Veltri, Rudy and the Tornadoes

Websites:  No
Origin: North Bay, Ontario
Biography:

Rudy Veltri has loved and have been involved in music, since he grew up as a young lad on a farm in North Bay, Canada. His older brothers, which have both had bands of their own, was a great influence on Rudy. After learning to play the steel guitar, with the encouragement of his older brothers, he moved to Toronto in 1951. But after moving to Toronto, he still drove 6 hours to North Bay to play in his brothers band on the weekends. But he soon founded his own band, called The Tornadoes, and recorded his first record, ""Waterfalls of Love"" which made the top 40 charts. For many years Rudy toured the U.S. and Canada and met and performed with such artist as Jerry Lee lewis and Johnny Cash. His band was used as a back up band for Kitty Wells, Johnny and the Hurricanes, Danny and the Juniors, Bobby Helms, Claude King, Bill Anderson, and jamed with Marty Robertson. He also met with Frankie Avalon.

In 1964, he met and married Janet Gabourie, and they had two boys together, Jeffery and Andrew. In order to provide a steady income for his family, he formed his own Company, called Durango Air Tools Inc. Sadly Janet passed away with leukemia in 1973. He then wrote, Goodbye Janet, and Heaven was calling you, and all the proceeds went to leukemia research. He then married his second wife, Patricia and had two more children, Richard and Cheryl. He totally concentrated on raising his family, and had little time for his music career. But despite everything, he still wrote and recorded on his own, many songs, which if they were recorded earlier would most definitely be hits.

He currently resides in Thornhill with his wife, Evelyn, and still writes and records on his own, many beautiful and real life melodies!

He presently has formed his own band called, Melody Ranch, and is still performing at many venues.