In December of 1984 I was playing drums in the group Michael Pallini and Stage. It was a ton of fun, but I wanted merge my hobby of collecting girl group records of the '60s with live performance. I left Stage, recruited three fantastic female vocalists, and then convinced friends from my old hard rock musician days to accompany. By mid-spring of 1985 all the pieces were in place. The idea was to create a unique sound, have some fun, and bring together a skilled group of musicians and singers. In retrospect, all of those goals were accomplished. This page serves as an historical perspective of IT'S MY PARTY! Here, past incarnations of the group receive well-deserved tribute and admiration. The commentary is mine. I would like to thank every one who contributed to the success of this group throughout the years. The list of names is endless. In addition to the performers, the list includes crew, managers, studio operators, photographers, graphic design artists, webmasters, talent agents, and media. I would also like to recognize the devotion and patience of family, friends, and fans to this group. One name I will mention is Ron Stein; without his guidance and inspiration, this group would not have existed. John Giotto

The brunt of this information looks at the group before publicly released material from 1997 and beyond. Refer to our discography Page for material after 1996.

Beginnings: 1985-86, the original IT'S MY PARTY! girls: Liz, Sonia & Sharon. This 3-4 line-up included Dave Carroll on guitar, Gary Skinner on keyboards & guitar, Dan Covert on bass, and John Giotto on drums. Dan actually never performed with the group, he was replaced by Jim Basile in the spring of 1985. We knew Jim was the guy when he pulled up to the audition in his '62 Chevy Impala. Listen to his rock-solid bass lines on the following live recordings. Our first public appearance was an outdoor event at the Panorama Plaza located in Penfield, NY. Penfield was celebrating its 175th anniversary. We rehearsed in Penfield at the time, and I remember driving over to Gary's to pick up the gear that morning. It was one of those typical Rochester dubious weather days, with a strong possibility of rain. I remember looking west toward the prevailing winds, hoping better weather was on the horizon. As you can see from the photos all went well! Mainly a club act, our mainstays at that time were The Casablanca, The Red Creek, and Schnozz's. None of the aforementioned venues survive today.

Second generation: Patty, Charlene, and Kelly had close to a one-year run as the IT'S MY PARTY! girls, and I'm glad we can add this rare footage of the trio performing "Our Lips Are Sealed" from early 1987. The venue is Shnozz's, once at Rochester's Village Gate. The ladies are having a great time in this clip, and Patty's stage presence is amazing; just watch and enjoy! Dave, Gary, and Jim moved on and were replaced by Ken Peters on guitar, Paul Kanack on bass, and Terry Farrow on Keyboard.

Teenage: Tricia, Jenny & Eliza really made some waves in the industry. They were the first IT'S MY PARTY! group to perform and record original material. A short-lived project, April to November of 1988, the most amazing aspect of this group was its ability to blend as a vocal ensemble. John Bunce played only briefly with IT'S MY PARTY!, but contributed keyboard work on the Peter's track, "Can't Stay One More Night," recorded at GFI Studios. Ken Peters provided the group yeoman service with enthusiasm that will never be replaced.

Departures: Tricia, Jenny, and Eliza graduated from high school and moved on. Ken Peters left to play in the Pawns with Walt O'Brien. After five years of stepping away from the group and working on two promising solo projects, it was time to try again. The following recordings are from a teen-lineup of IT'S MY PARTY! that never performed live. My friend Steve's niece, Liz, sang lead vocals with her friends Laura, Shannon, and Missy providing the backup vocals. The recordings are from September 1993 and showcase the talents of Calvin May as a studio engineer and session player. Laura stayed on with IT'S MY PARTY! for four years, and performed with various incarnations of the group in the mid-'90s.

I hope you enjoyed a look into the past of IT'S MY PARTY!. We have high expectations for the future of IT'S MY PARTY!. After all these years, it's still fun to take the stage. Our songwriting, recording, and live show continue to focus and improve. We are excited about the possibility of release a 45 rpm record in 2011 will the new IT'S MY PARTY! girls, Michelle, Shelbie, and Kylie. The "We" I refer to includes Paul Kanack and Syeed Abdulal-haqq. Paul has been providing the group with bass playing and songwriting since 1986. Syeed has contributed songwriting and a positive attitude since 1995. If you are an IT'S MY PARTY! alumnus, we'd love to hear from you! There has been some talk about an IT'S MY PARTY! reunion this summer. E-mail us at alumnus@itsmypartyonline.com.

If you have an IT'S MY PARTY! story to share, or any artifact that would enhance this history page, contact us at: grouphistory@itsmypartyonline.com. Thanks to Ron Stein, for provided a clear photograph of Terry Farrow! We would love to hear from Jim Basile and Larry Goss, can anyone help us out?