Biography
Alex Bonadonna is barely a teenager and can already say he has performed to packed arenas. The lead guitarist of classic rock band “Leave Those Kids Alone” and his three fellow musical prodigy bandmates are the house band at Windsor Spitfires Hockey Club home games, providing in-game entertainment to over 5,000 people! Does he break a sweat? He can’t! He’s up on the jumbotron while blasting out solos and blowing minds of fans expecting to see musicians more than double his age!
Alex began playing guitar when he was 8 years old. By that point, he had plenty of stage experience, but from back behind the kit. But even drums weren’t his first instrument as piano, a customary start, launched his musical journey.
A 6-stringed Christmas gift and the discovery of the video game guitar learning tool “Rocksmith” saw Alex playing Bon Jovi’s "It’s My Life" within seven days of picking up the instrument. It soon became clear that his talents behind the drums were eclipsed by what he could do with the guitar.
Since then, Alex and “Leave Those Kids Alone” have grown into a 50-song classic rock cover powerhouse, playing festivals and events across Windsor and Essex County. Performing more than 90 times within an 18-month period has made the band a household name in Windsor-Essex.
Alex's favourite guitarist is Peter Frampton, having been fortunate to witness his final performance at DTE Music Theatre in the summer of 2019. As expected, he plays a talkbox just like his idol.
Alex continues to study piano and guitar under the guidance of Pete Palazzolo and the Canadian Conservatory of Music.
“-What Larry does with wood, it’s not just an instrument, it’s a work of art. I’m currently playing #101 and it feels like the guitar came from the heart of the tree. I saw it when it was just a block of wood, and to see it now and of course to play it, this handcrafted masterpiece, it’s unbelievable.”
"-I just love playing guitar and I love performing. There aren’t many bands with kids our age, so I’m just happy to play with my friends, my sister and my Dad. I know that the most important thing is to keep having fun and to keep practicing and learning, so that’s what I’m doing. I want to be “a rock and roll star” but I know that’s a huge dream, so I’m trying to just do all the right things and if I’m lucky, it will all work out. I’m grateful to people like Larry who has been so generous and complimentary from the first time we met. It’s great to have his unique and beautiful guitars in my collection. They definitely catch people’s attention because like I said, the woodwork is amazing and they catch your eye for sure. Your ears too!"
