I would like to nominate my brother, Bill DaPonte, of Swansea, MA, as Southside’s fan of the month for December, 2009. Bill has been a loyal fan of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes since the early 80s. He first introduced me to Southside Johnny with the albums “Reach up and Touch the Sky,” “Hearts of Stone,” and “I Don’t Want To Go Home” and is therefore responsible for getting me hooked when I was growing up. As a 13 year old caught in the precarious position between ‘70s disco and the Music Television genre of the ‘80s, Bill’s new found love of Southside’s Jersey blues saved me from drowning in a sea of mindless pop rock. As a teenager, the only reason why I would ever consider watching MTV is for the very unlikely event when they would air Southside’s “Welcome to Miller Time” commercial.

I fondly remember Bill sneaking me into my first Southside concert at a college night club in Providence, RI, around 1983. OK, sneaking me in might be an overstatement – the guy at the door probably would have let anyone in who was willing to pay the cover charge, regardless of their age. We arrived early enough to walk around the east side of Providence, where the band was going to perform. While we eagerly awaited show time, a coach bus passed us on the congested streets near Brown University. We assumed that it must have been Johnny’s tour bus and concocted the bright idea of pooling our money to buy as much beer as we could and try to chase down the bus, which by the time we left the package store, was no longer in sight. We never caught up to the bus and I don’t know what happened to the beer (I’m sure we did something with it). I don’t know who was in that bus, but in our mind it could be no one other than Southside and the band. Later that night my big brother took me to my first Southside concert.

Bill and I took in a couple more concerts as we were growing up but careers and geographics soon took over. But we never stopped listening to the band on vinyl and later CDs. Southside and his music was our common denominator throughout our lives and while miles may have separated us, our mutual love for Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes kept us close.

The last concert Bill and I attended was in Newport, RI, on July 1st, 2007. Joining us was my brother Paul, who, through his own admission, is not nearly as big of a fan of the South as Bill and me. But Paul was not going to pass on a brother’s night out. The three of us talked for weeks about our Southside reunion at the Newport Blues Cafe. After a great meal we staked out the best view from the balcony, where we reminisced of our glory days of growing up listening to Southside. With great anticipation, the Asbury Jukes came onto the stage, followed by Southside, who belted out the first lines of “Hang Down Your Head” while suffering from what must have been a very painful case of laryngitis. Johnny sounded as if gargled with Jersey shore sand in his throat. Southside managed two or three verses before telling us he gave it all he had that night and apologized for stepping down. Jeff Kazee picked up where Southside left off and led the band (and some unknown fan who lived the ultimate dream and took vocals off Jeff’s hands) for the rest of the concert. On our way home, Paul said he thought Johnny sounded just as good as he did the last time he saw him. He’s lucky we gave him a ride home.

The following spring Bill faced a series personal challenges that could have easily knocked the wind out of anyone’s sails, but Bill met all of his challenges with courage and determination. He pulled through with the love and compassion of his faithful wife, Linda, and his daughter, Lauren, and the support of his family and friends. But in some way, I think Bill overcame his hardships through the love for his favorite band. Through it all, Bill never lost his sense of humor or his love for Southside’s music.

This December, Bill and I will celebrate the end of a long year with Southside and the Asbury Jukes at the Birchmere, in Alexandria, VA. Southside – if you’re reading this, save your voice Amigo! I hope we’re able to meet up. Bill and I would like to buy you and the band that round of beer we missed out on nearly 30 years ago.

Sincerely,
Mike DaPonte
Millersville, MD