Biography

Sometimes referred to as power pop's first supergroup, Fotomaker was founded by former Rascals members Gene Cornish (bass) and Dino Danelli (drums), who had played together in a previous post-Rascals band called Bulldog. The two contacted ex-Raspberries guitarist Wally Bryson, then playing in his native Cleveland with a band called Tattoo. Bryson agreed to join them in Long Island, and the Fotomaker lineup was subsequently completed with guitarist Lex Marchesi and keyboardist Frankie Vinci (lead vocal duties were split between several members). The group quickly landed a deal with Atlantic and released their self-titled debut in 1978, which produced the chart single "Where Have You Been All My Life." Before the year was out, they'd released another LP, this one titled Vis-a-Vis; it featured another minor hit in "Miles Away." Still, Fotomaker were never quite able to break out beyond the power pop cult, and Bryson left the group to return to Cleveland in mid-1979. Vinci assumed lead vocal duties for the final Fotomaker album, 1979's Transfer Station, but faced with diminishing returns, the group elected to call it a day. Drummer Dino Danelli died on December 15, 2022, at the age of 78. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi