Rising Star is an American rock band from Piscataway, New Jersey founded in the fall of 1986 when drummer Kevin Brown, guitarist Mark 'Randy Marcus' Nigro and singer Jeff Roberts teamed up with former Divine Right bassist Jimmy Bristol and Emerald guitarist David J. Irvine. The band played venues in and around the legendary Raritan Bay original music scene to ever growing audiences, increasing their popularity through relentless self-promotion and word of mouth. Their tenacity soon gained them supporting spots for national acts, building an auspicious area following that led to headlining shows of their own in the area's iconic vaudevillian theatres and rock clubs.

Often compared with 'first wave' east coast hard rock founders Aerosmith and KISS or fellow locals, Bon Jovi, the group's songs feature hook-laced anthem fueled hard rock and their off stage antics and feral teen persona embodied the excess and recklessness that defined much of the rock world in the 70's and 80s. Their major label release and rise to the international stage was broadsided as grunge swept the music scene in the early 1990's ending the bands upward trajectory. Rising Star was part of the 80's 'second wave' of central Jersey bands that included Prophet, Skid Row, Trixter, American Angel, Xenon and so many other great acts. Their blend of melodic hooks, infectious grooves and optimistic, high-energy spirit continues to earn recognition among fans of classic hard rock.

1986-1987

Rising Star: Wicked Ways EP1987

Rising Star: Into The Night SP1987 (89.5FM WSOU Radio Release)

Drummer Kevin Brown met guitarist Mark Nigro in the summer of 1986 and the pair began to practice at Kevin's house in Piscataway, NJ. Not long after, following a posting at Loria Music in Rahway, NJ, they met singer Jeff Roberts and the trio moved their rehearsal space to Jeff's basement in Clark, NJ. Kevin's friend and fellow Piscataway drummer, Bobby 'Teez' Thompson recruited former Divine Right bassist Jimmy Bristol from across the Raritan River in Somerset who he knew of through mutual friends in another area band, Chained Angel.  Kevin and Mark brought in fellow Piscataway resident and former Emerald guitarist David J. Irvine in December of 1986 just after the band had recorded its first track, ‘How Many Times’ to complete the original line up.

The original band had influences of almost everything going on at the time. Jeff brought a northern progressive touch of Queensryche and Rush with some British steel of Priest and Maiden. Mark, Bobby and Kevin brought the L.A. metal sounds of Motley Crue, Ozzy and Dokken. Jimmy added a touch of Jersey Shore mixed with New Brunswick punk and David the refinement of jazz guitar, AOR structure, and a boatload of music fundamentals. The collision of influences and two guitar formation resulted in the somewhat throw back, 70's hard rock dueling harmony guitar sound that grew into the Wicked Ways EP, which then refined into the more contemporary ‘Into The Night’ and ‘On The Run’ sound they would further develop on the next record.

The band quickly went from roller rink “Battle of The Bands" to cutting their professional teeth with a residency at Mingle's Nightclub on the South Amboy side of the famous Highway 35 strip supporting passing national acts. Bobby would play a couple of these early shows and on the original recordings of ‘Wicked Ways,’ ‘Rising Star’ and ‘Don't Walk Away’ before becoming the bands permanent heartbeat. Bobby and Kevin played almost equal roles in this formative period. In this first year the band; wrote their original song EP; recorded in professional 24 track 2" deck studios for the first time; joined up with KBM Productions to produce some amazing concerts, revitalizing the Brook Theatre and helping to turbo charge Mingle's as well as their own position on the scene at the same time while supporting national acts such as, Zebra, Kix and Hurricane. As the shows got bigger they brought on keyboardist Johnny 'Angel' Aragona and released their first radio single 'Into The Night' on the then wildly popular WSOU 89.5FM (NYC DMA) radio.

Average 1987 Set List:

Ultimately, the loss of their platform at the Mingle's Nightclub to fire, coupled with growing divisions in the vision for the bands direction led to the group splitting up late in December of '87 after just one year and just as they were starting to take off. Kevin and David would eventually form the band Mona Lisa and collaborate on other projects over the years. Jimmy would pursue a producer/ songwriters path and technical training at Chillicothe, Ohio's Recording Workshop where the ‘Into The Night’ single had been recorded and Johnny later played with fellow KBM band RAZE.

1988-1989

Rising Star: Please Don't Touch SP1989 (Cassette Single Release)

Rising Star: Into The Night LP1989

Jeff, Mark and Bobby, along with guitarist Paul Famula (Vision HCNJ) had moved the band to Hollywood briefly in 1988 but abruptly had to return to New Jersey for personal reasons. Upon coming back home, they met Marlboro area residents, Marty Miller (bass) and Tony Annunziata (keyboards) and quickly reestablished a strong local following playing popular area venues like The Brook Theatre, The Centre St. Cabaret and Art Stock's PlayPen. They set up new rehearsal space in Bobby's basement in Piscataway which became the band's base of operations until the end in '92. Positive newspaper coverage due to a bomb threat and local origination cable television exposure catapulted the band quickly into a position of selling out the historic Dunellen Theatre multiple times.

The music of this period is a continuation of where the early band was heading, infused with shots of influences picked up during the period of their Hollywood experience. Tracks like ‘Into The Night’ and ‘Please Don't Touch’ caught the attention of Power Station Studio's producer/co-owner Tony Bongiovi, who was building an artist development and production roster with legendary KISS manager Bill Aucoin. Bill saw the tremendous branding potential of the band and Bobby's iconic logo. This was a dynamic time of growth for Rising Star, working with industry professionals of the highest order in the orbit of one of New York City's greatest studios. During this time the band extended its reach into Northern Jersey venues like Studio One in Newark and Obsessions in Randolph, Eastern Pennsylvania's DJ Bananas in Allentown and Staten Island's Park Villa II/ On Stage supporting bands such as Roughhouse, Prophet and Tyketto. They also released their first commercially available ultra rare, limited run cassette single for Please Don't Touch with Jeff's, Don't Close Your Eyes on the flip side.

Average 1989 Set List:

Jimmy Bristol was brought back in as a songwriter as part of the Bongiovi/ Aucoin/ Alpha Records courtship in the summer of '89 and writing took center stage in preparation of the deal as they were encouraged to collaborate with outside writers such as MFSB hall of fame guitarist TJ Tindall (Bonnie Raitt), Patrick Klein, Jodi Bongiovi and Stan Steele. Jodi's band, which Stan was part of with other highly respected local talent like, Jimmy Callahan (Prophet), Mick Seeley (Runaway SP/ Southside Johnny) and John "JD" DeServio (Black Label Society), had just released Jodi's debut album on Alpha and were part of Tony's development roster. Pat was an upcoming writer/ producer at The Power Station who's band French Lick was part of this talent group as well and he had worked on Jodi's record and Billy Squire's Hear & Now album and a host of other projects that came through the Power Station. French Lick's bass player, Anthony Esposito went on to become a founding member of Lynch Mob with George Lynch (Dokken). But, Jodi was the only one of these collaborations that actually produced a song for the band, ‘Castles In The Sand’ on the Livin’ On The Edge record.

Rising Star would showcase for Philadelphia's Alpha Records later that year but the deal never happened as terms couldn't be reached with the band losing too much control and value to the all inclusive producer/ manager/ record company blob the contract had become. They would have become employees of their own business losing all control and stake in value. In the end, after over a year of friendly mentorship, when they finally received the written offer, they had to decline the deal and as Bill would say, move 'onward and upwards.' Although they never did make a deal or record at the studio, it's a small club of artist that can say they had an authentic Power Station internship including, Jon Bon Jovi, French Lick, Jodi Bongiovi and Rising Star and even fewer that had the opportunity to learn from Bill Aucoin as well. The collapse of the deal also appears to have marked the end of Tony's interest in talent development with Bill Aucoin and the beginning of deep financial troubles for the Power Station after a major gamble and investment in a suite for mixing audio for television and film productions didn't work out as planned.

1990-1991

Rising Star: Livin' On The Edge LP1991

The direction had been set for the next record by Jeff and Tony’s standout, ‘High School Days.’ Early tracks like ‘Hook Line & Sinker’, 'Daisy Chain' and ‘Anyway You Want It’ retained some of the Hollywood glam tone Jeff & Mark picked up out west, but the addition of Jimmy’s writing and creating in the Power Station orbit pulled the music towards a more east coast/ pop punk feel. The record drips with the P.T. Barnumesque, over the top, 'Wild Bill' Aucoin inspired rock n roll campiness they found themselves living and writing in during this period 'On The Edge' of the big time. But, for all the excitement, promise and growth the album represented, it came at the cost of yet another creative and emotional crossroads for the band.

Marty and Mark would leave within weeks of each other after the disappointment of the Alpha Records deal falling apart. Mark's guitar riffs and writing had been a major part of the bands early sound but was largely absent in the music of this period as he was shifting with the scene towards grunge, while the NYC Power Station influence drew Jeff and Jimmy more towards pop punk. Marty joined Kevin Brown (Fuzz The World/ STAG) and Dave Irvine in Mona Lisa and Mark joined Paul Famula to start Black Market Babies/ Wall of Emotion; which at some point later also included Kevin and had the interest of Atlantic Record's Jason Flom. And, once again, all this turmoil came as Rising Star celebrated their peak of local popularity by audaciously selling out back to back nights at the Dunellen Theatre in April 1990 after having just sold out the venue for the first time in February. Eric Hoagland (Mars Needs Women/ Frankenstein 3000) filled in for Mark at these shows. Jimmy had already stepped back into the line up on bass in March and would later recruit highly respected local 'hired gun' Flavio Stigliano to fill the guitar slot. Flavio had done session work for Jimmy in '88 including his solo reproduction of 'Into The Night' after the original band fell apart. The group then set out to complete what they had started and showcase to other labels.

Although much of the rest of the year had the band playing in the area's most iconic and hottest club venues like; The Stone Pony, CBGB's and Murphy's Law, line up changes coupled with the market shift toward the alt/grunge movement saw a decline in the group's ticket sales. Adding insult to injury, in the late fall of 1990 Bill Aucoin recruited Tony for Sic Vikki, a Philadelphia based band he was working with who were recording an album with Steve Plunkett (Autograph). Rising Star happened to be in the middle of a label shopping showcase push with then representative, Barry Slotnick. Tony didn’t perform at the NYC label showcase at S.I.R. or appear in the associated promotional materials with the band. They closed the year with another Dunellen Theatre performance; their sixth and final appearance at the venue.

Average 1990 Set List:

With the New York push not producing the offers the band was hoping for, they signed a limited management deal with Paula Vail (Vanity Entertainment) who then shopped the new material on the west coast. The band was honored with an invitation to sing the National Anthem on a SportsChannel NJ Devils NHL broadcast when the First Gulf War broke out in January of 1991 leading to a USO tour opportunity. The tour turned into a single welcome home show at Naval Weapons Station Earle when hostilities ended so quickly. A show the band was happy to play for our returning troops with Matt Bongiovi managed, Bad Medicine joining in the honor. NY FURY's Jimmy 'Patryx' Whipert filled in on guitar as Flavio had left the group not long after the Meadowland's broadcast. This USO show would also be Jimmy Bristol's final live performance with Rising Star.

Limited interest was shown on the west coast for what the band was producing. The only notable response was from another KISS connection and iconic feral teen producer/ songwriter, Kim Fowley (Runaways), who said the band had 'nailed it' with Livin' On The Edge and expressed interest in working with them if they were willing to relocate to Hollywood. Grunge was already well on the rise and all the line up changes had the band about two years behind where their real moment of opportunity existed. Jimmy continued to write and record with Rising Star behind the scenes into 1992 for the Midnight Station album while producing his first solo LP Can't Let Go. Jeff plays drums on the project.

1991-1992

Marty Miller returned to the Rising Star line up on bass after sitting in on some of Jimmy's 'Can't Let Go' preproduction sessions with drummer Tony Scott (Pompeii) and they returned to a two guitar formation by recruiting not one but two highly sought after guitarists/ songwriters, Scott Pastrick and Edward Brands. They had completed writing the Midnight Station LP and played a handful of shows including iconic venues missed in the past like Club Bene in Sayreville, Escapades in Jersey City and Trade Winds in Sea Bright supporting Blackfoot, before disbanding for good when Bobby and the Thompson family moved to Florida. 'Mama Teez' and Mr. Thompson's support for the band gave them the foundation that made everything between 1988-1992 possible.

Rising Star: Midnight Station LP1993

Ed and Jeff’s ‘Under 21’, set the writing tone for the Midnight Station record. The album returns to the Hollywood glam vibe of the band's heyday a few years prior but, also displayed the experience they had gained during the Power Station era and the fresh addition of Ed and Scott in the writing, showing movement towards the nu-metal and country rock sounds that would dominate the airwaves over the coming decades. Most of the tracks were never added to the set list before the end of the band's live show era.

Average 1991 Set List:

Ultimately, the band had only been test marketed within a 25 mile radius of the Garden State Parkway's Raritan Bay Bridge and the Mingle's Nightclub where it all began for them. They never did get the right investment opportunity for exposure to a larger market before the scene changed dramatically and everything 80's was shunned but, judging by the regional word of mouth success they created with little outside support as teenagers, extrapolation would have proven them to have been a world class outfit that most lovers of 80's rock sadly never had the chance to experience in their prime.

1993-1996

Rising Star: That Day LP1996

Jeff and Scott along with lyricist Bill Lyons, would go on to produce an unreleased studio album project that would include a version of Jimmy Bristol's ‘She Still Loves Me (Bloody Valentine).’ The song was a favorite of Bill Aucoin's during his time mentoring the band and had obtained a cult classic status amongst Rising Star insiders and faithful over the years. The rest of the album is basically a Rising Star record that hasn't been released or promoted and is some of the best work to date for those involved in it's production. It's, raw, emotional and angry. Heavily influenced by Bill Lyons and Scott, it's a dark and dramatic departure from what Rising Star fans may be used to, but it is far and away Jeff's pinnacle work as a vocalist and Rising Star's most 'metal' album. It was Scott's final project with the group. Jeff did double duty of drums and vocals on the album.

1996-2008

Their first successful independent studio project led to the initial Rising Star catalog project sessions and various other collaborations on and off with Jeff and Jimmy from 1996-2008, fueled in part by the technical support of Jimmy's Montage MultiMedia production company and the advent of affordable, reliable, quality home computer Digital Audio Workstation recording. The birth of the Rising Star catalog project to collect and preserve the band's legacy in a cohesive quality production began, like the previous album, on linkable 8trk ADAT digital VHS recorders that were then later transferred to the DAW format when it became available.  By the mid 2000's they each had their own DAW recording set ups and the group began working mostly independently and remotely to each other; swapping their individual track files to complete productions. Other projects of this period included Jimmy's 2002 Pop Killer, which featured three new songs written prior to 9/11 including the stand out 'Runnin' For My Life', and the title track and as well as several Power Station era songs including the original '89 version of 'She Still Loves Me (Bloody Valentine). The group then worked on Jimmy's 2003 EP Ghost Town, written following the terrorist attacks. It's a more mature acoustic rock album and features a return to Danny Sanchez photography for it's cover art. Jimmy would then provide artist development and preproduction on Dan Weltman's 2007 'Breaking The Surface' album. These other new projects always seemed to sideline the slow moving Rising Star catalog project.

2009-2026

Following the 2008 financial crisis Jimmy's production company took his focus away from non-revenue generating productions and the catalog project was reduced to a solo album featuring most of Jimmy's Rising Star contributions, Confessions of a Teenage Rising Star.  He retired from technical work and sold off most of Montage MultiMedia's larger assets in 2019.  In 2026 Jimmy finished writing his fifth solo album, Looking Glass.  It includes the driving micro story of the Rising Star band's rise and fall, 'Back In The Day' and a group of songs written when the songwriting muse began to flow again for him. This rekindled creativity set in motion a series of reunions and get togethers celebrating the band's milestone anniversaries and legacy in New Jersey rock music history.  Thank you for being apart of our story as it continues to unfold!

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Rising Star Band Members (Years In Band)

Jeff Roberts: Lead Vocals, guitar, drums (1986-1996)

Jimmy Bristol: Bass, vocals, keys (1986-1987, 1990-1991)

Mark 'Randy Marcus' Nigro: Guitar (1986-1990)

David J. Irvine: Guitar, vocals, keys (1986-1987)

Kevin Brown: Drums, keys (1986-1987)

Bobby 'Teez' Thompson: Drums, vocals (1987-1992)

Johnny 'Angel' Aragona: Keyboards, vocals (1987)

Marty Miller: Bass, vocals (1988-1990, 1991-1992)

Anthony Annunziata: Keyboards (1988-1990)

Flavio Stigliano: Guitar (1990-1991)

Edward Brands: Guitar, bass, vocals (1991-1996)

Scott Pastrick: Guitar (1991-1996)

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Thank you to the industry professionals who mentored, supported and booked Rising Star over the years: Tony Bongiovi & Bob Walters - Power Station Studios, Bill Aucoin - Aucoin Global Management, TJ Tindall, Jon & Dorothea Bongiovi, John Branigan - Tri-Ad Artist/ William Morris Agency, Carl Freed - North American Concert Promoters Association, Michael Stamatis - KBM Productions, Paula Vail - Vanity Entertainment, Barry Slotnick, esq. - Loeb & Loeb, 89.5FM WSOU, Not Just Rock & Roll with Dick Craig, The T and Lil Show, Rich Hennessy - Mingles Nightclub, Richard Zupko - The Dunellen Theater, Phil Neri - The Brook Theater, Kyle Brendle - The Stone Pony, Hilly Kristal - CBGB, Brian Nelson - Murphy's Law, Pete Tursha - Studio One, The New Jersey Devils, The Courier News, The PlayPen, Onstage, DJ Banana's, Obsession's, Vision's, Center St. Cabaret, Faces, Naval Weapons Station Earle, Club Bene', Escapades, Trade Wind…

Special thanks Kevin 'Krash' Descoteau & family, Eric, Wally, Danny, Dave, The Corleto Brothers, Mongo, Billy, Toni Coupland, Jen Sadowski, Kathy Byrnes & the Old Bridge Originals, Anna Bongiovi, Richard Novax, Terry Hughes (The The/ Rubber Ball Studios), Chained Angel and Loria Music.

And, most of all, thank you Mr. & Mrs. Thompson!!!

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