or more of instrumentals that range from The Beatles “And I Love Her” to “Theme from a Summer Place”. Johnny plays his pedal steel guitar in a way to make us sing along and sometimes swoon. His slides and bends reflect a command of the instrument and a love for the music he plays.
“Santo & Johnny” collected a Gold Record in 1959 for their prolific original instrumental tune – “Sleep Walk” – which they wrote and released that year.
This song has been covered by more than Two Hundred different artists in its long history and has been heard in over Twenty Movies, TV Programs and Series and TV commercials as well, from 1959 to 2013.
Even more remarkable is the fact that this composition has recently been credited with over Four Million Certified Airplays since its release in 1959!
“Santo & Johnny” had a TV Show in Italy and were also inducted into the Hall of Fame there for the success of their instrumental version of “The Godfather Theme” –which remained in the Number One position on the charts in Italy for Twenty Six weeks in 1973, and for which they also earned a Gold Record.
As a solo artist, Johnny Farina has been recognized, as well, by David Hinckley of The Daily News in 1996, who wrote that this “….’59 hit instrumental keeps on twanging.”
And Robbie Woliver of The Long Island Voice commented in 1998 that “Sleep Walk” is “….part of our collective being, it’s in our DNA. You know it, even if you never heard it.” In the same year, Johnny was also awarded the Long Island Music Awards “Hall of Fame Award” for “Sleep Walk” at their annual Awards Ceremony.
Capping this Award, “Sleep Walk” was recognized again in 1999 with a Grammy Award for the Best Pop Instrumental Performance, as recorded the year before by The Brian Setzer Orchestra (Former Front Man and Guitarist of ”The Stray Cats”).
In 2002, “Santo & Johnny” were inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in St. Louis, in acknowledgement of their outstanding work on this unique instrument over the years. Following that, Johnny was recently awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011 for “Sleep Walk” in recognition of its repeated use in full length feature films at the Long Island Film Festival.
In total, Johnny Farina and “Santo & Johnny” have recorded and released 35 Albums and over 50 Singles worldwide in their career, spanning over Fifty years to date. And during this performance you will hear such classic tunes as “Tear Drop” – “All Night Diner” – “Caravan” – and of course – “Sleep Walk.”
Venue Information:
44 E. 32nd St.
New York, NY, 10016
