Al Natale
Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
Although Al Natale did not join HRB until 2003, his experience in music and working relationship with guitarist Tom Portera goes
back many years. Al joined both Tommy and ex-Rover Billy Donaldson in the band "Food on the Roof" and both Al and Tom went on to play in another band in the 80's called "Frame of Mind".
Al took up 6 string guitar at the age of 12. Within a year, he was playing bass in a friend's band. He played for his own middle school dance at the age of 13 and played in a bar at the ripe old age of 15. "I guess I looked old for my age," he laughed. "We played covers like Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones."
Natale went on to play in several popular local rock bands and even went out to Arizona for a while. The band never really materialized. During this time however, Al did play a couple of gigs with the ex-keyboard player from Vanilla Fudge.
After returning to Connecticut, Natale joined a band called Diamond Roller which included the ex-lead singer from The Simms Brothers, who recently toured with Peter Frampton.
When the HRB revamped at the end of the 2002 tour, Tom Portera needed to commit himself full-time to guitar. This opened up a big opportunity, and Al has successfully filled those shoes. "Al is a player!" Portera commented. "We didn't even think twice when his name came up. I gave him the Rover CD's on a Tuesday, and Al called back on Friday and said he learned all the songs. That's the kind of energy this band needs. He's a great guy and we're excited about bringing him on the road with us!" Portera added.