On May 9, Milwaukee singer Jerry Grillo will take the stage at The Estate to celebrate “My Hometown Milwaukee” Day.
The day marks the third anniversary of Mayor Cavalier Johnson's proclamation of May 9, 2022 that honored the veteran songman Grillo and his song of civic pride, "My Hometown Milwaukee.”
"John Dye, the owner of the Jazz Estate, Bryant's and At Random, suggested that I write a song about Milwaukee," Grillo told me back in 2019. "There is such a big buzz about this city at this time, I was totally inspired."
The song – which has earned Grillo two of his WAMI Awards – is Brew City's own "Chicago (That Toddlin' Town), "L.A. Is My Lady" or "New York, New York."
“I wrote ‘My Hometown Milwaukee’ to capture the soul of a city that’s given me so much – its jazz clubs, its winged museum, its unbeatable spirit,” says Grillo. "I love Milwaukee because it’s a place where history swings to a beat all its own, and after 50 years here, I wanted to give it a song that says, ‘This is our time to shine.’
"We’re bringing together businesses and residents to highlight what makes this community thrive.”
Leading up the show, Grillo is launching a digital campaign to invite local businesses and residents to join in celebrating Milwaukee in song.
An official “My Hometown Milwaukee” Day event badge can be downloaded from the website and shared on social media, using the hashtag #MyHometownMilwaukee. Businesses can also add the song to their playlists and offer themed specials, among other ideas.
There will be two shows at The Estate on May 9, at 7:30 and 9 p.m. Tickets are available here.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
