RAHWAY, NJ — The Hit Men are more than tribute artists. They are the real guys who performed with legendary musicians including members from Foreigner, Journey, Styx, The Hooters, Steely Dan, Cheap Trick, The Rascals, Alan Parsons, Three Dog Night, Cream, Grand Funk Railroad and The Who.
In celebration of their associations with these mega-stars, they’ll be performing classics such as “Layla,” “Don’t Stop Believing,” “I Want to Know What Love Is,” Feels Like the First Time,” “Sunshine of Your Love,” “Eye in the Sky” and more on Saturday, April 13, at the Union County Performing Arts Center, 1601 Irving St., Rahway.
The Hit Men was formed in 2010 by Lee Shapiro, who was once a member of The Four Seasons and played on their 1975 worldwide hit, “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” and was also their music director. Originally, The Hit Men were conceived as a partial reunion of the 1970s era Four Seasons lineup.
The concept was revamped into the 1970s and 1980s but when the pandemic hit, Steve Murphy, drummer and vocalist for The Hit Men, was the only one sticking around. “COVID just tore everyone’s career apart or made them rethink the path,” he said.
Now, with Shapiro as management, Murphy put the band together. “Four guys I worked with extensively over the last couple decades,” Murphy said. “We incorporated music we worked with live or in the studio. Put together a set that would go over great, adding songs, updating … It’s been a great ride.”
In addition to Murphy, the current Hit Men line up is Mike Dimeo on keyboards/vocals; Mark Newman on guitar/vocals; Greg Smith on bass/vocals; and Tommy Williams on guitar/vocals. But for the UCPAC gig, Brooke St. James will be filling in for Williams.
Murphy, who is also a producer and engineer, has been heavily involved in the New York music scene since the late 1980s. In 1960, his parents recorded a folk album with a third person as a trio. The album they released was called The Beechmonts, a nod to the Beechmont Tavern in New Rochelle, N.Y., which is still there.
“They were always singing and harmonizing around the table when I was growing up,” said Murphy, who was born in 1965. “That’s what got me started into musical knowledge. It’s a classy looking early ’60s album. Any of the albums from back then has that same look, same vibe. They played all classic public domain songs they didn’t have to pay royalties for.”
Murphy only went to music school for a short time when he was 9 or 10, just to learn the basics. “A little local music school in Westchester County got me to the path on proper technique,” he said. “Later years, I played in a drummers’ collective in NYC. That was to get more advanced techniques. I developed my own style.”
When Murphy was 13 and in his first cover band, his parents drove him — and his drums — to a bar. “My mom got me into jazz drummers,” he said. “She was into Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa. She was instrumental in getting me listening to the jazz greats.”
Murphy’s first big break came in 1998, when he was asked to work as a vocalist in the studio with legendary producer Phil Ramone on a project for Elton John. His voice was featured on dozens of national commercials including The Army’s “Be All You Can Be” campaign. He was a member of The Alan Parsons Live Project, touring more than 40 countries singing lead vocals.
“Songs that are just memorized,” he said. “Already gotten into the fiber of my being, of being a musician.”
He’s also toured with Jack Bruce of Cream, Eric Burdon and the Animals, Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night, Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals, Dave Mason, Todd Rundgren, Steve Augeri of Journey and Trans-Siberian Orchestra, to name a few.
“Dreams come true,” Murphy said. “In my rock royalty era, I was playing with Jack Bruce. It was a ‘pinch me moment’ every night.”
But even dream careers have their challenges. Murphy said, “The travel where you would do 20 shows in 28 days. You just really can’t imagine after the fifth show, doing the other 15. The challenges are there all the time. Of course, COVID was a challenge getting over that hump.”
Not letting the challenges discourage him, he offers this advice to young musicians, “Perseverance. Practice doesn’t do it all. You have to be assertive and get out there. Explore all the avenues. Of course, when I paved my way, it was a different world. Musicians today record and post on the social. Get it out there.”
Currently residing in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Murphy said he enjoys the beach or golf, and spending time with his two Great Danes when he’s not working. “I’m a big sports person as well,” he added. “In addition to playing sports, I’m a big fan of pro teams.”
To learn more about The Hit Men, visit: http://thehitmenlive.com/
To purchase tickets for the UCPAC concert, visit: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/52952938/the-hit-menthe-ultimate-rock-concert-rahway-ucpac-main-stage.
Photos Courtesy of The Hit Men