Acclaimed Music Producer Calls Wantagh Home

A lifelong lover of all things music, Wantagh resident Russ DeSalvo has created a solid career through recording and producing.

An Amityville native, DeSalvo began playing guitar at a young age. His passion and drive brought him in to the live music scene in New York City in the early 1980s.

After the breaking up of his rock and roll band, DeSalvo rolled the dice at a whole new side of the industry in the recording studio. He started playing the guitar for live recordings and soon transitioned into a songwriter.

Unlike most, DeSalvo earned fame and success early on in his career, quickly topping the charts with his original songs "Thinking of You" by Sapphire and "If Wishes Came True" by Sweet Sensation.

"All the work I was doing in live recording as a guitar player introduced me to a lot of producers and I thought I could write well," DeSalvo said. "My first couple of cuts were national hits and that was a game changer. I was signed to EMI Records as a writer and from there I had hundreds of covers on hundreds of records."

Over the years, DeSalvo considers himself lucky to have collaborated with powerhouses like Celine Dion, Amy Powers for Disney, Faith Hill and several other country stars in the Nashville music scene, and Paul McCartney.

Today, DeSalvo is turning much of his focus to Airgo records with longtime colleague and friend Jim Greco, working with up and coming artists, including Kaya and Elisa Rodriguez.

"I'm doing a lot with Airgo, they're a really smart label," DeSalvo said. "We have very polar strengths, where Jim is more of a programmer, drum kind of guy and I am more of a ranger, song writing kind of guy. It works."

In his home studio, DeSalvo works a lot with his son's Wantagh-based rock and roll band, Count To Ten, who were recently signed to Airgo Records. Count To Ten in the wake of a local tragedy when 14-year old Wantagh resident was by a Toyota Camry while crossing Sunrise Highway.

"They went through a lot emotionally and came together in that time to create great music," DeSalvo explained. "Going through what we all went through with the Vega family, I don't know that I ever felt a despair or darkness that these kids felt seeing their friend, so young, ripped from the planet the way that she was."

"We're creating an EP now for them and are starting to build a story for them as a young band," he continued. "Music is a calling and you are either really driven to do it or you're not. It's not an easy thing, but it really is an incredibly gratifying thing. They've gotten really good, but I want them to make their own mistakes to learn from - I didn't have anybody to guide me when I started like I can do for them."

In the near future, DeSalvo will be setting off on tour with Candian artist Kaya. For more information on Airgo Records and their artists, click here.