Lee Shapiro (musician)

Lee Shapiro is an American musician/arranger who was a member of the band the The Four Seasons.

Early life

Shapiro was born in Passaic, New Jersey in 1953 and was raised in Glen Rock, New Jersey.[1]

Shapiro was 19 and studying at the Manhattan School of Music when he was invited to join the band The Four Seasons as keyboardist, arranger, and musical director.[2] As a member of the band for seven years, he played on records such as their 1976 worldwide hit, December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night).[3][1]

Later life

In the 1980s, after leaving the Four Seasons, Shapiro collaborated on song writing with L. Russell Brown, Sandy Linzer and Irwin Levine.[3] In 1991, Shapiro worked with Barry Manilow on Copacabana, The Musical.[3]

In the 1990s, Shapiro also started Lee Shapiro Music, a company that worked on music for media outlets and advertising.[3] The year 1999 saw Shapiro create the toys 'Rock N Roll Elmo' and 'Rock N Roll Ernie' for Fisher-Price.[3]

Shapiro did not give up performing, and in 2010 he formed the band The Hit Men, fellow members included his former bandmates in The Four Seasons, Gerry Polci and Don Ciccone.[4]

Shapiro was married in 1977 to Georgia and they have one daughter, Ariel.[1]

In 2014, Shapiro was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis but continues to tours with The Hit Men.[5]

Awards and accolades

In 2019, the band The Hit Men were awarded its first "Road Warrior" award by the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.[5]

In 2020, Shapiro was nominated in the "Legend Musician" category of the East Coast Music Hall of Fame.[3]

References
  1. Bloom, Nate (27 June 2014). "There had to be a Jewish "Jersey Boy" – and there is. And he's local!". Jewish Standard. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  2. "Hit Men's Lee Shapiro lands a job; On becoming a Four Season, and his first day". Elmore Magazine. 2 April 2018. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  3. "Lee Shapiro - 2020 Nominees". East Coast Music Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  4. "An Interview with Lee Shapiro of The Hit Men!". Spotlight Central. 16 October 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  5. "Musicians Hall of Fame to Honor Session Legends The Hit Men". Billboard. Associated Press. 17 October 2019. Archived from the original on 19 October 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2020.


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