1978 John Hall – John Hall

John Joseph Hall (born July 23, 1948) is an American musician, environmentalist and community activist. He was elected to the county legislature of Ulster County, New York, in 1989 and to the Saugerties, New York, Board of Education in 1991, and he was the U.S. Representative for New York’s 19th congressional district, serving from 2007 to 2011.

He led another life in music, starting with piano at age 4, studying French horn in school and teaching himself guitar and bass. After changing his concentration to creative writing and performing in numerous musical ensembles, Hall quit college to begin his professional musical career in the clubs of Georgetown, DC, and then Greenwich Village. In 1967, his group Kangaroo released an album on MGM Records, and Hall also composed music for a Broadway theatre trilogy Morning, Noon and Night. While playing at Cafe Wha in Greenwich Village, he met his first wife, Johanna Schier, with whom he moved to Woodstock, and then Saugerties, New York, wrote many songs and fathered a daughter, Lillian Sofi Hall. He also found time to release his debut solo album, Action in 1970.

He was already a songwriter and/or session musician for such artists as Janis Joplin, Seals & Crofts, Taj Mahal and Bonnie Raitt when, in late January 1972, he founded Orleans in Ulster County, New York with Wells Kelly and Larry Hoppen. Lance Hoppen, Larry’s brother, joined the band later in that year, completing the Orleans lineup that would last throughout the band’s most successful period. Orleans released two albums on ABC Records, and two on David Geffen’s Asylum Records label, the latter two including the top five hits “Dance With Me” and “Still The One” which are each certified by BMI at more than 4 million airplays in the U.S. alone.