Tony Pasko (left) sits down with James Burton, a famed guitarist and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Rolling Stones’ guitarist Keith Richards delivered Burton’s Rock Hall induction speech in 2001.
By Dina Linn, La Nostra Voce
They say that all musicians are, by nature, storytellers. Having grown up in Chicago’s vibrant Italian American culture, brimming with rich oral histories, music industry professional and performing artist Tony Pasko’s career serves as a testament to that adage.
After a lifetime of working and performing with some of the greatest musicians in the world, Tony’s latest project is producing and hosting the Vodcast “Tony’s Backstage Pass,” featuring legends of the music industry and up-and-coming artists. In the series, Tony pulls back the curtain to show viewers what really goes on behind the scenes of music industry culture, visiting historic theaters, music venues, cemeteries, and restaurants — all while serving as storyteller.
This article first appeared in the June 2024 edition of ISDA’s monthly Italian American newspaper, La Nostra Voce. Subscribe here
The pilot episode featured Rock & Roll Hall of Fame guitarist James Burton, the man whom Elvis introduced every night as “The greatest guitar player in the world!” Tony visited Burton in his studio and learned about his unbelievable career, complete with tales of his bosses, a veritable who’s-who of the music industry: Ricky Nelson, Elvis, and Frank Sinatra. The episode (below) has been viewed more than 100,000 times.
According to Tony, “Most people, including my mother, are impressed that James played with Elvis, but not my grandmother. When she found out he played with Frank Sinatra, she instantly lit up and said, ‘You know, I always had a thing for Frank.’”
While of Swedish and German ancestry, for over 30 years, Tony’s wife and fellow musician Jan Frevert Pasko has fully embraced her husband’s close-knit Italian American family and their traditions; and she;s been overwhelmingly embraced in return.
According to Jan, “Tony’s Grandma [Angie] essentially proposed to me before he did, giving me the family wedding rings!” After moving to Pensacola, Florida, the Pasko family became founding members of the ISDA Primo Paradiso Lodge #0280.
On the importance of family, Tony says, “I see my family as being the typical Italian American family. We are a hard-working family that are proud to be American but hold true to our Italian heritage. That mentality has stayed with me, and I’m applying it to my show. My goal is to preserve the musician culture, tell the stories for the next generation, and pay it forward.”
In addition to “Tony’s Backstage Pass,” he has designed and marketed products for the music industry’s top companies. Tony was the Product Manager for the guitar division at Peavey Electronics, where he worked directly with Lynard Skynard, NickelBack, Duran Duran, Black Stone Cherry, Joe Satriani, James Burton, Warrant and Poison, designing their custom-made guitars and amps.
As a musician he has shared the stage with the P-Funk All-Stars, Vince Neil, Jack Bruce, Gary Hoey, David Ellefson (Megadeth), Johnny Hiland, Cowboy Mouth, Nicko McBrain, Jane Weidlin, Bobby Rush and others.
In 2012 Tony signed to Downboys Records, owned by the platinum-selling rock band Warrant, and released three records. His music can be heard on more than 30 television shows, including “The Wahlbergers,” “Wicked Tuna,” “30 for 30,” “Shark Week,” and “Pitbulls and Parolees.”
Tony was one of the music writers on A&E’s No.1-rated TV show “Duck Dynasty,” with a viewership of more than 11.8 million at its peak.
“Who would have thought that the music on one of the most popular reality TV shows about a hunting family from Louisiana was written by an Italian guy from Chicago, who never hunted or fished in his life!” exclaimed Tony.
He also produced a new reality TV show called “Being Martelli” on Canyon Star TV, a project in which he celebrates the Italian American experience.
It is this experience that continues to drive Tony’s future projects. An upcoming episode of “Tony’s Backstage Pass” will explore the influence of Italian culture in the American music industry, particularly Sicilian contributions to the development of the Blues, America’s art form.
In 1895, 95 Sicilian families immigrated to Mississippi, following the promise of land ownership in exchange for labor. These Sicilians worked side by side in the cotton fields with former slaves, hearing their music that featured a call and response tempo, giving rhythm to both work and worship.
Adding the Italian/European influences that these families brought to the Delta, the music grew into the structure used today known as the 1-4-5 Blues progression.
Photos showing Black musicians holding and playing the mandolin alongside Italian Americans during the Jim Crow Era serve as further evidence of this influence, which speaks to nationwide perceptions of both demographics at the time.
For more information, tune in to the next episode of Tony’s Backstage Pass: A behind the scenes look into the music industry. Bi-weekly episodes on: YouTube, Spotify and Canyon Star TV.
