Now he’s the massive shot.
An iconic Lengthy Island musician who has been taking part in in Billy Joel’s band for greater than a decade has the chance of a lifetime this Thursday by singing the Nationwide Anthem on the Ryder Cup, near dwelling at Bethpage Black.
“I’m petrified,” Mike DelGuidice of Miller Place instructed The Put up simply earlier than seeing his huge stage on the Farmingdale golf course for the primary time.
“I’ve executed it at a whole lot of Rangers video games, Knicks video games, Mets, Yankees…however this one being what it’s, it’s a bit of nerve-racking,” mentioned the hometown hero, who has stolen the present numerous occasions together with his vocals and guitar expertise throughout Joel’s longtime residency at Madison Sq. Backyard.
Fretfulness apart, teeing up this career-defining second is doubly thrilling for DelGuidice as he has turn into a die-hard golfer over the previous six years as effectively.
“I’ve most likely performed virtually 30 programs on Lengthy Island…Once I do a gig at a rustic membership, I all the time attempt to negotiate a free spherical,” mentioned DelGuidice.
“My handicap dropped tremendously these previous few years, nevertheless it’s a whole lot of work and it’s a irritating recreation…and, I’m an avid watcher as a lot as a participant.”
DelGuidice, who will sing in the course of the opening ceremony, has an opportunity to fulfill a few of his heroes on dwelling turf at the state-owned Bethpage Black Golf Course in Nassau County, which has beforehand hosted the US Open in 2002 and once more in 2009.
He’ll see one of the best American golfers, led by one-time close-by St. John’s College standout and Staff USA captain Keegan Bradley, face Europe’s aces in three days of inexperienced grit for international satisfaction from Friday by means of Sunday.
“I like Scottie Scheffler, however then once more, I’m an enormous fan of Bryson DeChambeau, I like Rory McIlroy. I don’t discriminate for any motive, whether or not or not it’s nation or something,” he mentioned of of the 2 Individuals and the Northern Irish McIlroy.
“I don’t get starstruck simply in relation to musicians or actors as a result of I’m round that world a bit. However that is totally different as a result of I watch these guys on a standard foundation,” added DelGuidice, who beloved their appearances in “Glad Gilmore 2.”
DelGuidice, a religious Mets fan, in contrast his alternative to what it will be like singing in entrance of the group in the course of the Amazins’ 1986 World Sequence championship.
And, whereas he has shot on among the island’s most iconic programs like Sebonack Golf Membership in Southampton, he has but to attempt Bethpage Black, which contains a bold-faced warning signal on the first tee field for its infamous, PGA-level problem.
“After this, I feel I’m going to need to attempt my luck at it.”
Higher on the again 9
It has additionally been a very long time coming for the 54-year-old dad of 4, who persevered by means of exhausting occasions at first of his music journey.
“Proper off the bat — simply battle, battle, battle. I used to be dwelling in a motor dwelling in my good friend’s yard. I simply acquired divorced…so there was a whole lot of ‘when are you going to surrender the dream? You’re by no means going to make it in music,’” DelGuidice mentioned of his 20s.
“I simply wouldn’t bend. I don’t know if it’s an Italian factor or a Lengthy Island factor, or if it’s a genetic factor — You possibly can’t inform me I can’t.”
The large break began to come back whereas DelGuidice was two years into working an LI primarily based Billy Joel cowl band, which caught the eye of the well-known Hicksville native himself in 2002.
They bonded over music, sharing the stage every now and then for the following decade, and in 2013, Joel requested DelGuidice a life-changing query throughout a rehearsal on the Paramount Theater in Huntington.
“He stood up and he’s strolling away from the piano and he says, ‘I need to speak to Mike’…A few the folks began gathering to listen to what was happening, and he mentioned, ‘No, I solely need to speak to Mike alone.’”
Identical to that, DelGuidice, now fortunately remarried, formally joined Joel’s ranks and was wavin’ the dangerous occasions goodbye.
“The great thing about that second wasn’t even ‘oh wow, I’m attending to play with Billy Joel,’ it was an affirmation and a affirmation over everybody who mentioned I couldn’t do that.”
Driving fore-ward
No one was extra excited than Joel to be taught that DelGuidice was chosen to belt out the “Star Spangled Banner” because the Piano Man posted a “proud” picture of his colleague to Instagram earlier within the month.
DelGuidice mentioned that he and Joel are of 1 thoughts in how the anthem must be correctly carried out.
“We’ve had many conversations about it. We’re each purists, so I method the anthem in a really purist manner,” mentioned DelGuidice, who just lately launched a brand new single, “Killing Me,” and actively performs independently throughout LI and the nation as effectively.
He has opted to sing a cappella, though it’s the most difficult rendition, which DelGuidice mentioned is totally make or break on the very first word.
“There’s not going to be any finagling of the melody or, you already know, doing any of the Whitney Houston stuff…it’s such a patriotic factor. You need to do it proper, you need to do it justice,” he mentioned, including that the 1000’s in attendance are welcome to hitch in.
The time DelGuidice has spent on stage along with Joel has additionally inadvertently helped him put together for this second the place the entire world can be watching.
Throughout exhibits, DelGuidice would sing the operatic aria “Nessun Dorma” to steer into the hit “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant” — all as a result of Joel beloved a YouTube model he posted years in the past.
Like with the upcoming anthem, DelGuidice had a pit in his abdomen to leap from 80s rock to a monitor profoundly executed by Luciano Pavarotti in entrance of 1000’s — however simply as he plans to shortly, DelGuidice rose to the event.
“That is the second — simply attempt to keep in it and begin on the proper word,” he mentioned, including what an honor it’s to signify the celebs and stripes.
“Ship it, simply ship it, and simply get by means of it — and check out to not drop lifeless of a coronary heart assault halfway by means of,” DelGuidice joked.
