Joseph Louis LaBracio (September 5, 1932 – April 21, 2021), better known by his stage name Joe Long, was an American musician. He was best known as the bass guitarist for the Four Seasons.
Life and career
Long (at right) with the Four Seasons in 1966
Long was a classically trained musician who studied with Alfonse Strazza, the principal bassist for the New York Philharmonic. However, a severe hand injury forced Joe to give up the rigors of playing classical bass and switch to the Fender bass guitar. He then began listening more to rock and roll music and became a bass player for several local New Jersey rock bands before joining the Four Seasons in 1965. Long recalled that Tommy DeVito had called Long's agent regarding an opening in the band following Nick Massi's abrupt resignation that year, and that in lieu of an audition, Long was sent on tour to West Virginia and thrown into the band's lineup without warning when Charles Calello, who had been filling in for Massi, had a schedule conflict and was unavailable.[2] Long and DeVito proved to have excellent on-stage chemistry, and thus Long became a permanent member of the band.[3] Long helped guide the group away from its original target audience of working-class youth and into more adult material, noting that his favorite album with the group was The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette and his favorite song was their cover of "I've Got You Under My Skin."[3] A competent guitarist in addition to his bass playing, Long trained Penny "Demetri" Callas to replace DeVito after DeVito left the band in 1970.[4] He continued to record, perform and tour with The Four Seasons through the mid-1970s, with his last work being their comeback hit "Who Loves You."[3]
After leaving the group, Long formed the rock 'n roll group LaBracio and later the jazz band Jersey Bounce. In a 2007 interview, Long stated "I still play an occasional gig. And, I have done a few recording sessions with Tommy. For the most part, though, I am retired."[5] He was portrayed, mainly as a background character, in Jersey Boys; Long admitted he liked the play, but that it was only accurate with regard to character personalities and not with chronology, and that he was not fond of the film adaptation.[3] As of 2019, Long was serving as music director of the Jersey Four, a Four Seasons tribute band.[3]
Long was inducted, along with Valli, DeVito, Gaudio and Massi, into the New Jersey Hall of Fame as members of the Four Seasons in 2017.[6]
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