Dan Pallotta Debuts "John F. Kennedy"

Dan Pallotta has lived many lives. The folk artist was born on the first day of John F. Kennedy’s presidency and went on to attend Harvard University. Pallotta ran for office and won at a young age, with his sights set on the American presidency. During the ‘80s, he began to realize he was gay, at a time when there were no out political leaders, and subsequently turned to pursue his dream of music.

Pallotta went off to Los Angeles, where he pursued a career as a singer-songwriter but was ultimately told by Clive Davis that his style of music wouldn’t lead to a breakthrough as an artist.

Pallotta’s next left turn led him to develop a highly successful career in philanthropy, creating the AIDSRides, Breast Cancer 3-Day walks, and Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention walks which raised a record breaking nearly $600 milion in nine years.

At 61 years old, the married father of three has returned to music with an album of rich folk and Americana storytelling. His first single is “John F. Kennedy,” an inquisitive reflection on the feelings of both grief and liberation which come with leaving behind old narratives which no longer serve you.

Pallotta sees this song as a reflection on letting go of the part of himself that needed the adoration of becoming president, which was given new dimension through a dream he had where he witnessed JFK’s last breaths.

“What if that dream was trying to say that something old was going away, something that was dear to me, that it was gone and I was free.”