Published: August 01, 2008 03:02 pm      

GUITAR HERO: Q&A with Falls's Perry Novak

If you are a guitar player in the city of Niagara Falls or a musician from anywhere in the region, there's a good chance you know Perry Novak.

"All the guitar players around here have taken lessons from me or from somebody I've taught," he said recently during a visit to his hometown for "The Summer of '69" concert in Lewiston.

Novak performed at the concert with "The Loved Ones" — a band that includes Niagara Gazette managing editor Dick Lucinski. Novak is now in the business of hand-making guitars and is currently shooting a reality show about his craft from his home in New Jersey.

At home for the “Summer of ‘69” reunion musical performance in Lewiston recently, he took time to answer some questions from Niagara Living.

QUESTION: So, have you written any songs I might know?

ANSWER: I wrote a children's Christmas song called "Waiting Up for Santa,” which has been in the Ozzy Osbourne series (’The Osbournes,” episode five) and two movies, the movie with Connie Sellecca, “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” and a Meredith Baxter movie called “Angel in the Family.” Christmas songs just keep giving. The movies play on Lifetime and Hallmark at least three or four times every Christmas season, so I get royalties for that. It’s great.

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Q. What have you been doing lately?

A. What I'm into now is building guitars — handmade guitars ... I built my first guitar in 1975 in high school and then built a few more after that ... I got away from it because I was playing professionally and writing music. In the last couple years, my son found my first guitar and asked me about it, and I told him I built it by hand. He motivated me and I started building guitars, and now I’ve set up a shop and I 'm producing a show called "Get Wild Guitars.”

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Q. Is it a little like that reality show “Orange County Choppers” where the guys make a new motorcycle each week?

A. It's only me working in my shop. Eventually, what I’d like to do on every show is have interviews with some famous guitar players and talk about their guitars. The whole thing is based around guitars. Right now, I have a few episodes on YouTube. I'm getting a lot of subscriptions, and there’s a quite a few people watching the show. Last week when I checked, the one show had over 7,000 viewers so far.

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Q. I heard you were shocked when you came back home and saw Niagara Falls. True?

A. Yeah. I was really shocked. Niagara Falls’ Main Street is deserted. There's nothing left. It’s all boarded up. It’s sad ... In the ’70s, it was just booming at that time for me. There was a lot of nightclub work for musicians. I did go to Artpark, and it was impressive.

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Q. Who did you see at Artpark?

A. Blue Rodeo. I was really impressed with that. What a setting, sitting there with the river in the background and the bridge and the stage. That was really breathtaking, unbelievable for a concert. I'd like to play there next year.

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Q. You’re way too young to look back at your life, but if you did, what would you have done differently?

A. When I got my recording deal, I think I should have moved to Nashville instead of staying here. I didn't push hard enough.

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Q. So, where are you living these days?

A. Well, I still own a home in the Town of Niagara, but I have a second home in Bridgewater, N.J. It’s out the country. It’s beautiful. I work for Sevenson Environmental Services. I'm a superintendent.

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Q. This is the third time you’ve played at the “Summer of 69” in Lewiston. How did you get involved with that?

A. Larry Elia, an owner of Sevenson, is in one of the bands, The Loved Ones. Three years ago, the singer they had in their band died. Because I'm a singer and guitar player, he asked me if I would fill in. I did and I'm having fun with it.

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Q. The other guy’s aren’t professional like you are. Do they get a kick out of playing with you?

A. This is their once-a-year gig. They get together with all their friends. These guys have a riot, and it’s fun for me. I've been away from the local music scene for 10 years. People come out to see me that I haven't seen in years, and it’s fun to talk to them, reminisce about the old days, the glory days.

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Q. Are you still working on a hit song?

A. Oh, I'm still writing all the time. You can mention the three albums I've finished, all smooth jazz. If you go to my Web site, perrynovak.com, you can hear some of the cuts from the albums.

Contact editor Michele DeLuca at 693-1000, ext. 157.