Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

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With all the new restaurants and bars that have popped up in Davis Square over the past few years, there has been one local favorite that has been a constant in the area for 44 years.

Johnny D’s Uptown Restaurant and Music Club on Holland Street has been owned by the DeLellis family since 1969. It started out as a place to hear country western music bands such as John Lincoln Wright and the Sour Mash Boys, and The John Penny Band.  In later years, pantomime groups such as The Fabulous Pharaohs, Solid Gold and The Amazing Sensations packed the place. Today, they offer top rated national acts as well as local favorites. Owners Johnny and Tina were always in the club to welcome the patrons with a friendly word and a smile.

A friend of mine actually met his wife there in 1954 (before Johnny bought it). Now that’s Somerville history! It was among the many other bars/lounges on Holland St., such as The Railside, The Holland Café, The Crossing Lunch, and The Pine Tree. Seasoned Somerville folks have some very juicy stories about these places.

When discussing the subject of Johnny D’s, a pal of mine tells me, “The Uptown was owned at one time  by Big Murph and Charlie V.” My mother, Gerry Del Ponte, was a school mate of former Somerville Police officer Johnny DeLellis, who purchased it and turned it into Johnny D’s.

As I usually do, I asked my Facebook friends to share their memories about Johnny D’s. Stories of lip sync contests, sold out crowded  shows, and tasty munchies flowed. All of them remembered that it was one of the best local spots around to have fun with friends and enjoy great music. More than one former patron mentioned “a 7 foot bouncer” that used to work there.

My old pal Pat Benti tells us, “We played there from 1979 -1982. Sha-Boom (Pat’s band) developed a pretty good following while we were there. People followed us to Revere and Rte. 1 Peabody…Tina was just a sweetheart and great to work with.”

In 1986, as a tribute to the USA for Africa song We Are The World, Owner Carla DeLellis and a group of regulars lip-synced the song dressed as the original stars. Carla was Cyndi Lauper and I was Billy Joel. I’m pretty sure there is a photo of that group at the club, among other historic pictures. Johnny D’s features an open blues jam on Sundays, and offers a delicious varied and healthy menu.

Some more acts that have graced Johnny D’s stage are, The Fools, Booty Vortex, Rufus Wainwright, Maynard Ferguson, Emmy Lou Harris, Asleep at the Wheel, English Beat, Laura Nyro and many more. My old band The Echoes played there on Thursday nights back in the day. You can see my video Vinnie’s Market, which was filmed at Johnny D’s back in 1986, on YouTube.