| Jay Della Valle | |
|---|---|
Jay Della Valle playing at The Middle East (Cambridge, MA) in 2009 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jason Christopher Della Valle |
| Also known as | Jay Della Valle |
| Born | August 19, 1979 Hackensack, New Jersey, United States |
| Genres | Alternative Rock, Pop Rock, Blues |
| Occupations | Filmmaker, Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Film producer, Composer, DJ |
| Instruments | Vocals, Guitar |
| Years active | 2003 - Present |
| Labels | Rock-A-Stache Records |
| Website | www.dellavallemusic.com |
Jay Della Valle (born August 19, 1979) best known for his documentary The Glorious Mustache Challenge,[1] is an American filmmaker, recording artist, singer and songwriter.[2]
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Della Valle was born in Hackensack, New Jersey. He is of Italian, Irish, and Czech ancestry.[3] He grew up in Wayne, New Jersey and attended Wayne Valley High School, where he played soccer and ran track, as well as participated in the theater program.[4] Della Valle currently resides in Montclair, New Jersey.[5]
While attending New York University, Della Valle played with various bands including The Offbeats and Sex With Strangers.[6] After graduating from NYU in 2001 with a degree from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, Della Valle recorded an independent EP called Best Years with bandmate Jon Crane and producer Chris “Gibby” Gibson (Quicksand, Rival Schools).[7] He followed this with 2 other independent EPs before starting to record his first full length debut album, Pink Elephants, in 2005 with producer Jon Berman (Ours, The Dandy Warhols, Avril Lavigne, Duncan Sheik).[8] He then returned to Chris Gibson in 2008 to record Stay Gold with his band. In 2009, Della Valle toured the east coast with Stache Bash, Della Valle's own invention: a "mustache party rock n’roll tour" he cultivated from his films burgeoning following.[9] A video for his single, Legs So Long It's Crazy, was made in early 2009. Della Valle's 2nd full length album, The Terminology of the Situation Is.... was released in April 2011. [10]
Della Valle started acting in 1995 while still in high school. He took the bus into New York City from New Jersey every week to take acting classes at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. After graduating high school in 1997, he attended New York University to further pursue theatre and film opportunities. He worked on a number of independent films and theatre productions while still in college.[11] In 1996 he signed with Ford Models in NYC which opened up more doors for him in the entertainment field. After graduating NYU in 2001, Della Valle enrolled in the Maggie Flanigan Studio to study the Meisner technique of acting under the mentorship of Maggie Flanigan.[12]
In 2006, Della Valle started to film his acclaimed documentary, The Glorious Mustache Challenge,[13] which received press and attention from The Today Show, Good Morning America, Geraldo at Large, CNN, and The New York Times.[14] "The Glorious Mustache" started when he dared a handful of friends to grow a mustache and not shave for one month.[15] This experiment led him to have the idea to chronicle the experiences of men under 30 in their conquest to revive the "ill-fated" mustache trend.[16] The making of film quickly gained traction and press- garnering featured articles in Time Out New York and on the front page of The New York Times.[17] and AM New York Upon its completion, film screenings took the form of "mustache parties" where the film would play, costumes and staches would be required, and inevitably, a mustache contest would be judged by Della Valle.[18] Press from The New York Times caught the eye of Dr. Aaron Perlut and Dr. Dan Callahan, the leaders of the American Mustache Institute, who would later indoctrinate Della Valle as "Chairman Emeritus".[19] AMI is the one and only institution that vows to protect the legacy of the mustache and the rights of all mustached Americans.
“The Glorius Mustache Challenge” was available for purchase at Urban Outfitters and Hot Topic until 2009.[20]
In 2007, Della Valle appeared on the reality show Miami Ink.[21] While getting tattooed by tattoo artist Chris Garver, he discusses plans for his band’s album in progress.
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2003 | Best Years |
| 2004 | Della Valle |
| 2005 | Pink Elephants |
| 2007 | Stay Gold |
| 2009 | Legs So Long It's Crazy (Single) |
| 2011 | The Terminology Of The Situation Is... |
Della Valle is the official MC [22] and Host for Movember's annual "Mustache Gala" which takes place every November in New York City. Movember is an interactive charity that allows men to raise money for Men's Prostate Cancer Foundation & Lance Armstrong Foundation by getting sponsors to pledge money for them to rock mustaches throughout the month of MOvember. The charity raised over 40 million dollars in 2009 with over 256,000 worldwide participants.[23]