Oz Legacies

Lake Ontario... Harborfest Oswego! People come on, come out, people come on now jump and shout!" "That's the opening line from my favorite Harborfest theme song, and it was the winning entry for 1990, and was written and ably performed by Oswego native Sam Domicolo.

"Sam," as he is now professionally known in Venice, Fla., where he and his wife Barbara Perry, a former Minetto elementary school principal, live during the fall and winter months.

Sam has a big and loyal, almost groupie like following in his adopted second home in Florida. And why not? He sounds better now than he did when he was 17 and singing in the Kings Three with Mike Pauldine and Gary Stevens.

They were the stars who performed at my late wife Charlotte's "Sweet 16" party in Hopkins Hall, beneath St. Mary's church. They were a Kingston Trio wannabe group, and they were good. Very good.

Tom Dooley's head never hung down better than with Sam at the microphone. They performed in the DG premiere on the Oswego Theatre stage, and in many other venues. And they morphed into several other groups in the coming years.

My favorite high school group featuring Sam was "The Valiants," with Danny Kraft, Jimmy Losurdo, Buzz McFarland and Dickie Hillman. Those guys really rocked the house.

The usual venue was Christ Church Hall, where Sam reminds me that I used to bring two shirts to the dances, since I always sweated entirely through the first one, and needed a wardrobe change.

Those Valiants really put us through our dance paces, and if you don't believe me, just ask Eddie Matott.

After high school, Sam joined the Navy, and served on board the USS Truckee, a Navy oil ship, during the Vietnam conflict.

He came home and worked in several jobs, but music was always his first love. He never gave up his day jobs as a pharmacist assistant, salesman at times, and finally, as a school janitor, but it was always the music that continued to float Sam's boat.

It was his first love, in addition to his sons Michael, Anthony and Ryan, in whom he takes great pride, and his four grandchildren, Kali, Joey, Danielle and Jordan.

But Barb is the wind beneath his wings, and has enabled him to exclusively pursue music as a first career, and it works.

There were many other groups Sam performed with over the years. Some names come to mind ... "The Newberry Four," "The Dude Potatoes," the "Watermelons," "The Critics" and one of my favorites, the "Edge of Darkness," which featured a black hearse as their band wagon and musicians Vic DiDominick, Paul Fergusen and Chip Alexander.

Sam is finally a solo act, billed as just "Sam." Eat your heart out Prince or Madonna, we have Sam!

On a recent trip to Florida, I drove a couple of hundred miles out of my way just to surprise him and to hear him sing at the Cafe Venice, where he holds forth on Thursday nights.

He is a legend there and here, and has earned the right to be called legendary "Sam." As a solo act, he excels, and when he sings "A taste of your wine ... red red wine..." the audience sings along as enthusiastically as they do when he belts out the Neil Diamond classic "Sweet Caroline." It is happy, sing along, have a glass of wine and enjoy type music, and we baby boomers can't get enough of it.

Sam and Barb spend their summers in Oswego, where he performs at several local venues on a regular basis, including Alex's on the Water, Old City Hall and Gibby's.

Today, Sam is on top of his game. He has had his ups and downs in life, as have we all. In his profession, what career musician hasn't?

A recent low point came with the death of his lifelong best friend Joe Spereno, the best sax player I have ever heard. Joe and Sam date back to 1949, when Sam, as a 4-year old immigrant from Italy, learned to speak English with the assistance of his friend and neighbor, Joe. He misses Joe very much. We all do.

Sam was the oldest of five children born to Italian immigrants Michael and Sally Domicolo, and was followed by siblings Carm, Michael, Dave (who is a performer in his own right) and Maria.

He is justifiably proud of his Italian roots, and has traveled back to visit the homeland on several occasions.

Most importantly though, Sam has stayed true to his passion, made merry with his music, and charmed, entertained, and enhanced the lives of hundreds of his fans by just singing his songs, and singing them so well.

Wherever Sam sings people come out, and still jump and shout. And that's a good thing. A very good thing!