By Gary Wien
The history of Jersey Shore rock and roll would be incomplete without the name John Luraschi. One of the "Creators of SOAP (sounds of Asbury Park)", Luraschi passed away on August 12, 2009 after a long battle with cancer.
Luraschi had been involved in the Asbury Park music scene since the late 1960s. He was one of the regulars at the legendary Upstage Club on Cookman Avenue. Notable bands of his include Cahoots, Whistler & The Wheels, Boccigalupe and the Bad Boys, and Steel Mill.
While battling Stage IV cancer in 2008 and in between chemotherapy cycles, Luraschi began recording "The End Of The Road". This was John's debut CD, which was released in the first half of 2009.
Luraschi will be remembered for his work as one of the pioneers of the Asbury Park music scene. Fans can visit a tribute to John on Myspace at:
http://www.myspace.com/tributetojohn
Gary Wien has been covering the arts since 2001 and has had work published with Jersey Arts, 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.
