In the Easy Chair with Lou Manzi

Jul 13, 2023

Arts & Culture Editor

NAME: Lou Manzi.

AGE: Old enough to have played classic rock before it became classic.

OCCUPATION: Howling Hound Dog band member, guitar teacher at Pine Point School and privately and recreation therapist at Pendleton Health and Rehab.

RESIDENCE: Stonington.

BORN, RAISED & GREW UP IN: Staten Island, New York.

RIGHT NOW I’M IN THE MIDDLE OF: Working on an acoustic Grateful Dead show with the Hounds and acoustic blues for solo shows.

MY PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: A long lifetime of sharing music with thousands of students, audience members and other musicians.

TOP ON MY BUCKET LIST: A tour of Japan with the Hounds.

I ALWAYS CARRY: Lyric sheets for songs I’m currently memorizing.

WHAT I WANTED TO BE WHEN I GREW UP: The fifth Beatle.

MY HEROES ARE: All the current and past members of our Armed Forces.

FAVORITE AUTHORS: Richard Price, Malcolm Gladwell, Nick Tosches.

BOOKS ON MY NIGHT STAND: "Chicago Blues," "Banjo Roots" and "Branches."

TOP THREE SONGS ON MY PLAYLIST: "Waterloo Sunset" by the Kinks, "Sick Day" by Fountains of Wayne, "Smokestack Lightning" by Howling Wolf.

LAST THREE SONGS I ASKED ALEXA/PANDORA/SPOTIFY TO PLAY: "U.S. Blues" and "Box of Rain" by the Grateful Dead, "Mean Old World" by Little Walter.

FAVORITE THREE MOVIES OF ALL TIME: "Arsenic and Old Lace," "Spinal Tap," "The In-Laws " (the original with Peter Falk and Alan Arkin).

FAVORITE TV SHOWS: "Ted Lasso," "Seinfeld," "The Office" (U.S. version), "Arrested Development."

FAVORITE RADIO STATION/SHOWS/PODCAST: WBLQ, Mark Simone on WOR 710am, Fresh Air.

TOP COMFORT FOOD: My Mom’s nickname was Chocolata, I inherited it from her. Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate please!

SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES I MOSTLY USE: Just Facebook.

TRAITS I MOST ADMIRE: Loyalty and a sense of humor.

PET PEEVES: When people don’t say "Thanks" when you hold the door open for them, and drivers who don’t give you the little wave when you let them into traffic.

FAVORITE QUOTATION: “Success is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration.” — Thomas Edison.

MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT OUR LITTLE CORNER OF THE WORLD: The Westerly Library and the amazing Rhode Island library system. The most obscure books and CDs I search for are always available to put on hold. Also, the wonderful Wilcox Park.

CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: My lovely wife. Right beside me every step of the way with support, help and love on our journey.

LITTLE KNOWN FACT ABOUT ME: I’m proud to be the author of 11 acoustic blues and fingerstyle guitar method books published by Alfred Publications.

BEST ADVICE I EVER RECEIVED: "Finish college" ... from my lovely wife before we were married.

ADVICE I BEST LIKE TO GIVE: Take small bites! You can’t learn the whole song at once, take it one phrase at a time. Works for music and a lot of other things in life.

IF I RULED THE WORLD I WOULD: Gather a group of the best scientists and doctors and give them unlimited funding with the goal of finding a cure for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. That, plus ukuleles for everyone!

IF I WON THE LOTTERY, THE FIRST THING I WOULD DO IS: I actually just had a winning ticket, $7! But if I won millions I would invest a third, donate a third to good causes and one third for travel. The Hounds would play in Japan!

I DRIVE: A white 2012 Subaru Forester.

I WISH I DROVE: An orange Lamborghini.

ALWAYS IN MY FRIDGE: Almond milk.

IF I COULD INVITE ONE SPECIAL PERSON TO JOIN ME FOR DINNER AND CONVERSATION, I WOULD INVITE: I’d have to have two, my Mom, Esterina, and my Dad, Roger. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do. I’d want to thank them for all they did for me. And my Mom would play the tambourine and we’d sing “You Are My Sunshine” together again.

— Interview arranged and edited by Nancy Burns-Fusaro

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