New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu


?>

 

Jack Skuller Wins Buddy Holly Prize


By Gary Wien

originally published: 07/18/2014

Buddy Holly was one of the true legends of rock and roll whose short but brilliant career included such hits as "That'll Be The Day", "Peggy Sue", and "Oh, Boy!" His death in a plane crash on February 3, 1959 was immortalized in the Don McLean song, "The Day The Music Died". In 2009, the Songwriters Hall of Fame began recognizing upcoming songwriters while honoring Buddy's legacy with The Holly Prize. This year's recipient was Jack Skuller of Weehawken.

Skuller is not only an appropriate choice for the award, he's a bit of a throwback himself with a look and style that beckons back to the early days of rock and roll. He describes his sound as "vintage-pop" with a mixture of classic rock-and-roll. One listen to a track like the recently reissued "Tell Me Your Heart" and you can hear influences like a Duane Eddy rockabilly twang guitar blending with the ebullience of the sixties British invasion acts. The indie label Mint 400 Records reissued that track in late June in honor of Skuller receiving The Holly Prize — an award that clearly resonates with the young artist.

"It's incredible to be recognized like this, in honor of such a legendary man--especially someone who has influenced me so much," said Skuller. "I'll have this with me for the rest of my life, and I'm grateful beyond description.

"Some of the most important influences to me would be Little Walter, The Everly Brothers, and Buddy Holly," he continued. "By studying them and their music as I got into this business, I picked up so many aspects of melody, feeling, and performance. It has really shaped me a lot. I like to go for both classic and contemporary. I would never make an artistic decision to sound exactly like one of my heroes or the music of a certain time period. But when I emulate, rather than imitate, that sound that I love so much and blend it with my own performance style, that's when I feel like I'm really making something that matters."

Skuller wrote his first fully realized song ("Love Is A Drum") at age 11. Two years later, he won first place in the teen division by performing the song in a NJ 101.5 FM radio sponsored Big Joe Henry Jersey Talent Show. From there he went on to perform the song on FOX TV's "Good Day New York" and catch the eye of Radio Disney executives who gave him the opportunity to tour the US.




New Jersey Stage provides affordable advertising for the arts, click here for info



He recently made his acting debut as a villainous time traveler in "Trapped", a short produced by Kevin Napier and Hilary McHone for the NYC 24 Hour Film Race.

"That film was such a blast.," said Skuller. "I loved being the taciturn, time-traveling ‘50s villain. Music is always my number one priority and passion but I have always liked to do other things, acting being one of them. I'll probably always do a little of everything outside of my music."

Only 18, he's already got the discipline to be a good songwriter, recognizing the balance between inspiration and forcing the issue. "I try to meet in the middle between following a schedule and getting inspired," explained Skuller. "It's incredible when inspiration hits (and allows me to write a good song in twenty minutes), but I find that I experience more of those breakthrough moments the more I just make myself do it, even when I'm not feeling it. But I can't lock myself into a set time either. It's got to be that time of day when I think, ‘Okay, I'm gonna walk out of this room with a finished song.'"

His next single will be released on November 4 by Mint 400 Records. The track was produced by Joel Hamilton, the Grammy nominated producer who has worked with Pretty Lights, the Black Keys, and Tom Waits.

Skuller says he loves that feeling of achievement when he finishes a song that he's particularly proud of. He enjoys the fun of being in the studio and working to create the sounds that are in his head, but what he likes most of all is knowing that there's going to be at least one person out there listening that's affected by his music in some way. "That's what I'm really in this for," he says.


Gary Wien has been covering the arts since 2001 and has had work published with Jersey Arts, Upstage Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Princeton Magazine, Backstreets and other publications. He is a three-time winner of the Asbury Music Award for Top Music Journalist and the author of Beyond the Palace (the first book on the history of rock and roll in Asbury Park) and Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists. In addition, he runs New Jersey Stage and the online radio station The Penguin Rocks. He can be contacted at gary@newjerseystage.com.




New Jersey Stage provides affordable advertising for the arts, click here for info



FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


An

An Afternoon at the Opera

Sunday, April 27, 2025 @ 3:00pm
Algonquin Arts Theatre
60 Abe Voorhees, Manasquan, NJ 08736
category: music


 

Garden

Garden State Art Weekend

Sunday, April 27, 2025 @ 1:00pm
Middletown Arts Center
36 Church Street, Middletown, NJ 07748
category: music


 

Kean

Kean University Spring Choral Concert

Sunday, April 27, 2025 @ 4:00pm
Kean Stage - Enlow Recital Hall
215 North Avenue, Hillside, NJ 07205
category: music


 

Clue

Clue

Sunday, April 27, 2025 @ 2:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: music


 

Kean

Kean University Orchestra

Tuesday, April 29, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Kean Stage - Enlow Recital Hall
215 North Avenue, Hillside, NJ 07205
category: music


 


 

EVENT PREVIEWS

New

New Jersey Talent will be featured during 2025 North to Shore Festival

Prolific Asbury Park singer and songwriter Alexander Simone (grandson of the legendary Nina), Atlantic City's R&B songstress Mary Cross, and the pioneering female rapper, Newark's MC Rah Digga, are just a few of the beloved local talents who will present events as part of this year's Prudential North to Shore Festival. Performances and programs will be held June 14-29, 2025 in Asbury Park and Newark, while performances in Atlantic City will extend throughout the coming year.



Michael

Michael Arnone's 32nd Annual Crawfish Fest takes Place May 30th through June 1st

(AUGUSTA, NJ) -- Michael Arnone's 32nd Annual Crawfish Fest takes place at the Sussex County Fairgrounds from Friday, May 30 through Sunday, June 1, 2025, bringing the best food, music, and culture that Louisiana and New Orleans have to offer to the East Coast.



Larry

Larry Fuller Trio at May Jersey Jazz LIVE! in Madison

Pianist Larry Fuller has always loved musicians who "play at an incredible level but still remain accessible to an audience." Some examples among pianists, he said, are Oscar Peterson, Monty Alexander, Cedar Walton, and Ahmad Jamal. That will be the musical essence of Fuller's performance when he leads a trio on Sunday, May 4, 2025 at the New Jersey Jazz Society's Jersey Jazz LIVE! concert at the Madison (NJ) Community Arts Center. His music, he said, will hopefully "uplift people with the spirit and energy of swinging."



"The

"The World of Hans Zimmer - A New Dimension" comes to Prudential Center in September

(NEWARK, NJ) -- Hans Zimmer presents The World of Hans Zimmer – A New Dimension, a 24-city arena tour debuting in North America this fall, following a tremendously successful European run of the internationally acclaimed production in 2024. The newly staged live show will visit Prudential Center on Sunday, September 14, 2025 at 7:30pm for one show only, and features Zimmer's brand-new arrangement of the two-time Academy Award® winner's diverse collection of scores, precisely synchronized with epic film sequences.



Roy's

Roy's Hall presents Big Yellow Taxi - The Music & Genius of Joni Mitchell

(BLAIRSTOWN, NJ) -- Roy's Hall presents Big Yellow Taxi - The Music & Genius of Joni Mitchell on Saturday, May 24, 2025 at 8:00pm. There is no other ensemble playing the music of Joni Mitchell with the dedication and imagination that BYT brings to every show.