A group of local artists from somewhere called Staten Island (sounds familiar, but we just can’t place it) will introduce their local musical traditions to Brooklyn with a show at Prospect Heights bar the Way Station on Oct. 18. You may be surprised to learn that Staten Islanders even have the fine motor skills to tune a guitar, but it turns out this sleepy little burg has birthed a whole litter of big-time acts. Here are some you might even be familiar with.
Christina Aguilera
Miss “Genie in a Bottle” herself was born at Staten Island Hospital. Unfortunately for the borough, her family moved to Texas when she was a kid.
The Wu Tang Clan
This may be the Mystical Land of Shaolin’s greatest claim to fame. RZA, Raekwon the Chef, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah, and Method Man all honed their verbal kung-fu at the temple of the Rock.
Vernon Reid
The genre-bending six-string gunslinger of Living Colour fame was born in London, but Staten Island became his adopted home.
Gene Simmons
The freaky-tongued Kiss frontman went to Richmond College before he started wearing makeup and chowing on packets of fake blood.
David Johansen
The New York Doll might have felt “Stranded in the Jungle” in a wholly different sense growing up on Staten Island’s verdant shores.
Blackie Lawless
Without Staten Island, the world would not have W.A.S.P. — the hair metal footnote was fronted by this Island native (also known as Steven Edward Duren).
Vito Bratta
As the lead guitarist for Danish-American glam rock band White Lion until 1992, Bratta was the pride of Staten Island, where he still lives to this day.
