STILL THE ONE:  A ROCK’N’ROLL JOURNEY TO

CONGRESS AND BACK

AN INTERVIEW WITH 'ORLEANS'

GUITARIST-SONGWRITER-SINGER

JOHN HALL

John Hall’s path is optimistic. As a professional performer/singer-songwriter/guitarist, he found himself wanting and needing to make changes to better the world around him. By advocacy through music, he segued into politics first on a local level, and then nationally as a member of the United States Congress. After making a difference for the environment, healthcare, and even more so for veterans, he returned to the music world.

John’s memoir STILL THE ONE:  A ROCK’N’ROLL JOURNEY TO CONGRESS AND BACK shares a variety of stories from his life in the musical and political worlds. 

Best known as a member of Orleans, a hit-making pop-rock group with multiple lead singers and hits “Still The One,” “Dance With Me,”(both co-written by John and still in heavy use on the radio, streamers, Broadway shows, and TV shows like Maya and Marty and Hallmark's Movie of the week). “Still” and “Dance” have been certified by BMI at over 12 million airplays in the US alone. Other Orleans hits include “Love Takes Time,” "Let There Be Music," and "Reach."

John Hall has written songs for music legends ranging from Janis Joplin (“Half Moon”) and Bonnie Raitt (Good Enough) and to Chet Atkins (Sails). Other folks that have covered John’s songs include: Bobby McFerrin (Dance with Me),the Doobie Brothers with James Taylor and Michael McDonald (Power), Bela Fleck with New Grass Revival (Reach), and Ricky Skaggs and James Taylor (New Star Shining). He wrote “Ms. Grace,” Number One in England by The Tymes in 1975, and listed in Rolling Stone's top five of all- time beach music hits.  

John played guitar on record and/or on tour with Seals and Crofts, Taj Mahal, Carly Simon, Little Feat, and Christopher Cross.  

His environmental concerns led him into community activism, as one of the movers of the antinuclear movement. John co-founded the activist group MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy) with Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, and Graham Nash in 1979. His song “Power” became the rallying song and a highlight at the five NO-NUKES concerts presented by MUSE in 1979. Among the artists that participated: Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, The Doobie Brothers, James Taylor, Gil Scott-Heron, Crosby Still and Nash, Chaka Khan, Carly Simon, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne…

Starting in 1990 John served in the Ulster County New York legislature and the Saugerties, New York Board of Education. In 2006 he ran for Congress against an entrenched incumbent in a historically Republican district. John’s musical colleagues performing at fundraisers made it possible to finance his winning campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives, for whom he served until early 2011. 

In STILL THE ONE, John shares stories about moments that stand out from both his musical and political lives. 

John shares childhood memories of being raised to be an optimist, and finding himself at age 18 in the miles of the ‘60s’ Music Explosion. In STILL THE ONE shows the cresting of his passion for environmental issues and rolling up his sleeves to help build several environmental groups.  

From Janis Joplin's birthday party to conversations behind the closed-door caucus in the basement of the Capitol, from dialog with protesters to sharing elevator rides with fellow members of Congress, this captivating memoir offers viewpoints from an earnest and humorous voice.

John Hall’s life path is jam-packed with intriguing stories, fascinating people and optimism. 

Titled after John’s best-known song, STILL THE ONE: A ROCK’N’ROLL JOURNEY TO CONGRESS AND BACK is ultimately an ode to engagement in creating a better world. –available now at amazon.com

Purchase John Hall’s best-selling memoir entitled … Still The One: A Rock'n'Roll Journey to Congress and Back at amazon