Louisiana born Painter & Musician, Tony DuPuis, is a very unique artist. He began playing drums at 3 years of age and has continued to expand his musical horizons from drums, keyboards, guitar, percussion, voice, writing, arranging, and producing many styles and genres of music. From solo drums, solo piano, jazz, pop, world music and beyond, he has emerged as an extremely well rounded, world-class artist. Tony has also spent time doing drum clinics and master classes across America, landing endorsements with Sonor drums, Paiste cymbals, and Promark drumsticks. His background, from drum corps, to jazz band, and symphonic work, has given him numerous musical perspectives. Tony has been written up in several international percussion magazines including: Paiste Cymbalism, Sonor News and Modern Drummer. He was awarded 7 musical scholarships (including USL, Lamar, Northeastern La., Northwestern La, & LSU) and attended McNeese State University. Tony was “feature drummer” for MSU Jazz and Marching Band and has performed with the Lake Charles Civic Symphony. He received the John Philip Sousa Award and was a member of the National Association of Rudimental Drummers. Tony has played in groups with such prominet Louisiana musicians as Chester “Chops” Daigle (keyboards/songwriter), Jay Ecker (Bass/educator), Rick Condit (sax/jazz educator) Bill Churchville (Trumpet-Tower of Power/clinician), Emile Hall (Sax-Irma Thomas, )Tommy Shreve (guitarist), Ed Fruge'(keys,writer/producer), “Dr.” Sylvester (guitar/educator) Bob Bowers (Nashville sessions/sax), Bob Patin (pianist,songwriter, Nashville producer), Peggy Newman (Nashville singer/songwriter), and so many more too numerous to mention over the years in the Louisiana music scene. In 1982 he recorded his first solo album “Night Visions” with his jazz group Infinity. “Night Visions” had radio airplay from coast to coast. In 1985 he released his second major album “Heading West”( working with Felton Pilot of Confunktion). This album also received major national airplay resulting in tours and concerts with such major artists as Spyro Gyra, Roy Ayers, Muddy Waters, Ramsey Lewis and many more. In 1986 he was given two Louisiana music awards including “Jazz artist of the Year” and The Rusty Mayne Jazz Award from KRVS radio in Lafayette. Tony also won the 1986 National Drum set Competition in Jackson, Mississippi sponsored by George’s Drum Shop and Tama Drums. The internationally esteemed drummer Dom Famularo, of New York, was one of the Judges. In 1995 Tony co-wrote and co-produced a world music CD called “Rainforest Magic” with musicians James Ranka and Terry Domingue. This album also received much national radio airplay and was featured in a Fortune 500 Corporation film. Tony also worked as a co-writer and co-producer in 1995 with Texas Music artist Ravyn Dixon along with co-producer Memphis music genius Kevin Paige on Ravyn’s CD “The Time is Right”. 1999 was a big year for Tony in music, releasing two CDs: “Trilogy”(with Rocky IV and Transformers music co-producer Ed Fruge’), and a solo Christmas CD entitled “It’s Christmas Time” (featured on Good Morning New York & many others). Both received airplay rotation at over 300 stations in four countries, resulting in numerous radio and television appearances, as well as concerts. “It’s Christmas Time” is still played each year on many Louisiana radio stations every holiday season !!! 2003, 2004 & 2005 are monumental years for Tony as he is releasing three new CDs nationally. “Prayers For The World” is a world music single. Spiritual in nature, ”Prayers” was written at the beginning of the Iraq war layering Prayers for Peace in 7 languages representing some 16 cultures musically. “The Awakening” is a solo piano collection CD written by Tony. Each song is very peaceful and reflective. His latest CD, “Places in Our Hearts” was released summer of 2005. This is a benchmark CD for him as Tony has written, arranged, produced, sung and played most every instrument on this CD. It was 11 months in the making. “Places” runs the genre gamut from jazzy, bluesy, to “down home”, yet is smooth, sophisticated, adult contemporary music. Don’t miss this one!!!! December 2006, Tony was featured on the NPR station, KRVS Radio, for a live 2 hour broadcast of of his “Christmas Time Concert ” and was also broadcasted world wide on the web ( this special 2 disc live concert recording will be released in the future). In the works is another CD, “Looking Back”-The Best Of Tony DuPuis – 25 years of Music featuring music from past to present. Also coming soon is a new multi-movement percussion-based project that will be musically exciting and expressive with many globally inspired artistic realms !!! In addition, also to be released and previously recorded, is another CD called “Wizdom”, a theatrical style project containing piano, sax, clarinet & flute with ridiculously hilarious conversational overtones. “Why It’s Downright Brilliant…” Tony has also emerged as a very “different” artist with his unique paintings. Acrylics on canvas is his choice of medium. The paint is blown on with various tubes, poured, sprayed, fingers, sponges, silk, wood etc… or any number of “unorthodox” methods of getting the paint to the canvas. At numerous art shows (both galleries and museums), and in reviews, Tony, using his unusual “no brush” techniques, is wowing art lovers internationally with his very eclectic styles and subject matters. In October of 2004 Tony received the prestigious Mayor’s Choice Award as the Southwest Louisiana Artist of the Year .Tony was also nominated for the 2004 Governor’s Choice Art Awards for Louisiana Artist of the Year. He is also working on a book of short stories to go along with many of his paintings. Each wonderful story, (passionate, spiritual, whimsical, or witty,) brings you into the essence of the paintings as they directly relate to Art and Life… from http://tonydupuis.org
