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Eric Blackwood (musician)

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Eric Blackwood
Blackwood at the 2013 Marillion Weekend in Port Zelande
Blackwood at the 2013 Marillion Weekend in Port Zelande
Background information
Birth nameEric Pastore
Born (1968-07-24) July 24, 1968 (age 56)
Brooklyn, New York, United States
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, musician, author, special fx technician, property technician, photographer
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass
Years active1982–present
LabelsRandom Disturbance Records, Wreckords Records, Racket Records, Thunder Bay Press, Baker & Taylor
Websitewww.edisonschildren.com, www.digitalballparks.com

Eric Blackwood (born as Eric Pastore) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and musician with the progressive rock band Edison's Children[1][2][3] starring Marillion's Pete Trewavas and the Son of Astronaut Neil Armstrong, Rick Armstrong[4][5] as well as an IATSE certified special effects and property technician of over 100 major motion pictures and television [6][7][8][9] noted author & baseball stadium photographer & historian [10] [11][12] and has been an honorary member of the Marillion touring crew since 2005.[13][14][15][16]

Early life

[edit]

Blackwood was born in Brooklyn, New York, on July 24, 1968, the youngest of four siblings. He was raised in the Great Kills neighborhood of Staten Island, and graduated from New Dorp High School in 1986.[17] Among his siblings are musician Sonny Pastore (of the band The Reluctant Reasons) and actor Garry Pastore.[citation needed] He's also the cousin of actor Vincent Pastore.[citation needed]

Early Career

[edit]

After graduating Pace University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science, Eric Blackwood began his career performing IT support at the WWOR-TV Superstation in Secaucus New Jersey supporting The Howard Stern Show - Episodic TV Program, the New York Mets "Channel 9" broadcasting team and their in house talk show People Are Talking where Blackwood's Band "Blackwood & Foti" was invited to perform "Through The Ages" live on air, his first Nationwide Television performance.[18][19][20][21]

Pete Trewavas (of Marillion and Transatlantic) first formed the progressive rock duo Edison's Children in 2008, and recorded the album In The Last Waking Moments..., released on 11 November 2011, by Random Disturbance Records, and distributed in Europe by Marillion's Racket Records. It spawned the U.S commercial radio Top 40 hit "A Million Miles Away (I Wish I Had A Time Machine)" on the FMQB Hot A/C Commercial Radio Charts on 18 September 2012, and remaining in the Top 40 for ten straight weeks, returning to its peak position at number 32 on 12 October 2012.[22] In 2013 they released a second album, The Final Breath Before November, featuring drummer Henry Rogers. Rick Armstrong, the son of Neil Armstrong, joined Edison's Children as a synth guitarist, lead guitarist and bassist in Montreal in 2011. He stayed on as a permanent member, finishing up their third album, Somewhere Between Here and There, which included new mixes by King Crimson's Jakko Jakszyk of songs from The Final Breath Before November.

The song "At Night", penned during Blackwood's previous effort Blackwood and Foti and remixed by the band Closenuf, has received an Official Grammy Ballot Placement.[23]

Blackwood collaborated with Trewavas on more than a hundred songs for films and for Edison's Children between 2008 and 2012, but stopped recording and performing in 2013 after an injury he suffered while working on James Gandolfini's final film left him disabled.[citation needed] He also contracted Lyme disease, for which he was treated with intravenous therapy for over a year.[citation needed] Edison's Children has been on hiatus ever since, though Armstrong is working with Edison's Children's back catalog for future releases.[citation needed]

Blackwood is the webmaster and photographer of the website Digitalballparks.com,[24] and has authored and photographed for the top-selling book 500 Ballparks (Thunder Bay Press, Baker & Taylor)[25] with his wife, photographer Wendy Farrell.

Discography

[edit]
Year Band Name Album Title Instrumentation Record Company
2023 Rick Armstrong Chromosphere Synth Guitar on "Spheres of Influence" Random Disturbance
2019 Edison's Children The Disturbance Fields Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • Composer Random Disturbance
2019 Edison's Children The Disturbance Fields (Double 180g Vinyl) Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • Composer Random Disturbance
2015 Edison's Children Somewhere Between Here and There Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • Composer Random Disturbance
2015 Anthony J. Foti & Closenuf "In The Eyes Of The Rose - The EP" Acoustic Guitar on "In The Eyes of The Rose" *Produced by Steve Jerome Mix Wreckords Records
2014 Edison's Children / Marillion DeStressed

(Soundtrack)

Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • Composer WillowCreek Ent
2013 Edison's Children The Final Breath Before November Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • Composer Random Disturbance
2012 Edison's Children "In The Last Waking Moments (EP) Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • Composer Random Disturbance
2012 Edison's Children w - Iluvatar "Live @ The Strand” (For Hurricane Sandy) Vocals • Guitar Random Disturbance
2012 Closenuf "...To Our Universe co-composer on "Buy The Boat" • Acoustic Guitar "In The Eyes of the Rose" Wreckords Records
2012 Edison's Children "In The First Waking Moments” (Making Of ITLWM) Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • Composer Random Disturbance
2011 Edison's Children "A Million Miles Away (I Wish I Had A Time Machine)” (EP) Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • Composer Random Disturbance
2011 Edison's Children "In The Last Waking Moments” Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • Composer Random Disturbance
2011 Edison's Children "Dusk” (Pre-Album released Single) Vox • Guitar • Synth Gtr • Bass • Composer Random Disturbance
2009 Closenuf ...To A New Beginning co-composer on "Airline Bags & Luggage Tags", "At Night", "She's Leaving", "Buy The Boat", "Music Man" • Rhythm Guitar & Backing Vox "At Night (Al Pitrelli Mix)" • Acoustic Guitar "In The Eyes of the Rose (Jerome Mix)" Wreckords Records
2005 Closenuf Closenuf co-composer on "At Night", "Buy The Boat", "Music Man" / Rhythm Guitar & Backing Vox "At Night / Acoustic Guitar "In The Eyes of the Rose" Wreckords Records
2000 Eric Blackwood & The Alley Cats "Growing Down In Brooklyn"

(Soundtrack)

Co-composer • Vocals • Guitar • Co-Producer • Music Director Avenue H Productions
1999 Sunblister ”Approaching Indignation” (2nd Album) Bass Louis Diluzio Esq.
1997 Sunblister ”Simantik” (1st Album) Bass Louis Diluzio Esq.
1996 Anthony J. Foti ”Fourward” Co-composer/Guitar/Backing Vox "At Night" • Acoustic Guitar "In The Eyes of the Rose" Wreckords Records
1992 Blackwood & Foti ”Haunted Memories” Vox • Guitar • Co-Composer Wreckords Records
1991 Blackwood & Foti "Through The Ages" Co-composer • Vocals • Guitar • Orchestration Eve Nelson Esq

Compilation Appearances

[edit]
Year Compilation Band Song Instruementation Rroduction
2019 "PROG - Lifting Shadows Of A Dream P105" Edison's Children "The Tempest" Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Conmposer & Co-Producer PROG! Magazine Sampler #105 ROP101CD-08-19
2016 "PROG - Dance Of The Dawn P49" Edison's Children "Welcome To Your Nightmares" Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Conmposer & Co-Producer PROG! Magazine Sampler #49 ROP71CD-11-04
2016 "PROG - Dance Of The Dawn P49" Edison's Children "Silence Can Be Deafening" Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Conmposer & Co-Producer PROG! Magazine Sampler #49 ROP71CD-11-04
2015 "PROG - Fantastic Voyage P40 Edison's Children "Where Were You (Jakko's Mix)" Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Conmposer / Mixed by Jakko Jakszyk of King Crimson PROG! Magazine Sampler P40 / ROP62CD-12-15
2015 "Voices For Hospice" Edison's Children "Haunted Memories" Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Conmposer & Co-Producer Steve Hackett & Hats off Gentlemen, It's Adequate / Charity for Hospice Organizations
2015 "PROG - Resiste 77" Edison's Children "I Am Haunted" Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Conmposer & Co-Producer PROG! Magazine Sampler #77
2015 "PROG - Resiste 77" Edison's Children "The Morphlux" Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Conmposer & Co-Producer PROG! Magazine Sampler #77
2012 "PROG - A Wilderness of Mirrors P22" Edison's Children "Seventh Sign (Single Edit)" Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Composer & Co-Producer PROG! Magazine Sampler ROP44CD-03-14
2012 Marillion "Playing Away" Edison's Children "The Awakening" Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Composer & Co-Producer Compilation of Marillion's Side Projects (RACKET46)
2012 "PROG - Suits You Sir P4" Edison's Children "Fracture" Vocals • Lead Guitar • Synth Guitar • Bass • Co-Composer & Co-Producer PROG! Magazine Sampler CD #4

Feature films

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As a special effects technician, on-set property technician and/or set dresser unless otherwise specified:[26]

Television

[edit]

As a special effects technician, on-set property technician and/or set dresser unless otherwise specified:[26]

Consultant

[edit]

Music Director

[edit]
[edit]

References

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  1. ^ https://www.discogs.com/artist/2526295-Edisons-Children
  2. ^ "Eric Blackwood - Relationships - MusicBrainz".
  3. ^ https://isni.oclc.org/cbs/DB=1.2/CMD?ACT=SRCH&IKT=8006&TRM=ISN%3A0000000470559336
  4. ^ "Eric Blackwood - MusicBrainz".
  5. ^ https://www.discogs.com/artist/2526292
  6. ^ "Eric Pastore | Art Department, Special Effects, Additional Crew". IMDb.
  7. ^ https://www.iatselocal52.org/
  8. ^ https://www.digitalballparks.com/Pioneer/contact.html
  9. ^ https://www.discogs.com/artist/2526292-Eric-Blackwood
  10. ^ "Pastore, Eric - LC Linked Data Service: Authorities and Vocabularies | Library of Congress, from LC Linked Data Service: Authorities and Vocabularies (Library of Congress)".
  11. ^ https://viaf.org/viaf/184466065,
  12. ^ https://isni.oclc.org/cbs/DB=1.2/CMD?ACT=SRCH&IKT=8006&TRM=ISN%3A0000000356250343
  13. ^ Blackwood appears as such in the credits on Marillion's CDs and DVDs of "Their Montreal Weekend Concert Series" in 2009, 2011 and March 2013
  14. ^ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2424711/bio/
  15. ^ https://viaf.org/viaf/135006873/#Marillion
  16. ^ Eric Pastore is thanked in the Sounds That Can't Be Made album by Steve Hogarth
  17. ^ "Alumni Directory: Mr. Eric J. Pastore". New Dorp High School. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  18. ^ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2424711/bio/
  19. ^ https://www.discogs.com/artist/2526292-Eric-Blackwood
  20. ^ "Eric Pastore - Trivia". IMDb.
  21. ^ Eric Pastore's first job in the entertainment industry was Supporting Howard Stern's new TV Show "The Howard Stern Show (1987)" & the broadcast team of "The New York Mets" at WWOR-TV as their IT-Computer guy. Eric was adored by the Howard Stern cast because he was usually the one printing & delivering the paychecks when "The Eagle Had Landed". Taken From IMDB's Trivia section of Eric Blackwood
  22. ^ "FMQB: Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more!". Archived from the original on 15 December 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
  23. ^ "Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals" (PDF). Closenuf.netfirms.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  24. ^ "Home". digitalballparks.com.
  25. ^ "Product Search – Thunder Bay Press". Thunderbaybooks.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  26. ^ a b c d e "Eric Pastore". IMDb.
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