By Nicole Falco
Kirschenbaum left Jay and The Americans in 1969 and 10 years later he quit the music business all together. For the past decade Kirschenbaum, an Oceanside resident, has been the Program Coordinator at Friends of Bridge, a Valley Stream-based drug and alcohol, out-patient treatment and referral center.
This year, Kirschenbaum's two lives touched. In March, Kirschenbaum was honored with the Town of Hempstead's Bridge Builder Award for his work with Friends of Bridge.
"The Bridge Builder Award just meant the most to me," Kirschenbaum said.
Then on Sept. 18 in Sharon, Pennsylvania, Kirschenbaum and the rest of Jay and The Americans were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame alongside other acts including ABBA, The Chantels, The Shirelles, The Harptones and The 5th Dimension. Past inductees include The Beach Boys, The Four Seasons, The Mamas & The Papas and The Bee Gees.
"The induction was a dream come true," Kirschenbaum said.
Kirschenbaum's career with Jay and The Americans took off in 1960. The quartet at the time consisted of Jay Traynor, Howie Kirschenbaum, then Kane, Sandy Yaguda and Kenny Vance. The group beat out a thousand other groups to win a talent contest and scored a record contract with United Artists Records. However, their first single, "Tonight," from "West Side Story," didn't climb too far up the charts.
They went back in the studio and added a fifth member, Marty Sanders. The "A" side of the record they recorded was titled "Dawning." That song also didn't perform as expected and Kirschenbaum went back to work for his family's Brooklyn funeral home, Kirschenbaum and Sons.
Unexpectedly, a California disc jockey locked himself in his broadcasting booth and played the "B" side of "Dawning," a cut titled "She Cried," for four hours. The stunt got the group noticed. Kirschenbaum rejoined Jay and The Americans. Traynor left to branch out on his own and Jay Black took over lead vocal duty.
The group went on to record other classics including "Come A Little Bit Closer," "Cara Mia," "Let's Lock The Door," and "This Magic Moment." They also opened for The Beatles during their first American tour and The Rolling Stones. Two members of their back-up band went on to form the band, Steely Dan.
Kirschenbaum grew tired of the road and thought he would be able to kick the drug and alcohol habit he had developed if he left the group.
"I had a drug/alcohol problem from being on the road. It was affecting everything in my life. It affected my first marriage and my relationship with my oldest son [Justin]," Kirschenbaum said. "I was a very unhappy guy. The pressure of being on the road, singing, just being famous, I think put me over the edge...I thought my drinking problem would stop if I stopped but basically it got worse."
Kirschenbaum isn't afraid to talk about his battles with drugs and alcohol. As program coordinator with Friends of Bridge, Kirschenbaum shares his story with the adults and adolescents he counsels as well as in the many schools on Long Island he visits.
"A lot of people choose not to disclose their past problems but I am who I am. I do whatever it takes to get through to people," Kirschenbaum said.
Kirschenbaum moved to Long Island from California about 15 years ago. Shortly after, he met his second wife, Gayle, who he credits with saving his life. The couple has an 11-year-old son, Sammy. Kirschenbaum earned a counseling degree from Molloy College and began working for Friends of Bridge after meeting the center's director, Richard Schmit.
"I learned to be a better father and a better husband. [Gayle and Sammy] have been the biggest inspiration to me," Kirschenbaum said. " To people who haven't seen me in years I'm not the same person. My values have changed. I have a purpose in life today."
Seeing the friends from his "past life" and getting the chance to sing with Jay and The Americans - Jay Traynor not Jay Black attended the induction although both singers were honored at the Induction Concert at Cafaro Field in Niles, Ohio - have sparked Kirschenbaum's imagination.
"Some of us would like to think about singing again. To tell you the truth I'm listening. We brought the house down when we came out [on stage]," Kirschenbaum said.
Kirschenbaum had joined Jay and The Americans a few years ago for a reunion show at Westbury Music Fair with Jay Black but nothing came of it. Jay Black continues to sing the group's songs and tours as "Jay Black and The Americans," although the original "Americans" do not participate.
