BOBBY DUNNE
Daily Southtown 'Living Section' Sunday July 29, 2001
No Place Like Home For Crestwood Musician
By: Kate Schott/Staff Writer

So far, the life of Bobby Dunne has been a mix between a fairy tale and an exhilarating roller coaster ride. He took a journey to a land unknown to him, leaving his princess behind. He left without telling a soul. But he had to "test the waters" and learn that at age 19 he wasn't a music legend after all. And in the end, he got the girl and his dream. "There's no place like home," he said in a serious tone before his laughter broke the silence. Despite the analogy to the famous "Wizard of Oz," Dunne really believes it --- there's no place like Chicago. He grew up on the city's South Side and left for California a few years after high school with a guitar and a dream. More than 25 years later, he's back, living in Crestwood and playing with his band at Navy Pier and many other Chicago music venues.

He's also reunited with his childhood sweetheart, Jo Ann Soltis. When he was younger, Dunne said he started playing makeshift drums. "I started beating on my mom's ironing board, and she was tired of it," he said "I tore up her chairs, and I used a telephone book as a snare drum. I never took a (music) lesson in my life." At the age of 10, he played in "garage bands." "It wasn't music." Dunne said. "Making noise was what it was."
When noise turned to music, the girls started noticing Dunne (including Soltis), but Dunne said he still didn't appreciate his talent. "I think when I was younger, I was a legend in my own mind," he said. "I thought I created (music) on my own." But God created his music, Dunne said. "All I had to do was deliver it," he said. "I was a channel. It was a much easier job then." Dunne considers himself a spiritual person. His philosophy on religion is simple: "Religious people are trying to stay out of hell. Spiritual people have already been there." In his 20's Dunne landed in Los Angeles as a singing waiter at the Great American Food and Beverage Co. "That was my survival gig," he said. "I would go grab a guy (who worked in the restaurant) and say, "Let's sing an Eagles song at my table. I'll split the tip with you." He met famous people like Bob Dylan and Arnold Scwarzenegger. Since then, his musical style has been shaped by where he's lived and played. And he's never needed a 9-to-5 job to support himself.

He began singing and playing guitar at the Boat House on Santa Monica Pier, and a few years later, moved to Hawaii. "I woke up every morning to Bob Marley and the Wailers," Dunne said. While "on the islands," he said, he played at the Irish Rose Saloon in Honolulu and recorded a CD album release with Jerry Martini from Sly and The Family Stone. That first CD, made up of all original songs, sounds a lot like Kenny Loggins or Crosby, Stills & Nash, said Bud Monaco of Sopro Records, Inc., Dunne's executive producer. Dunne's second album, called "Lights Of Jamaica", is more versatile, with an island flavor, and rock, country and reggae influences. If it wasn't for the encouragement of Soltis, the second album wouldn't exist, Dunne said. Dunne, 47, decided to move back to Chicago in 1996 to be with his sick mother. She has since passed away, Dunne said.

Although he grew up in Chicago, Dunne had to start all over in promoting his music here. He played at a few downtown bars, and now has a regular gig every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night at Mama Luigi's Restaurant in Bridgeview.

No matter what kind of music he plays, Dunne's happy. Recently, Dunne and other musicians from the Sopro Records Stable under the producing direction of Monaco, recorded the 5th song (of 6) of Monaco's "Military Music Dedication" songs dedicated to the American Veterans. These "Military Music Dedications" can be heard in their entirety on the Sopro website located at www.sopromusic.com and are available for free to all American Veterans.

Dunne sings at weddings, parties and even did a graveside show for a friend whose brother recently died. "I'll jam with a polka band if they let me." Dunne said.

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