Isaiah 40:8

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of God stands forever.

 Joseph (Trumpet)     Patrick (Tenor Sax)

Guess who? Peek-a- boo, I see you!    This is where I get to tell you about myself. My full name is Joseph M. Neumann, from Saint Paul, Minnesota. I guess the moment that really encouraged me to pursue a career in music was when I was given an opportunity to perform at a beauty pageant in 1978 at the Klein Memorial Auditorium in Connecticut. I was a featured performer. This was my first really big event for me. My Mom did attend this event I was performing at. I was scheduled to only sing one song which was "Welcome To My World." I was also backed up by the orchestra band for my song. When I came out to perform with my guitar, the whole auditorium was pitch black and I couldn't see anyone at all in the audience. I could only see where I was on the stage because of a low light spot light. After I sang the song I heard a huge overwhelming applause. Then the lights went on. What a surprise! I was shocked. The whole auditorium was packed solid with people who stood up and gave me a long loud applause. I was overwhelmed. I'm glad my Mom was there. She was so proud of me.

       When I decided to put up my website, I thought it would be nice if I had "Welcome To My World" on my home page welcoming people to my website. 
       I am the youngest of my two other brothers. See picture below of my brother John singing "Your Cheating Heart" and playing guitar. Johnny Cash sounded a lot like my brother John.

My Mom was the best Mom ever. See picture below of me (Joe) my Mom and my brother Steve on the right. 

We all had a very difficult time through the years. My Mom brought us up alone on her own because she was physically abused by some "thing" that was supposed to be a man and had to leave "it" for our safety and hers. If you notice I didn't designate this "thing" as a man because "it" wasn't. Never met "it", never wanted to. Anyway my Mom raised us on her own and did a great job. My Mom did have brothers and sisters who were married and doing very well in their homes but never reached out to help their own sister (my Mom). This upset me and affected me so much I even wrote a song about them called, "We Got By". My Mom and my two brothers have since passed on. I am currently working on a book about my journey through life. There were a lot of hard times and good times.

       Getting on with my story... music has always been a part of me. I could never really be "me" without music in my life. For me, without music, I would just be going through life "empty." Songs I heard and have written, weren't just songs. They had special meaning to me. Songs I wrote and Iistened to  were singing to me about my life's ups and downs. I started my musical career at the age of 11 years old in the 60’s when I was inspired by groups from the 50’s to the Beatles and Elvis.There were so many bands I have had through the years and events I have performed at  that I am only mentioning some of them and photos that I have performed at. Everything I have done with my music was important to me but this could end up being too much to talk about. The first band I ever formed was called "The Spades". I've tried for many years to try to get someone to help me with my musical career and listen to some of the songs I've written with no success. The record companies I sent my material to didn't even want to be bothered. Later I bumped into an older man named Harold. He told me, "Joe, it's not what you know... it's who you know." Harold went to a lot of  concerts where country artists were performing and had a backstage press pass to interview and photograph the artists. He use to bring me along on a lot of these events. I remember meeting the below National Recording Artists. See pictures below of Johnny Cash's brother Tommy Cash, Penny DeHaven and Dick Curless who were nice enough to let me go up on stage and perform a song.

A lot of the songs I have written, I wrote in my van. See picture below taken in 1980. Notice I had plenty of coffee and donuts and was comfy.











I use to drive down to the park. See park entrance photo taken below in 1980 on a stormy night I was going there to write.












I had a particular area that was always "my spot" by the water. I use to spend a lot of time there writing my songs. I really enjoyed working on my songs there on days and nights that were windy, rainy, stormy, even snowy days. That was the best relaxing time for me to write and think. I usually was the only one there. Sometimes I still go down there and I would feel right at home. Unfortunately my van is gone.

See pictures of "my spot below".

       I recently obtained a film copy from a TV producer friend of mine from their Backstage Archives of a 1979 TV performance I did on “Backstage” before I went into the studio for the very first time to record two of my original songs I wrote, Love’s Little Heartaches and It Can Happen Anytime Of The Day. Other original songs I performed included in this performance are: Someone Special, The Ways Of Love, Love Blues and Love’s Little Heartaches. This performance was only of me singing and playing guitar and was made prior to me forming my band. Care was taken to reproduce this performance as best possible.

There is a short 3 second visual drop out during my interview that cannot be recovered at this time but all the audio is still heard. The rest of my performance is all intact and can be found on YouTube.      

       One of my early songs I wrote in 1976 was about the games the typical boyfriend/girlfriend couple play on each other when a problem comes up in their relationship that they are willing to play on each other right to the very end of their relationship. I was aware of these games when they were happening in my relationships and would not play them. The song is on my "Original Songs Downloads" page and is called "Life Must Go On" which is about the "life" in your relationship that must go on.

       I've been getting a lot of emails about how I go about writing my songs and where the ideas of my lyrics come from and how long it takes me to write a song especially from people who are  just starting to write songs. There are many ways the idea of a song comes to me. Usually it's about a memory or experience I had and involves a lot of and feelings and sometimes my song would start to come to me by my mood which would trigger a certain way I play a chord and then my song would start to evolve from there. Best thing to do is find a place where you can think freely with no pressure. For example you can see "my spot" with the above pictures is where I went. Then just start thinking about things and start strumming some chords. You'll be amazed at what starts to develop. I would find the main idea or sound of my song and then it starts to develop with more words and chords as I continue playing. I have sometimes written a song in a day.

       My Mom told me that when

I was born that I was born with a "veil" and that I'm a "true and honest" person. My Mom made a point of making sure that I was aware of this. She gave me a very old news article that she saved for me for many years about people that were born with a veil. See part of article below. Maybe this has also influenced my music and the way I write my songs.

I was curious about the above so I did some online research and found some information that I copied and pasted below about this:

A “veil” also known as a "caul," is a rare occurrence that appears in only 1 out of every 80,000 births. A newborn with a caul was (and still is) thought to have special talents and amazing powers, and is therefore held in high esteem among many cultures throughout history. Caulbearers often have supernatural abilities. Many can predict. Caulbearers were considered "kings by right," because of their leadership and judgment abilities. Babies born with a caul are also considered to be extremely lucky and were seen as good omens. A veil is an additional tool of awareness that some souls on this Earth carry with them to see the non-physical slate of creation. Someone born with a veil can usually see beyond the physical realm and into the realm of potential creation, using a variety of non-physical senses and being born with a veil is a sign of special destiny and abilities.

Below is a picture of a good friend of mine Amy Grant. Amy is a well known Christian singer, songwriter who has recorded over a dozen Christian albums. I was invited to attend her concert at the Radio City Music Hall in New York. I took this picture of her after her rehearsal before her concert when we were going for lunch.

"About           Me"

                                                                            Joe's "Vintage" Guitars

             1957 Gretsch 6120                                 1958 Gretsch 6119                                1973 Gretsch 7660

                                  1975 Gretsch 7603                                    1973 Gibson L6S

Praise the LORD!
All His angels, all His hosts,
sun, moon, stars of light,
highest heavens,
waters above the heavens,
the earth, sea monsters,
the deeps, fire, hail,
snow, clouds, stormy wind,
mountains, hills,

fruit trees, cedars,
beasts, cattle,
creeping things,
winged fowl, kings,
peoples, princes,
judges, young men,
virgins, old men,
children,
all His godly ones.
Praise the LORD!

by Joe Neumann

Prov. 31:10-12
An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
The heart of her husband     trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.

Psalm 127:3 Behold, children are a gift of the LORD;

The fruit of the womb is a reward.

"Time marches on, the wind blows on"

        I got on with my life and music career once all the extreme stress and confusion I had in my life was gone. It was a good feeling to be myself again and I was back and on track! "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Hello Marylou". "I'm Still Standing" and it's time to Rock & Roll again!

       "GOD" took notice of me and my life and blessed me. I met a "good woman" that I married that is “true and honest and devoted” to me and I had two beautiful sons with her.

I became a full time freelance musician making "a lot" more money writing jingles for commercials, doing studio work and collaborating with other songwriters than I ever did working at my old job. I also had a Christian radio program ministry that I also produced and I have written about 12 Christian gospel songs. I have posted two of them on my "Original Songs" at the top of the page along with the original copies of these songs and chords I wrote down at that time. One is called, “ I Am Your Child”, which is a Pro-Life song about a baby in the mother’s womb talking to the mother. The other song is about Adam speaking to Eve and is called, “Adam Say Eve".

       I started another band which was called Joe Neumann & the Big Beat which has gone through many changes through the years but I always had my good friend Bucky performing with me playing drums and singing harmony. One of the nicest concerts I had the pleasure to perform at was with Bill Haley’s Comets in Fishkill, New York. The drummer is now in charge of the band because Bill Haley passed away.

    I also had an audition for "America's Got Talent", and met with Simon Cowell who introduced me to a recording executive. I gave him a copy of some of my original songs on CD.

I was contacted by him and met with him at a "private" recording studio in New York to lay down some studio recordings of some of my songs. We made really good recordings. He took copies of the recordings with him and said he will be in touch.

     I then got a call from the New York studio again to work on commercial jingles. I was told that I have a unique way of writing lyrics and music.

        I perform mostly by my homes in the Connecticut and the New York areas with my band the Big Beat. My sons are also performing with me. Joseph solos and plays trumpet and Patrick also solos and plays tenor saxophone. See photos below.

I’m very proud of them. They both graduated from College. Joseph was an Honors Student and Majored in Physics and Math. Patrick was an Honors Student and Majored in Marine Biology. They are both working on their Masters Degrees. I wouldn’t have missed having kids for the world. They have "always" come first in my life. The worst person in the world is a "deadbeat dad". They run away from their responsibilities and only take real good care of themselves.

       I am working on a compilation album of all my songs and have written over 80 songs. I  have also been recording and producing my songs myself at my home studio.

       I have recently written a song 

called "Rockin' Little Mama". This song describes the "typical 50's looking and dancing gal" that is ready to roll and is a type of swing song with a touch of Jerry Lee Lewis and

rock-a-billy added. I currently have a few of my original songs available to share with you "FREE" on my album for downloading. All you have to do is go to "bandcamp.com" and put in

Joe Neumann Music in the search.

The downloads are totality free and easy to download.  

        A couple of my song commercial jingles that I have written and recorded for a couple companies during one of my sessions at the studio in New York have been aired on TV and radio. I was also introduced to Brian Setzer who happened to be there recording in one of their studios.

       I've been playing a long time now. Nothings has changed with me through the years. I never really did pay attention to time very much as it was going by. I play better and sing better. I'm a little older now but still "charming and adorable". I have some difficulty seeing peoples faces at a distance. I still think and act the same way I always have, still immature and silly which is good for us rock & rollers and oh yeah, I still gots all my hair! 

       I'm really having a great time performing and doing the music which has always been a part of me that I have been doing all my life. I can't imagine not doing this in my life. Without it, I would be living a "fake life" and wouldn't be me or living a life that I enjoy.

       I take a break whenever possible 

while I'm working at the recording studio. I always have a lot of ideas on songs that I work on at home that I bring back with me to the studio for my own songs and for other musicians songs. I also do some guitar work and backing vocals on other musicians recording. I got a surprise visit from Joe Walsh from the Eagles band at the studio. He invited us all to go with him out to lunch with his group and then we went with him and his group to Mohegan Sun in his tour bus for the VETS Rock Concert that he was playing at. I met a lot of new friends and got a few invites. He also introduced me to Ringo Starr. We all had a lot of jamming and hang out time after the show and over that whole weekend. I’ve been meeting a lot of musicians and friends since I’ve been recording at the New York studio. I’m glad I never made it big. I like to be able to go out wherever I want to and play at concerts and do shows without all the pressure.

      My original songs have been getting around to other agents that are interested in my songs especially my songs "Lead Me On", "Flowers And Letters", "The Lonely Xmas Tree", "It's Just Another Christmas Again" and "Stupid Me" that are being checked out by a few country artists. One of them I heard is Willie Nelson. 

       I have been receiving so many emails. I will eventually respond to each one individually. Here are a few responses to some emails questions I keep getting asked. I do prefer my solo performances over my full band performances because there isn’t so much pressure performing solo and they are a lot more personal and have smaller crowds. I also like playing Gretsch vintage guitars. I use a Roland GR30 guitar synthesizer when I perform and I play it live while I play my guitar. My favorite movies are

"Breakfast At Tiffany's" and "Stars In My Crown". I like going to vinyl record shows, guitar shows, flea markets, and visiting St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. I like plain strawberry filled donuts, and I "love" the smell of Tabu perfume from the 1950’s and I can recognize it anywhere if someone is wearing it. I have blue eyes and I’m old enough to know better. My dream night out would me being at my spot on a starlit summer night along the shore with a warm breeze softly blowing, enjoying strawberry doughnuts with a cup of coffee.   

       My agent at the studio in New York has me to doing some concerts performing only my original songs "solo"with my "Pages Of My Memories Concert Series". I meet a lot of nice people. I also explain why I wrote each one of my songs before I play my songs "It's Just Another Christmas Again", "The Lonely Christmas Tree", "Lead Me On", "Flowers And Letters", and "Cos' You Know". They really enjoyed my story on my song "Stupid Me", especially when I tell them it's all about stupid me.

       Once in awhile I stop at "My Spot" where I wrote a lot of my songs. It brings back a lot of old memories and nice times.

       I also did a concert in New York at the Central Park Naumburg Bandshell where I debut my original songs. I met a lot of new friends and artists. I also ran into some old "close" friends. They still call me "Joey". I haven't been called that name for a long time.

       I had a great time backstage with Brian Setzer at his show at the Foxwoods Resort Casino. Glad he gave me the backstage passes.

       After I finished re-recording a song of mine at the New York studio called, "Out Steppin' In My Old Blue Jeans" which I wrote years ago, my agent sold the rights to use my song to a company that makes blue jeans for 25,000.00.They are using it on their commercials.

       I remember an old friend of mine Tommy Cash who passed away. I met him in 1979. We have been friends since then for a long time. He's Johnny Cash's brother.

       I also bumped into Brian Setzer at the New York recording studio he gave me 4 backstage passes for his 2024 concert with the Stray Cats at The Rooftop at Pier 17 in New York. I've been to Brian's shows recently. It's always fun backstage and watching the entire show from backstage. We always attend a really great party celebration after the concert at his home.

       I had a great time performing with Brian at the "2024" New Year Cruise private party at the Pier Pressure New York New Year’s Eve Fireworks Cruise with a "Live Swing Band" for dancing, food, open bar and the works including Hotel accommodations. I was a guest so it was all "free". It was "A Live Stream". I got a lot of emails about it and I will reply to "all" of them. I just bought a 70 ft. Cruise Yacht. Can't wait to put it in the water. I've been having a great time lately going to lots of record conventions. I found a lot of really cool records and memorabilia.

       To all my email friends, I know it’s taking a while but I’ve been spending a lot of time at the studio in New York with recording projects. As soon as I can I will be working on the actual video recordings footage that was taken during the actual studio recordings from 1981 of my two songs “Love’s Little Heartaches” and "It Can Happen Anytime Of The Day”. The video was taken without anyone knowing about it and was supposed to be given to me after my recording sessions were finished but they forgot to give the video to me. Both of these songs were recorded in one day and it has every minute of everyone that was at the studio and all the excitement of everyone during the recordings. I’m going to send it to everyone on my email list as soon as it is transferred.

       I've been using the internet Live View product for years that lets you actually "see and hear people & places live as it's happening". I'm able to actually see close up faces of friends "live and hear them live" at their homes as clear as if I was there with them or walking with them and they don't even know it. It's pretty cool.

       New Concert dates coming up will include Joe's original songs:

LEAD ME ON

FLOWERS AND LETTERS

STUPID ME

LOVE'S LITTLE HEARTACHES

IT CAN HAPPEN ANYTIME OF DAy.

       I just got backstage passes in the mail from Brian for his upcoming Straycat concert in New York at

"The Rooftop at Pier 17" on August 15, 2024 and backstage passes for his Sraycat concert in Bridgeport, Ct. at the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater for August 17, 2024. It will be good to see Brian, Lee and Jim again. It's always a lot of fun backstage and watching the concert backstage. Looking forward to both concerts.

       I had a great time at the Straycat concerts on August 15 & 17, 2024 in New York and Bridgeport with email friends Carol, Sue, Sarah, Marie, Cheryl, and Linda I brought with me to both concerts. We all were backstage before and during the concerts. They were so happy to meet the Straycats and took lots of pictures of them.     

UPCOMING                        CONCERTS

*Baldwin Center Performing "Traditional Christmas Songs" Dec. 20, Fri. 12:30 PM to 1:15 PM 1000 West Broad St. Stratford, CT.

*Full Band Private Christmas Party at Fairfield Yacht Association  Dec., 21, Sat., 9 PM to 12 PM. South Benson Rd., Fairfield, Ct.

       I"m going to be spending a lot of time recording in New York at the studio. I've been getting a lot of interest and questions about my two Christmas songs "The Lonely Xmas Tree" and "It's Just Another Christmas Again" so I made a response on my Home page. I'm might be putting up videos of them before Christmas. Joe

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John 1:1-3, John 4:25-26, Psalm 22:16-18, Matt 27:35, Rev 1:7, Zech 12:8-10
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots;
For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones.
They look, they stare at me; They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots.
BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen.
In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD before them. “And it will come about in that day that I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.  “And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born.

Isaiah 5:20-23, 2Thess 2:11-12
                   1 Cor. 13:4
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
.

"The Best Of Times"

"The Worst Of Times"

"The Early Times"

To book a show email: neumannjoe@yahoo.com

Full name is Joseph M. Neumann. Singer, songwriter and guitarist. Lived in Bridgeport, Connecticut and currently lives at the Dakota Building, 1 West 72nd Street, New York, NY, 10023.His current telephone number is 212-362-1448. He is single. Was born February 10, 1952. His website is: JoeNeummannMusician.com.

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord,

God Almighty
Early in the morning my song shall rise to Thee

       All the songs I have written are about my memories and actual life experiences. The "best" example of this I have is from a past experience I had below. Some of the songs I wrote about this are mentioned below and are posted on my "Original Songs" page located at the top of this page.

       And so it begins...

       As I continued down my musical career, I thought it would be a good idea to actually record a couple of my songs and make a record and try to get the radio stations to play my songs.

       It was during this time that I met someone that I wish I never met. This gal "acted" sincere to me and was into music like me. I thought we had it all like the Bogie & Bacall song, "Key Largo". I thought she was a good gal that I could trust and count on but

"I was so wrong". She was bad, I didn't know it. Her big smile never showed it. This "happy time?" in my life inspired me to write the songs, "Summertime In Our Lives", "My Woman Is Mine" and "Cos' You Know" that are posted on my above "Original Songs" page.

       Then suddenly in 1979 my Mom got sick and had to be admitted into the hospital. Things then started to fall apart for me. I couldn't handle this.

I was very upset and confused and lost direction of my life and my gal wasn't there when I needed her help through this and I was getting calls and messages from unknown guys that my gal was cheating on me with them.

       I decided to push forward with my recording plans because my Mom would have wanted that so I went into the recording studio for the very first time and I recorded two of my songs. The first of my original songs that I recorded was recorded in 1981 called “Love’s Little Heartaches” and "It Can Happen Anytime Of The Day". A lot of work, money and effort went into this project with no success. I remember stopping by my home town radio station WICC in Connecticut and talking to WICC and being given a very difficult time when I asked if WICC would play my record even though I had performed at numerous fund raising events through the years that their radio station was also apart of. 

I also remember radio station WDJZ in Connecticut that was run by Frank Derak who knew me from some of the fund raising events I had performed at. He was very kind to me and played my record often on WDJZ radio.

       As bad as everything was going for me because I was worried about my sick Mom, and I knew my gal has been cheating on me, I was performing at the Klein Memorial Auditorium in Connecticut. After I performed I was backstage and I was introduced to a crazy gal that was getting married and wanted to meet me. Somehow she found out where I lived and she started stalking me for two months by stopping at my home late at night and would shout out on my porch and she wouldn't leave until I let her into my house to talk to her. I talked to her for about 20 minutes about her boyfriend problems then she'd leave. She would just stop by once every couple weeks and I didn't know what to do to make her stay away from me. If I knew about restraining orders I would have had her arrested. One night when she stopped at my house her boyfriend followed her. It was good to finally see him.