Joe Vitale (musician)

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For other persons named Joseph Vitale, see Joseph Vitale (disambiguation).

Joe Vitale
Born	1949
Genre(s)	Rock
Instrument(s)	Drums, Synthesizer, Keyboards, Flute, Vocals
Years active	1969 - present
Label(s)	ABC Asylum Atlantic
Associated acts	Joe Walsh Barnstorm Crosby, Stills and Nash Eagles
Website	Official website

Joe Vitale is an American musician, primarily known as a drummer but also a flautist, keyboardist and singer, who has played with many of the top names in music during a career dating back to the 1970s.

Vitale started as part of an Ohio band called The Chylds and attended Kent State University during the May 4, 1970 shootings. His first national break was being hired by Ted Nugent for a role in the Amboy Dukes in 1971.^[1] In the fall of 1971, Vitale was invited by his former Kent State classmate Joe Walsh to join Barnstorm, a new group being formed by Walsh in Colorado. The group recorded three albums together, and Vitale and Walsh began a longterm partnership, although Barnstorm broke up in 1974.

After the breakup, Vitale was the temporary original drummer for the Michael Stanley Band (before Tommy Dobeck was hired), and he recorded his first solo album, 1974's Roller Coaster Weekend, produced by Ron & Howard Albert, with guitar solos contributed by Walsh, Rick Derringer and Phil Keaggy. He then joined the Stills-Young Band for the Long May You Run sessions. Later, Vitale would be one of the musicians that Crosby, Stills & Nash record and tour with, beginning with the CSN album and continuing to the present day. He has also co-produced and contributed songs to Crosby, Stills & Nash, as well as to solo efforts by Stephen Stills and Graham Nash.

Meanwhile, Vitale's longtime partner Walsh became part of the Eagles, and Vitale became part of the Eagles' road band on drums and keyboards, appearing on 1980's Eagles Live. For Vitale's second solo album, Plantation Harbor, produced by Bill Szymczyk and also recorded in 1980, Don Felder also appeared along with Walsh on guitars, and Stephen Stills co-wrote a couple of songs. A Walsh/Vitale song, "Pretty Maids All in a Row", appears on the Eagles' album Hotel California. He continues to appear on Walsh solo albums in the early 1990s.

Among other artists with whom Vitale has appeared are Dan Fogelberg, Peter Frampton, John Entwistle and Zakk Wylde (Book of Shadows).