Rising Stars: Meet Joe Vitale Jr.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Vitale Jr.

Hi Joe, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When I was young, like many kids, I wanted to be an astronaut & I actually went to Space Camp & met several astronauts. Then came the day in 1987, when my father, veteran rock drummer Joe Vitale who was out on tour with Crosby Stills & Nash, asked me if I wanted to play tambourine on stage on CSN’s hit song “Teach Your Children” at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. I was only 10 years old but I was so excited. I dove at the chance & when I walked on stage and heard the roar of 19,000 people, it changed my life & right then and there I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I spent the following years learning to play the drums, guitar, write songs & sing.

Years later, while I was at Mount Union College, I had an opportunity to play percussion with the Stephen Stills Blues band on tour. Once again, I dove at the opportunity. I left school & went out on tour with Stephen Stills, which then led to me playing percussion with Crosby Stills and Nash but this time as an adult & fellow musician. Around 2000, I hit some tribulation in my life & things got very tough for a long while. What truly kept me going all those years, was my faith in Jesus Christ. Through those years of difficulty, God strengthened me to preserver no matter what came my way & to keep moving forward through the storms of life.

At the same time, I decided to leave being a sideman musician and try to become a recording artist. I began work on my debut album “Dancing With Shadows”. I was working with Stephen Stills in the studio on his albums, along with other artists through this time so it took me nearly 8 years to complete. At the 4 year mark, I had access to better gear & literally rerecorded my entire album from scratch. I then began to perform live with my own band, playing my own music.

A few years after that, I decided that my style of music, which is alternative rock, would better fit under a band name, so I formed the rock band Ravenwood in 2010. I still performed under my own name for several years after that before going fully as Ravenwood. As an artist, I still release material under Joe Vitale Jr and Ravenwood including some additional side projects & working with other bands as well. Along with music, I’m also deep into cinematography & directing. I have directed a multitude of music videos & films for myself as well as other artists including one music video which led me to meet my wife, radio personality Kathy Vogel. Looking back, it’s been an amazing journey & I pray, God willing, that it will continue for decades into the future.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
At the beginning of my career, things were going great & moving very fast. Then it was like the rug was pulled out from under me. I went through quite a lot in a very short time including being robbed, promising opportunities that fell through, relationships that were rocky, stress, health problems, music industry & manager issues & honestly I went through a short crisis in my faith. It was a very scary time, but even through all of that, I never let go of God. He was the only stabilizing force in my life even when it seemed like I wasn’t hearing any direction from God. I kept holding on tight. There were nights I was on my knees praying to God for an answer. Looking back on this journey, I can see how God directed my steps, strengthening me, developing a deeper faith, to even finding the love of my life, my wife, Kathryn. I still face trials & tribulations every day, but I continue to move forward with my faith in God.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a lifelong professional musician, producer, film scorer, cinematographer, film director, photographer, speaker & author. My father is a professional musician, author & producer and my mother is an artist, author, local TV personality & photographer. My parents supported anything I wanted to do with my life & because I loved all the artistic worlds they both came from, I decided at an early age that I wanted to pursue those fields myself. I’m known for a combination of my music & film work. As a musician, I am most proud of the music & albums I have written over the years.

They are truly an extension of myself. The overall theme of my music is triumph over adversity & while my music is considered secular, it is based in Biblical principles. For film, I am most proud of the work done on the film “Encryption” written by my wife Kathryn & that I directed I starred in. In terms of what set’s me apart from others, this would be that I always try to be different in everything I do, from the style of music I write, by always trying to take whatever I’m working on a step further, redoing things many many times over until it’s perfect, never doing a job half way but always pushing myself & the projects to the limit. This can make things very stressful but I think I actually live to drive myself crazy sometimes. Haha.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I would have to say that, when it comes to myself, I’m basically an open book for the most part. Whatever I’m working on, or currently obsessed with, I’m always very excited to share with others. The difficulties I go through become part of my music. I’m very vocal about my faith & the love of my family.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.joevitalejr.com
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/joevitalejrofficial
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/joevitalejrofficial
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/joevitalejr
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/joevitalejrofficial
• Other: www.ravenwoodrocks.com 

Image Credits
Susan Vitale
John C Benson
Nate Forshee
Michael Skolosh