Jack Ponti, a producer and songwriter who worked with Bon Jovi and Alice Cooper, has died. The New Jersey-based musician was 66.
An obituary from his hometown of Red Bank, New Jersey, notes that he died on Oct. 7 and “while widely recognized for his musical genius, it was his boundless love for his family, generosity of spirit and fierce loyalty that truly defined him.”
Ponti was born Giacomo Pontoriero in Newark on Feb. 16, 1958, and started his career in music in the New Jersey area during the late ’70s, when he played guitar in a band called the Rest, which included a pre-fame Jon Bon Jovi as its singer.
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In a 2005 interview with Metal Sludge, Ponti said that Southside Johnny and the E Street Band were supporters of his band, but nothing ever came of it. He added that a demo produced by Billy Squier also went nowhere. (“I owe a giant f— you to Billy Squier for making us round up $3,000 for him to produce our demo and then, after he made it big, told me and Jon to stop bothering him,” Ponti recalled to Metal Sludge.)
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Ponti stayed in touch with his old Rest bandmate, cowriting the song “Shot Through the Heart” from Bon Jovi’s self-titled debut album in 1984. For the next decade, Ponti helped write songs for Alice Cooper, Keel, Nelson, Kane Roberts, Trixter and others.
In addition to cowriting songs for Babylon A.D. and Bonfire during this same period, Ponti produced albums for Louisiana rock band Baton Rouge, Canadian metal band Kittie, Los Angeles meta group Otep and German metal singer Doro Pesch.
Ponti also worked with Skid Row before they signed a record deal. By 1991, he retired from the music business before returning five years later as the manager of R&B singer India.Arie, whose 2001 debut album, Acoustic Soul, was nominated for seven Grammy Awards.
He continued to work behind the scenes as a manager and label executive until his death. “Jack had a rare ability to make people feel seen and valued, whether in the music studio or at home,” the obituary noted. “His generosity extended beyond his family, as he was always ready to offer advice, lend a hand or simply bring laughter to those around him. His warmth and wisdom will continue to resonate through the countless lives he touched, long after the music fades.”
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