A player of extraordinary depth and talent, he first came to notice in the late 1960s after forming Hot Cottage with his childhood friends Tom Goodrich (drums), Tom “Snip” Potter (bass), and Dave Fennessey (vocals). He moved on to Flesh, one of finest units ever to be assembled in the area. With Jon Polce (guitar, vocals), Al Lobello (bass), and Mike “Squeaky” Quinn (drums), Paul performed at all the major clubs, coffeehouses, and festivals in southern New England, and drew national attention.
When Duke Robillard left the Tombstone Blues Band in the early ’70s, Ken Lyon folded Flesh to form the mighty Ken Lyon & Tombstone (with Thom Enright, Mark Taber, Brenda Mosher and Sybilla). The act was arguably the best and most popular attraction in the area and their acclaim led to a major label deal with Columbia Records. They toured internationally with Mott the Hoople and Queen and seemed destined for stardom. (Ask Brian May about Paul’s playing!) However, when their underground hit, “Sing Song City,” failed to chart, the group disbanded.
Paul dropped out of the scene for a couple of years. He made a strong comeback in the early late ’70s, first with his new group, Poor Robin, featuring his brother Joe DiChiara (vocals), Vinny Earnshaw (Bass), Claude Day (guitar), and old friend Goodrich, and then for several years in the early ’80s with Rick Bellaire & The Backbeats.
A memorial service and jam session to celebrate Paul’s life and artistry is being planned for autumn. Friends who would like to attend and/or participate are invited to contact Rick Bellaire at mederick@cox.net or Joe DiChiara at josephdichiara@gmail.com.
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Phillipe & Jorge: p&j@phx.com
