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Where: Forsyth Park 9:20 PM

Four-time Baseball World Series Champion and five-time All Star for the New York Yankees, Bernie Williams grew up in Puerto Rico, and discovered his love for baseball and music at roughly the same time.  At the age of eight he fell in love with the sounds of a flamenco guitar his merchant-marine father brought home from Spain, and also felt the same exhilaration when he first picked up a baseball bat.  Williams has more post-season RBI’s to his credit than any other player in Major-league history and his resume also boasts four gold-glove awards, six American League pennants, the 1996 ALCS MVP award, and the 1998 American League batting title.

Throughout Williams’ years with The Yankees, his passion for music never waned, and the sound of a guitar would often be heard emanating from the clubhouse or during team flights. Whether acoustic or electric, a guitar was a constant presence in the star’s locker or equipment bag, and it was no surprise in 2003 when he demonstrated how serious his musical pursuit was with the release of his first album, The Journey Within. The record featured fusions of jazz, rock and the tropical rhythms of Williams’ heritage and was met with both strong critical praise and instant chart success- reaching #3 on Billboard’s “Contemporary Jazz Chart.

Williams’ second album, Moving Forward, features guest appearances by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Secada, Dave Koz, and an All-Star cast of renowned studio musicians, and it debuted as Billboard’s #2 Contemporary Jazz album in the country, and spawned two consecutive Billboard #1 singles, Go For It, and Ritmo de Otono. The album was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Album in 2009.

Bernie also co-authored a book in 2011 published by Hal Leonard Books titled, Rhythms of the Game: The Link Between Music and Athletic Performance.  The book examines the symbiotic relationship between musical artistry and athletic performance through the eyes of a man who has mastered both.  In 2018 Bernie became “Dr. Williams” as he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the State University of New York through SUNY Potsdam and the world- renowned Drake School of Music, considered the “birthplace of music education”.