Harry Perry (musician)

History – Venice Beach boardwalk performances

After growing up in Michigan and recording with his first band there, Harry Perry began performing his original songs and guitar compositions on the Venice Beach Boardwalk in 1973. In addition to being considered the most famous musician who performs at the Venice Beach Boardwalk, he is considered one of the area's most famous skaters, first on traditional roller skates, then on inline skates when they were invented, and currently on Landroller skates. Over the course of nearly four decades, the Venice Beach Boardwalk became a world-famous tourist attraction where a variety of artists performed and sold various wares associated with their creative arts, such as CDs and T-shirts. Then, during the early 1990s, at a time when real estate developers wanted to gentrify Venice, California, the Los Angeles City Council passed an ordinance banning people from public performance on the Venice Beach Boardwalk. Using the ordinance as its bludgeon, the Los Angeles Police began to harass people who performed there. In response, Harry Perry became a named plaintiff in a class action lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the Los Angeles Police Department and the ordinance. The plaintiffs based their suit on various constitutional principles that provide for freedom of expression, commerce, and congregation. After many years of litigation, The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Perry and his co-plaintiffs. However, their victory was short lived. The Los Angeles City Council created new legislation that severely restricted performance on the Venice Beach Boardwalk rather than banning it altogether. In addition, the City of Santa Monica followed the lead of the Los Angeles City Council and passed statutes that strictly limited the ability of performers like Harry Perry to sell CDs and T-shirts to their audiences. Perry and others have initiated legal action in response, alleging that the combination of gentrification and the performance restriction ordinances threatens to destroy the very atmosphere and commerce that made Venice Beach the social mecca for which it is famous. He met Andrea Tenaglia and they became the new "Couple of musician" in Venice Beach.

Discography

Skate Town Ball and Harry Perry's Greatest Hits of the Millennium. He typically uses distortion effects and plays in a style reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix or Eddie Van Halen. He began playing on Venice Beach in 1973. He is dedicated to health and fitness, running twenty miles daily and practicing Kundalini yoga. He is a non-smoking vegetarian.

Track list

1. "Xman Can't Save Me Now"
2. "Queen of Robot World"
3. "Time Travel Freaks"
4. "Love Jet"
5. "Hot Rod Lincoln"
6. "Intro To Invaders"
7. "Video Commander"
8. "Music Maker"
9. "Guiding Forces"
10. "Gambling Man"

Track list

1. "Heads of Skins"
2. "Ivnaders"
3. "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo"
4. "World of Freaks"
5. "Out of Control"
6. "Message"
7. "Zoo Man"
8. "How Soon is Now?"
9. "Zoo Man (reprise)"

Filmography and television appearances

Harry Perry has primarily played himself, bringing life to his Venice Beach persona in various films, and has also appeared in acting roles in numerous film and television works with cameo appearances that include:

Fletch, Dragnet, Starstruck, White Men Can't Jump, Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, Gift and Point of No Return, Marching out of Time, Way Past Cool, as well as the television shows CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Vengeance Unlimited, and Heroes. He can be seen for a moment in the music video for Cruisin' by Michael Nesmith, found on his Elephent parts DVD. He has been featured in multiple E3-episodes of the Dutch television program Gamekings. He made an appearance in Cycle 15 of America's Next Top Model. He can be seen in beginning of the music video for Party Train by The Gap Band. He also performed one song on the soundtrack to the movie Point of No Return. He can also be seen briefly in the 2007 documentary Without the King. He can also be seen in Red Hot Chili Peppers musical video The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie from their last album I'm with You. On September 6 and 7, 2013 he performed at the Hollywood Bowl with the Blue Man Group in a rendition of Ravel's Bolero. He was also seen skating playing his guitar on the TV show, In the Heat of The Night, episode; No Country Boy.