Tony Armani

Local Artist adds music to his repertoire

by Graham Griffith

Chances are you know – or know of – Tony Armani, a gregarious English transplant known for his hair and make-up skills as well as his artistic inclinations.

He moved to Nashville more than a decade ago, but he began to experiment with colors and canvas a little more than three short years ago. Since then, his boundless imagination has become as much a part of his notoriety as his buoyant personality.

Unbeknownst to many of his friends and admirers, Armani had another passion, one that he is finally sharing with others. This month he will be unveiling his very first collection of music, an independently-released LP he calls “The Secret Room.”

“I’ve worked with a lot of artists but I know them as humans. It’s not a big thing,” he told City @ Night Magazine on a humid August evening. “I would always do jamming sessions with them. I just never played out in public. It was a closet thing.”

So when is Armani coming out, so to speak? He will celebrate on September 23 at The Rutledge with a CD release party and a live performance.

Armani has been a music lover all his life. ELO, Pink Floyd John Lennon and Erasure are among his favorites. But until now his involvement in live music was restricted to random karaoke performances.

“I do Neil Diamond,” he admitted with a smile. “For everybody in this town, karaoke is an audition. They go out dressed up like Loretta Lynn or Patsy Cline and sing their songs all night. They do a great job but I never went out looking like Neil Diamond. I would just always do it for fun.”

Things changed when he was diagnosed with congestive heart disease a few years ago. Though the ailment isn’t immediately life threatening, Armani said he was forced to rethink things when he learned about his condition. “I thought, ‘Oh My God. What is really important about what I am?’”

Enter musician/producer Bill Livsey, an industry veteran who has worked with everyone from Tina Turner to Travis Tritt. They first met at one of Armani’s art exhibits, and two years ago they began composing music together for fun. “It didn’t always work,” Armani admitted. “Sometimes I would see steam coming out of his ears.”

Despite occasional minor differences, Livsey insisted he’s happy with the outcome. “What holds it together for me is Tony’s voice, because he’s got a very distinctive voice,” Livsey said. “He can kind of blast his way through several styles but it works because it’s always Tony… (Writing with him) is just a breath of fresh air.”

That finished product, “The Secret Room,” is a raw, diverse assortment of piano ballads and up-tempo rock with hints of gospel, jazz and dance. “We both have very different styles and it was recorded at different times,” Armani said. “Also we didn’t want to do this CD where it was over-polished. I wanted it to sound better when we play the songs live.”

Armani will also debut some new artwork on September 23, pieces inspired by his music. “There’s going to be paintings that I’ve painted when I’ve listened to the finished album,” he said. “It was nice to hear them all together. There was a nice flow.”

Beyond the upcoming big performance, Armani plans to continue with his music for a creative release and also for its therapeutic effect. “This project has helped me in lots of ways,” he said. “Doing music has totally re-energized me. It totally loosened all my chakras and made them turn again.”

Not to mention that it’s helped him realize a long-time dream. “This has brought things I wished for 20 years ago,” he said. “It’s been a fabulous journey.”