THE DOOLEYS - BMHOF CLASS OF 2022
With distinctive three-part vocal harmonies, mellow instrumentation, and a strong social conscience, The Dooleys became one of the most popular and influential acoustic acts on the Buffalo music scene.
Paul Swisher and Greg Opalinski met as ten-year-old North Tonawanda elementary school students. By the time they were in college, the pair had developed as songwriters, singers and musicians, and formed a duo named after a pin found on the ground by Greg.
The original Dooleys featured Greg’s lyrics and Paul’s melodies, bolstered by the pair’s harmony singing. From the beginning, their songs were politically oriented. In 1985, they recorded a debut cassette, It’s Only Matters of Times, produced by Buffalo Music Hall of Fame Inducted Member Frank Pusateri.
A second cassette release, 1988’s Ring In, caught the ear of singer-songwriter (and future Buffalo Music Hall of Fame Inductee) Glenn Colton, who joined as a permanent third member.
Colton’s arrival allowed The Dooleys to build originals (and covers) around a three-voice, two-guitar foundation that established a long-term successful sound for the group. Among the results was a third album, God Bless America, which was one of the earliest Western New York releases on Compact Disc.
The Dooleys' continuing social consciousness led to an invitation to perform at No Greater Love’s Tribute to American and British Hostages Held in Lebanon, which was held in Washington DC in 1991, and broadcast worldwide on CNN. Other instances of community service included benefit performances for Musicians for Kids, Kids Escaping Drugs and Roswell Park Cancer Institute. After Greg Opalinski left the group to pursue a voice degree at Bowling Green, The Dooleys reached out to Musicians for Kids founder Tim Wright to become their new vocalist and third guitarist. The new trio continued to perform, and recorded a fourth album of original material, Livin' In America.
When Glenn Colton left the group to pursue a Hall of Fame career as a children's entertainer, he was replaced by singer and multi-instrumentalist Paul Weisenburger. As The Dooleys began to focus even more on recording, their next release, The Green Album, featured contributions from all five members, past and present.
1995's Second to Nun was a collection that included solo recordings and collaborations between various Dooleys combinations. At this point, co-founder Paul Swisher had become the constant presence within the group. The album included “The Miracle is Real,” written by Swisher from a poem composed by former Lebanon hostage Terry Anderson as a tribute to another hostage, Father Lawrence Jenco. The next album, Retro Acoustic Gems, was a Roswell Park benefit that would be the last group project until 2011.
After a decade of dormancy, Swisher and Opalinski came together again after the former was inspired by a copy of that initial cassette release, It's Only Matters of Times. This new project would be named MPP (Major Progress Program), after the North Tonawanda academic branch where the two had met decades before. MPP's material was edgier, more eclectic and electric,and the project featured a bevy of Buffalo Music Hall of Famers: drummer Ted Reinhardt, bassist Tom Reinhardt, guitarist George Puleo (all of Gamalon), David Kane of Them Jazzbeards, and saxophonist Jack Prybylski.
Ted Reinhardt was killed in a plane crash before the release of Life and Death in Pandora's Box, which was dedicated to a scholarship fund in the memory of Ted and another Gamalon member, the late Hall of Fame guitarist Bruce Brucato. The scholarships continued to be awarded annually to students at Ted and Bruce's alma mater, Kenmore East High School.
In 2017, Greg and Paul reunited with Glenn Colton as the opening act of an MPP benefit concert at Sportsmen's Tavern.
After that gig, the group (minus Colton) expanded into The Dooley Brothers Band, adding Joe Mombrea (JJ Swing), Weisenberger, drummer Shannon Sweet (Dive House Union), Puleo, Kane, and bassist Jack Kulp (Damone Jackson Outcome).
The Dooleys continued to perform and record, releasing a vinyl LP, Peace, Love & Kindness, in 2020.
“Please pray for peace and kindness … The world needs it!”XXXOOO, The Dooleys