Season 2008-09

DALE GONYEA

Biography

At the age of five, Dale Gonyea got up very early one morning and, without a single lesson, spontaneously began playing the piano. His parents were astonished because they did not have a piano. They decided he needed therapy or music lessons. Therapy was expensive. They bought a piano and a career was born.

At ten, Dale saw the movie, West Side Story and was furious he hadn't written it. One of Vince and Shirley Gonyea's nine offspring from Monroe, Michigan, he is a University of Michigan music graduate, who now uses the piano as the springboard for his unique humor. It has brought him worldwide acclaim.

Named "Classic Comedian of the Year" by a Manhattan radio station, Gonyea is also an Emmy winner, a Clio nominee, and his song-spoof, I Need Your Help, Barry Manilow was Grammy-nominated for Comedy Record of the Year.

He has written songs for Disney, including the Sport Goofy anthem, “You Can Always Be Number One” and the Genie's song, “Nothing in the World Quite Like a Friend," for The Return of Jafar, the hit video sequel to Aladdin. He also penned several songs for a Disney series of language videotapes for children, Fun with Spanish. Aside from numerous national jingles, his songs have been performed by Rosie O'Donnell, Bette Midler, Kaye Ballard, Ray Stevens, and Rich Little, among others. His Cher parody was featured in the hit show, Catskills on Broadway. Dale's own comedy album is titled Songs My Next-door-Neighbor Knows By Heart.

The Los Angeles Times proclaimed him "heir to the piano-comedy throne" during the run of his solo theater piece, A Twelve O’clock Guy in a Nine O’clock Town. During his subsequent theater piece, An American in Pasadena, thousands were inspired to pull up stakes and move to Pasadena.

Numerous television appearances include Evening at the Improv, HBO Young Comedians, TV’s Bloopers and Practical Jokes, Paramount Comedy Theater, Steve Allen's Comedy Room, and as a special musical reporter on Entertainment Tonight. Among the highlights of his career, he spent an amazing year living in England, performing and writing for a satirical British television show entitled, etc.

Other live appearances have ranged from Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas to Trump Castle in Atlantic City to Town Hall, Manhattan.

In his spare time, he ponders life's weightier issues, such as "Where does infinity end?" "What makes the sky blue?" and "Why did Kathie Lee leave Regis?" If you can answer any of the above, he would appreciate it greatly