LYNYRD SKYNYRD DRUMMER – MICHAEL CARTELLONE – SETS ART EVENT By SFL Music July 14, 2023 CELEBRATED LYNYRD SKYNYRD DRUMMER ~ MICHAEL CARTELLONE ~ SETS ART EVENT AHEAD OF THE BANDS 50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR LAUNCH Michael Cartellone’s Newest Artwork Will Be On Display At The Wentworth Gallery At Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood On July 20 The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top Launches on Friday, July 21 at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, FL (Hollywood, FL) – Michael Cartellone, drummer for the iconic classic rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, makes a return to the art world with an exhibit of his new works at the Wentworth Gallery at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood on Thursday, July 20 – a day before the Skynyrd Tour officially launches in West Palm Beach, FL. The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour coincides with the 50th Anniversary of the iconic band and will hit twenty-two North American cities before concluding on September 17. Cartellone previously showed his revolutionary “Pixelism” art with the Wentworth Gallery in 2019. These new works from 2023 feature a stunning tribute to Ringo Starr and the Beatles as well as a very special commemorative piece called “Fifty” celebrating the 50- year legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd and a tribute to the first Skynyrd album, “Pronounced.” Fifty signed and numbered canvas prints of this special memorabilia piece will be available for sale as well as the original painting. The concept for the Ringo piece began about 15 years ago when the long-time drummer imagined what it would be like to BE Ringo and see what he saw from his vantage point during the famous rooftop concert where the Fab Four performed and was documented in the 1970 film, ‘Let It Be.’ “Being a drummer myself, I am very familiar with this vantage point, which makes this painting about my favorite drummer, of my favorite band, even more special to me,” remarks Cartellone. Describing the year long process of creating the stunning work, “I wanted everything to be as authentic as possible … so I spent weeks researching photos of Ringo’s drums (including the equipment company logos on the cymbals and drumhead as well as recreating exactly what the aged drumheads looked like. I watched videos from both “Get Back” and “Let It Be” … as well as capturing very specific details in all the buildings (like brick and mortar patterns).” “Michael is a creative perfectionist. Few artists have either his attention to detail or the fluidity and creativity of a master storyteller. It is no surprise that Michael worked as a professional fine artist before his great successes as a musician.” – Christian O’Mahony, Principal Wentworth Gallery ARTWORK FROM MICHAEL CARTELLONE TO BE DISPLAYED (artist will NOT be in attendance at this showing) THURSDAY, JULY 20 @ 3-6 PM Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood Address: 5711 Seminole Way Suite 103, Hollywood, FL 33314 All Artwork on Exhibition is Available for Acquisition ABOUT THE ARTIST Michael Cartellone was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1962. He attended the Cleveland Institute of Art at the age of four, with his focus set on the Visual Arts. Indeed, Michael intended a career in Visual Arts for the next five years, until that is when he began drumming at the age of nine. He completely threw himself into drumming, playing his first professional gig at a bar at the age of eleven, although he never stopped painting. Cartellone continued studying both drumming and painting simultaneously, throughout his grade school and high school years. By the time he graduated high school, Cartellone was performing four nights a week, earning his living as a musician; yet at the same time, he had begun selling his paintings. As Cartellone explains it, “music and art have always been two halves of a whole.” At the age of twenty-two, Cartellone moved to New York City to further his career. He worked in the art department in the garment industry by day, and played the drums by night. It was during this time that he had his first gallery show, at King Street Gallery in the Washington D.C. area. His move to New York City was a true springboard for Cartellone’s music career. Before long, he found himself in a new band called “Damn Yankees”, which went on to multi-platinum status. Other recording and /or touring credits include: John Fogarty, Cher, Peter Frampton and Freddie Mercury. In 1998, Cartellone joined the legendary Southern Rock Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, where he can currently be seen on tour throughout the world. Cartellone has received strong media attention for his work in the Visual Arts including ARTnews Magazine, January 2006, and more recently in an interview on CNN in March 2009. He has had Gallery Exhibitions in New York City (Soho), Los Angeles, CA, Phoenix, AZ, Long Island, NY, Ft. Collins, CO and Las Vegas, NV. Cartellone is happily married to his actress/singer wife, Nancy Meyer, and resides in New York. About Wentworth Gallery As the leading fine art retailer in the United States with 10 locations, Wentworth Gallery features a wide selection of original artwork, limited editions and sculptures from the world’s most acclaimed artists. In addition to representing highly collected and heralded artists Peter Max, Mr. Brainwash, Charles Fazzino, Michael Godard, and Romero Britto, Wentworth Gallery exclusively represents artists Paul Stanley from KISS, Rick Allen from Def Leppard, Mickey Hart from The Grateful Dead, Michael Cartellone from Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Brian Wheat from Tesla in their visual artwork. Their website, wentworthgallery.com provides information on featured artists, upcoming exhibits, online orders and directions to the nearest Wentworth Gallery; or call 800-732-6140. About Lynyrd Skynyrd: As Lynyrd Skynyrd approaches the 50th anniversary of the band’s critically acclaimed debut album ‘Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd’ in 2023, they resonate as deeply with their multi-generational fan base today as when they first emerged out of Jacksonville, Florida in 1973. Few ensembles have had the deep impact in creating a lifestyle as Skynyrd has. The band travels forward with a primary mission of celebrating a legacy that honors all whom have had a resonating contribution to the lives of hundreds of millions of fans globally. Former members Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, Steve Gaines, Ed King, Billy Powell, Bob Burns, Leon Wilkeson, Hughie Thomasson and Gary Rossington who recently passed, alongside others will forever remain significant contributors to this indelible repertoire and the band’s colorful history. Today, Lynyrd Skynyrd rocks on with a current line-up featuring Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Mark “Sparky” Matejka, Michael Cartellone, Keith Christopher, Peter Keys, Carol Chase and Stacy Michelle. The rock and roll powerhouse continually tours, and as Van Zant shares, “It’s about the legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and what it stands for, what the fans are all about. There’s nothing like getting out there playing a great show with Skynyrd and seeing people love this music.” With a catalog of over 60 albums, billions of streams, and tens of millions of records sold, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd remain a cultural icon that appeal to all generations. Share It!