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BRUCE
JOHN

INFO

Senior Entertainment

Links:

Bread Box Folk Theater

Mansfield Academy of Dance

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BIOGRAPHY

Bruce John, grew up in the beautiful downtown Eagleville section of Storrs connecticut and has lived there for more than 70 years. He started performing at coffee houses and hootenannies in 1962 and has continued to play guitar & sing professionally for his entire life. He is well known in the area as the Singasaurus from the Kidsville Kuckoo Revue, a band geared towards entertaining families and young children, that he founded in 1989. And as The Human Juke Box who knows over 400 songs. Bruce was co-founder and owner of the iconic Shaboo Inn, a popular Willimantic nightclub in the seventies. The club brought in every famous band you can imagine from around the world, right here to Mansfield/willimantic. At the Shaboo, one of Bruce's biggest responsibilities was marketing and advertising. This led him to his next career as an advertising account executive for the Chronicle News and the Reminder Press. Bruce's understanding of business came from first working in his father's restaurant (Lou's) in Eagleville, being an active partner in the Shaboo for ten years and then helping scores of business owners in the area in marketing their business with the newspaper. With his wife Therese, he founded the bread box folk theater in Willimantic in 2009. Bruce uses his past skills at booking great national entertainment to bring touring folk acts and past shaboo legends to perform to benefit the covenant soup kitchen. they have raised over $251,000 dollars so far. He also has done a major benefit dance for the past sixteen years with his band, the Bandaleros, to pay the $12,000 rent for the No Freeze homeless shelter in Willimantic. He willingly donates his music to many other area charities such as the American Cancer Society, Windham Area Interfaith Ministry, Windham Aids Program, Chocolate Festival, Eastern Ct. RailRoad Museum etc. or anyone else who needs his help at the time. Today you can catch Bruce performing live music at many area restaurants and venues as well as helping his community in many other ways.

These are some of the fine eateries where you can find him: Hilltop Restaurant, lake View restaurant, Beni’s Restaurant, Inn at Woodstock Hill, the Windham Club, the Chowder Pot, Harbor House, the Dog Watch, Gina Marie’s, Blackledge River Tavern, Oliver’s Grill, Preston Ridge Vineyards, Heartstone Winery, Pancho Loco, Arrowhead Acres, Fish Family Farm, Oliver's Dairy Bar, Scoop Ice Cream Cafe, Hidden Still , Main Moose, Farmer's Cow Calfe, Square Peg Pizza and Basil’s Restaurant.

Awards and Recognition :

Because of Bruce's commitment to community and helping those less fortunate , he has been recognized by many organizations throughout the years

2004 Access Agency Appreciation Award for organizing 12 years of concerts to help the North East Community Food Collaborative

2007 Windham No Freeze Shelter Certificate of Appreciation for organizing 15 years of concerts to pay the rent for the shelter

2011 Lions Club International Humanitarian of the Year for Windham, Tolland, New London and Middlesex Counties,included was a Melvin Jones Fellowship, a personal letter from former President Bill Clinton and Congressional Citations from Senator Liberman and Congressman Courtney

2011 Romantic Willimantic Cupid Award , Windham's highest civic honor for volunteerism in the community

2011 Town of Mansfield Proclaimation of Recognition naming January 22, 2011 as Bruce John Day for dedication to community

2014 Church Woman United INC. Human Rights Award recognized as an advocate of Peace and Social Justice

2015 Willimantic Elks Lodge 1311 Citizen of the Year Award

for volunteerism in the community

2016 Windham County Bar Association Liberty Bell Award

for commitment to Social Justice

2016 Recognition from Feed Our Vets for volunteerism on behalf of Biking for Vets

2016 Golden Spike Award from Ct. Eastern Rail Road Museum for 5 years of donating and organizing music for Rail Road Day

2017 Connecticut Office of the Arts Arts Hero Award presented by Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman representing all of Eastern Ct. Included was a Congressional Citations from Senator Chris Murphy and Congressman Joe Courtney.

2019 Gil DeBarros Award from Generations Health Center

for advocating for the poor and homeless

2019, 2020 & 2021 Chronicle Readers Choice Best Entertainer

2022 Connecticut Magazine Reader's Choice Runner-up for

Connecticut Magazine's Solo Musician of the Year

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