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Sal Valentinetti talks ‘America’s Got Talent,’ Lady Gaga, success (Includes interview)

On performing at The Paramount in Huntington, Valentinetti said, “It’s my favorite place to play. The crowd is always electric and the vibe in the room is nuts. The people that work here are genuine and great, and this venue feels like home.”

He had nothing but kind words about Mike DelGuidice and being afforded the chance to share the stage with me on a few occasions. “Mike is a fantastic guy but more than that, he is an incredible performer and he’s an amazing showman. It was an honor to sing ‘New York State of Mind’ with him,” he said.

Digital age of entertainment

On being an artist in this digital age, Valentinetti noted that it’s “tough.” “I’m not a digital person. I’m old school. I’m stuck way back. Initially, communicating through social media and making it meaningful for the fans was a tough challenge, but now, I get to meet a lot of those people at my shows, whom I wouldn’t have met otherwise. It really has been a transformative experience. I have been able to connect and network with many social media stars,” he said.

“The digital age is not only helpful for networking but it’s great for meeting genuine people that have the same beliefs and ideals as you,” he added.

Regarding the recent passage of the Music Modernization Act (MMA), he said, “As artists, you lose so much to streaming and so much to piracy. Passing legislation is so important because the only way you can get ahead of the criminal is to make their act criminal.”

He shared that he misses America’s Got Talent experience a great deal. “I miss all of them,” he admitted. “Terry Crews is a fantastic host and a great addition to America’s Got Talent. This is the show that gave me everything that I have in life. I would not be playing The Paramount doing shows that were popular 50 or 60 years ago if it weren’t for America’s Got Talent.”

Valentinetti listed Lady Gaga as his dream female duet choice. “I would love to interpret something with her,” he said, prior to adding that he would do it in a similar fashion as when Lady Gaga collaborated with Tony Bennett. “She’s a fantastic musician, she’s a brilliant writer and a beautiful person,” he added.

He defined the word success as “loving what you do.” “If you get up every morning with a smile on your face and if you go to bed with that smile still intact, then you are successful,” he said.

For his loyal fans, Valentinetti concluded, “Thank you. You’re the best. I love you all.”

To learn more about Sal “The Voice” Valentinetti, check out his official homepage and his Facebook page.

Read More: Digital Journal reviewed Sal Valentinetti’s set at The Paramount in Huntington last week.

Markos Papadatos
Written By

Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 19,000 original articles over the past 16 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a seven-time consecutive "Best of Long Island" winner, and in the past three years, he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.

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