Hal Cohen - music, multi-media, websites, internat, movies, fun, open mics, showcases, CDs

Hal Cohen - My Bio

I'm a singer/songwriter and multi instrumentalist - born and raised in a musical environment in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One evening, my dad, a musician/accountant, brought home a Hohner Chromatic harmonica (the kind with the button on the side for sharps and flats). Though only six years old, I figured out how to play the Star-Spangled banner within minutes. Shortly after that, dad literally sat me on his knee and showed me a few chords on his old Gretch and I pretty much ran with it on my own after that.

In 1977, I moved to Santa Monica where I developed much of my performing chops as a singing waiter at The Great American Food and Beverage Company. Some of my fellow singing waiters included Ricki Lee Jones, Katie Sagal, and the late Eric Lowen (Lowen and Navarro) and Peter Tork, among others.

During the years spent in L.A. I've performed for and hosted many open mics and showcases, playing covers and original songs in bands and as a solo acoustic act. Venues I showcased include the infamous Palamino in North Hollywood, The Central, Genghis Cohen, and the world famous Troubadour. I have shared the stage with John Andrew Parks, Lisa Nemzo, Bob Malone (keyboardist for John Fogarty, Severin Brown, James Hurley, Andy Kahan of the Turtles,Jay Leslie of the Tokens and many others.

My style is influenced by an eclectic array of songwriters including the Lennon/McCartney, John B. Sebastian, Elvis Costello, Eric Clapton, David Bowie, Sir Elton John, Peter Townshend, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Cliff, and some humor injected by Al Yankovic and Allan Sherman.

I've also written songs for three plays and in 1998, I was nominated by the Valley Theater League to receive the Artistic Director Achievement Award for "Girls Night Out" by Lynn A. Henderson. And I received rave reviews for the songs I penned for "Bike Crash Blues" by Don Jarmin.

Upon my father's passing from Parkinson's Disease in 2004. I returned to Philadelphia where i am currently on a quest to reinvent myself. My bucket lsit includes recording a few CDs and performing house concerts around the tri-state area.

Contact Hal by email:
hal@halcohen.net