Tom Portera

Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Fiddle, Harmonica

You could say Tom Portera was a prisoner of song. Growing up in a musical family, Portera was introduced to singing early - but not necessarily to the music of his choice. At five years old, Portera's older siblings taught him to sing three-part harmony to Beach Boys songs - something the young Tommy had yet to take a liking to.

"They kept me in my room until I learned, "In My Room." I used to get mad. When I went to school, I hated it because it was all these dumb songs. I wanted to sing Beatles or Dave Clark Five. I sang a lot as a kid."

Portera took up the guitar at age 12, acoustic first, and electric guitar at 15. From age 16-20, Portera played every weekend in a duo, "Second Star," with his brother, Bob. The two played in the Westport/Norwalk area - and because Portera was underage, he even needed a note from his parents giving him permission to play in a venue that served alcohol. The two played cover songs of Pure Prairie League, the Beatles, Dan Fogelberg and Grateful Dead.

Along the way, Portera started seeing another young musician on the circuit - Billy Donaldson. Little did he know at the time that Donaldson would become a colleague as his musical career progressed. By the time he turned 20, Portera's brother left Connecticut and Donaldson had left his band, setting the stage literally for the two to collaborate. "Food on the Roof," their first band together, started as a duo and added a third musician as the band played 80s rock like the Police and Joe Jackson, building their repertoire. Food on the Roof jammed with different third-member musicians until 1987 when Donaldson left the group and the name changed to "Frame of Mind."

"We were a big hoo-ha rock band," Portera says. "We did Steely Dan, Yes, Elton John's 'Funeral for a Friend.' We warmed up for Foghat, Kansas and would play Shenanigans and Tuxedo Junction…"

Portera played lead guitar and was lead singer on half the songs. The band got a warm reception regionally but left the show scene temporarily to begin writing and recording for a two-year period. In 1994, Billy Donaldson reappeared on the local music scene - this time, as a solo artist looking to team up again with Portera. The two had played together as a duo on the side while in Food on the Roof, and seemed destined to collaborate again. Portera, meanwhile, had built a life in music.

"I played out every weekend of my life since I was 16. I did originals with my brother, some in Food on the Roof and Frame of Mind. We did a compilation CD with Frame of Mind that almost went somewhere."

All along, Portera fed his inner need to write music. "I get an idea for a song, I write the music in five minutes, the chorus in 10 minutes," he says. "The words take a lot longer."

Like many musicians, Portera's musical talent is inherited. His mother plays piano, Dad was a Johnny Cash, Herb Alpert fan. One grandfather even played piano for silent movies. Music was always in the air in the Portera house - always a piano, always singing. "I have great memories of singing Christmas songs and show tunes," he says.

In 1994, the duo of Portera and Donaldson started playing the Gaelic American Club in Fairfield and Black Rock Castle in Bridgeport. They played just two dates at each of those venues before a third voice joined with theirs. Jimmy Cyr, a mandolin player who worked with Donaldson, started playing with the duo at Donaldson's suggestion.

"The first night Jimmy came in it was like, 'Oh geez. This guy's pretty good.' The Gaelic American Club was the third time he played with us. The place was so packed, we had trouble getting the equipment in the place," Portera recalls.

From the start, the band was anonymous. "The first five times we played out, we had no name and we'd pass around the hat and ask for suggestions. We were the No Name Band. Highland Patty was one of our favorite songs. Billy came up with Highland Rovers Band and we all liked it," Portera recalls. For the first four months, the trio never rehearsed. "All we did was pass around tapes and call each other. We never practiced. Jimmy learned mandolin on the spot and it all came together pretty quick," Portera says.

Portera's role in the Rovers' evolution was to arrange the harmonies that have become their signature. He also writes music, having penned two of the original songs that appear on the Rovers' debut CD, "Brave Lads All." The songs, "And I Ride Away the Hours," and "Until You Smile Again," have become popular crowd pleasers.

Portera says the growing following of Rovers fans has been a sweet surprise. "The fan base knocks me out more than anything. We create a party," he says. "People actually sing along to our originals. It's a kick in the butt for me!"