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They say that opportunity comes once in a lifetime. I would like to think that the CARUSO interview was my once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Every college newspaper reporter dreams of landing an interview with a rock band and I was no exception. Hi! I'm Leslie Gilroy and this is my CARUSO story. In the spring of 1987, I was a senior majoring in communications / public relations at Rio Grande College in Rio Grande, OH. The college, now known as the University of Rio Grande is a four-year private institution located in a rural area of southeastern Ohio. At the time, I was a student reporter for the college newspaper, The Signals. On April 30, 1987, the college hosted a Queen’s Dance. Shawn Paynter, editor for The Signals, wanted to feature articles on the Queen’s Dance regarding dance activities and an interview with featured band, CARUSO. |
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Originally, the editor was assigned to do the article. Shawn was not available so she asked me to interview the band. Not being one to turn down a great opportunity, I accepted the assignment. The first question I asked myself was, “How do I go about interviewing a rock band?” I had never interviewed a band before and I had no idea what to focus my article on. Research material was limited to a CARUSO poster and an article in The Signals about the band’s scheduled performance. |
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The poster featured four very handsome and confident Italian brothers. I remember looking at the poster and thinking, “What have I gotten myself into?” My goal was to come up with an interview that drew interest to the band and pleased the readers of the newspaper. Let’s face it, everyone dreams of being a rock star! The interview provided readers with a realistic portrayal of a band’s life on the road. It also gave the readers a chance to meet four brothers who worked and traveled together. The afternoon before the dance, I decided to go to the Rhodes Student Center. I was informed that the stage crew was setting up for the dance, and I was hoping that CARUSO would be in rehearsal. Unfortunately, the band was not in the student center so I decided to interview the stage crew, consisting of the sound man, Jeff Ravas and the stage manager, Dean Piggott. |
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Jeff and Dean were down to earth and fun to talk to. I must have been in full journalism mode because Jeff brought me back to reality with his question, “Aren’t you being a little bit formal there?” We ended up having a few laughs about my interview approach. Jeff Ravas provided a lot of positive feedback about CARUSO. When asked about the music, Jeff commented, “It’s a lot of fun! People love to dance to it. They get the group moving like no other band I’ve ever seen.” By 10:00pm, the Queen’s Dance was in full swing with CARUSO presenting a positive, professional, and motivating performance. Band members engaged the audience by encouraging them to dance and sing along. The power-packed pop music was upbeat, melodic, and fun! The band’s enthusiasm, dedication, and musical talents created top-notch entertainment for all in attendance. |
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After the show, I waited for the band to arrive in the dressing room. My nerves were in full gear at that point and I was ready to get the interview started. The after-dance energy was buzzing with students shouting, “Great Job!” to band members as they left the dance floor. The night was coming quickly to an end with tables being stacked and equipment being packed. Finally, the band arrived in the dressing room. Joe Caruso was the first band member that I approached for the interview and he referred me to his brother, Mike. I asked Mike for an interview and he turned as if to leave. One could tell that he was tired and ready to go. Just when I thought the interview was over, Mike turned around. I knew that my time was limited, but I was very grateful to Mike for changing his mind. Not wanting to waste any precious time, I immediately started asking Mike questions about the band. I noticed Mike to have a powerful, yet laid back, presence. He was very intelligent and very much the business man. His answers were: inquisitive, insightful, and informative. He had a lot of good things to say about the band and life on the road. |
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One had to wonder who was being interviewed - periodically, Mike would stop and ask me a question about the question. When asked why the brothers chose the music industry as a main career choice, Mike replied, “We thought it was something we could not only be successful at but it was fun, too. It’s a good thing to have a job that is fun, don’t you think?” As the interview proceeded, I asked Mike what kept him motivated to be on the road for a long period of time. Dave Caruso answered the question with the humorous response, “Having hit records someday and being famous and rich.” Mike added, “That’s the answer to all these questions, actually.” |
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I was happy to see Dave participate. He provided an energetic perspective to the interview plus he was sincere, determined, and straight-forward. When asked about future goals, Mike responded, “The big thing right now is to get signed. That is all we are thinking about.” Joe Caruso provided some comic relief with his strong desire to get the show on the road. In the background, one can hear him saying, “Leslie, let’s leave here!” He then proceeded to ask the questions. Mike put a stop to Joe’s interview. I knew that he was kidding around so it was no big deal. When asked to give the positive aspects of being in a band, Joe replied, “People are always on their best behavior with you. They always want to have fun with you.” Rob Caruso did not participate in the interview although he did ask if he could have the Jerry Lewis poster that was hanging on the wall. All in all, I found the brothers to be very personable and proud of the band’s accomplishments. They were friendly and fun to be around. I enjoyed interviewing them, and I learned a lot about the band and life on the road. I also developed a sincere interest in the band’s journey to success. The CARUSO interview will always be a fond memory for me. Despite a few editing notes, I still enjoy listening to the interview after all these years. Many thanks to Jeff, Dean, Mike, Dave, and Joe! |
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You can read Leslie Gilroy's finished interview as printed in the May 13, 1987 issue of Signals by clicking on the article at the left. You can listen to the interview audio here.
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