Jon “Bowzer” Bauman
Rock | 2018Brooklyn-born Jon Bauman, best known for his zany alter ego, “Bowzer” of rock ‘n’ roll group Sha Na Na, was something of a child prodigy at the piano. He started classical lessons at age 7 and attended the prestigious Juilliard School in New York at age 12. He went on to graduate magna cum laude from Columbia College and, in 1969, joined several of his Columbia classmates in Sha Na Na, where he created the Bowzer character. The group’s successful television variety series (1977-1981), at its peak, became the No. 1 syndicated show in America. Later, Bauman, one of the original veejays on the VH-1 music channel, wrote and hosted the 12-part series The Story of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Jon Bauman Productions followed that with The Golden Age of Rock ‘n’ Roll, a 10-hour series for A&E Network. Bauman also served as executive producer, writer and host of Bowzer’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Party, a two-hour special that aired on 120 TV stations. Today, Bauman continues to perform with his group, Bowzer and the Stingrays, all over the world, and he is the chairman of the Truth In Music committee at the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, coauthoring the Truth In Music Bill designed to stop the spread of imposter musical groups. The bill has become law in more than 30 states.