Middle C Jazz considers many of its performers part of the family, including staples like duo Noel Freidline and Maria Howell, and bandleaders JD Dillard and Rodney Shelton. Charlotte Crooner Joey Santo is another cherished musician whose presence, spirit, and voice embody the family dynamic that shapes Middle C Jazz into a home.

Joey Santo feels lucky that his family has always enjoyed a particularly close relationship. Today, he continues to live close to his parents and enjoys spending time together.  

Santo’s parents loved music and it’s a bond they share. While his father favored Motown and The Beatles, and his mother loved Bob Seger and Bonnie Raitt, they all shared a mutual appreciation for the Rat Pack, Andy Williams, Johnny Mathis, and Dean Martin. Santo recalls, “We used to take these long road trips to Ohio at Christmas to see family, and we would sing all the way. The songs bring back great memories… they have a sentimental feel.”

Music has been a constant throughout his life. His first live performance was in the fifth grade when he accidentally led the student body at a gym rally—his teacher mistook a gesture for a request to perform!

Early on, though, Santo had a different idea of what his career might look like. “My original dream was to be a meteorologist,” Santo said. “When I was younger I must have watched the movie Twister a hundred times. I am still fascinated by weather.”  Tall and skilled at sports, Santo also pursued football until a horrible case of tendonitis sealed that path off. He found himself progressing faster as a singer and embraced the Great American Songbook classics his dad used to sing around the house.

Santo shifted to music as a true career when he was 25, testing the waters at the karaoke bars he hung out at for fun.  He frequently appeared at Kristopher’s in Matthews during their popular Saturday karaoke night. The first song he remembers performing was the Dean Martin hit, Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime. “I like other kinds of music, of course, but these songs are my favorites because they remind me of family and connect me to that special euphoria of being a child again.”

His career blossomed thanks to a random encounter. “I wanted to make a video for my grandmother’s birthday singing one of her favorites, the classic I’ve got the World on a String.  I handed my phone to this lady at the bar and asked if she would videotape me. Little did I know that she was the girlfriend of the DJ and involved with the Matthews Community Center.”  From that connection, soon he was a weekly presence across Matthews, from Mario’s/John’s Place to swing dance events and area festivals.

The pandemic, like for most artists, brought Santo’s performing to a halt. However, Middle C Jazz was one of the few clubs able to remain open, and Santo found himself performing there regularly. Now that entertainment and Santo’s career are back on track, he continues to bring his signature crooning style to Middle C Jazz audiences a few times a year, like family returning home for a visit. 

Joey Santo joins Middle C Jazz with Christmas Classics of Sinatra, Crosby, and Martin, along with Kristin Randles and the Sean Higgins Trio, December 19th.