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Born
in Newark, New Jersey to parents Edward Wohanka and Carmela Pagano And Raised
in Holmdel, NJ, a small race horse breeding town near Asbury Park where he
attended a small, private two room grammar school called "Centerville" with a
total of 23 students through the eight years he attended. Began studying music
at age five and continued to study privately through the eighth grade.
He began performing live at the age of 13 with his first band called "The
Harbor Lights" By the time he was 28 years of age, he had performed and worked
with the biggest names in Rock & Roll "Jerry Lee Lewis", "The Rascals", "Bruce
Springsteen", "Vito & The Salutations", "Randy & The Rainbows", "The Duprees",
"Chubby Checker", "Bobby Rydell", "Danny & The Juniors", "Ray Charles", and
"The Fifth Dimension", just to name a few.
But always through it all Doc was constantly recording, producing and
performing music.
He worked at the famed Sun Studios in Memphis, TN, Sigma Sound Studios in
Philadelphia, Virtue Recording Studios in Philadelphia, Alpha Audio In Virginia,
Acoustic Loop Studios In Alabama, Fame Studios In Alabama and the Record Plant
in New York City. During this time he worked on many national projects recorded
at these studios, Just a few of the artist that recorded there at the time were
artists such as Jimi Hendrix, The Rascals, Mountain, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ohio
Express, The 1910 Fruit Gum Company, Eddie Holman, The Stylistics, Loretta
Lynn. He has personally produced many artists such as Cissie Lynn, Big Al
Downing, Herman's Hermits, Mike Penders Searchers, Jon Washington of the
Fortunes, Chauncey Black Of "Blackstreet", Bernard Jackson Of "Surface" and Doug
"The Ragin' Cajun" Kershaw to name a few.
He was also head of A&R for major label ABC Paramount in New York City. He was
one of the founding members of a group from New Jersey called "The Soul Set"
later known as the "Soul Survivors" and after it was found out that the name
"The Soul Survivors" was being used by another band, they then became known as
"The Doc Holiday Band" and "The DuCanes",
He was also a member along with players like Garry Tallent , Steve Van
Zant (both now members of Bruce Springsteen's E-Street Band), Gary "A", Mickey
Holiday, Billy
Ryan, Billy "Cherrybomb" Lucia, Johnny Shaw, Jack Valentine, Donnie Lowell (Just
to name a few.) of the legendary Jersey Shore Band "The JayWalkers" for 5 years,
which would go down in musical history as the creators of S.O.A.P. (THE SOUND OF
ASBURY PARK) , which was later adopted by, Bruce Springsteen, Clarence Clemmons,
Southside Johnny, and members of Bon Jovi .
Doc Holiday has produced over 600 lifetime chart records, with well over 100 of
them hitting the #1 spot on many different charts worldwide. As an entertainer,
he has accomplished three complete world tours and is the only record producer
in the history of the record business to grace the cover of Cashbox Magazine. He
has also graced the covers of Billboard, and Record World publications. He and
his band have toured, appeared or performed with The McCoys, The Beach Boys,
Chubby Checker, The Kingston Trio, Yes, Donovan, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bobby
Goldsboro, Ray Charles, Bobby Rydell, Fabian, The Doobie Brothers, The Allman
Brothers, Wet Willie, Jan & Dean, Sha Na Na, Jose Feliciano, Big Al Downing,
Waylon Jennings, Mickey Gilley, B. J. Thomas, Billy Crash Craddock, Mark Farner
Of Grand Funk Railroad and numerous other national acts.
Doc retired from touring in 1983 and opened the first Power Plant Recording
Studio in Miami, FL. In 1985, he opened the second Power Plant Studio on Caribou
Island, an island where he purchased land for the construction off the coast of
Nova Scotia, Canada. In 1988, he would open the third Power Plant Studio in
Hampton, Virginia. He now resides in Hampton, Va. and Gatlinburg TN.
Doc was elected to the "Who's Who In Entertainment," along with Madonna and
Prince, in 1995. He is also the CEO of three international music publishing
companies, a major stock holder in Mega
International Records and Tug Boat International Records. Mr. Holiday has also
been a disc jockey for five major radio stations in the USA, and has had his
radio show, "Where Are They Now?" syndicated in the USA. Doc has also won
numerous entertainment awards including 23 first round Grammy entries, and a
total of 13 "Telly Awards for music videos, as of 2007 along with 2 nominations
for "NAMMY" Awards (Native American Music Awards.
Doc Holiday has appeared on network television many times as an actor, with
appearances on "THE F.B.I. FILES", "DARING CAPERS" for the Discovery
Television Network, A part in the movie of the week for TLC called "a Family
Torn" plus many guest appearances on national talk shows. Doc's television show
called "The Doc Holiday Show" along with Radio Personality "Henry "The Bull", a
music video show which, ran for 5 years on The Fox Network affiliate in Hampton
Roads, Virginia, and was discontinued after the unexpected death of his co-host
"Henry "The Bull".
The year 2006 has marked the expansion of his Hampton, VA studios to 12,000 sq.
ft. making it the largest recording studio in the state of Virginia. As the CEO
of two internationally distributed record companies, Mega International Records,
formed in 1987, and Tug Boat International Records, formed in 1984. Doc's
artists and companies have been nominated for a record 22 awards from the "OLC"
Country Music Awards in Nevada in the year 2000. He also has nine albums he has
produced entered in the first round entries for Grammy Awards for the 2000,
2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 Grammys. In 2001 at the Golden Music
Awards, held in Nashville TN. he won the "Producer Of The Year" award, along
with "Label Of The Year" for Mega International Records, and in 2002 and 2003
his television show "The Doc Holiday Show" won "The Telly Award" for Late Night
Music Video Varity Show.
Doc is also expanded into music videos as well as motion pictures, being signed
to produce and direct "The Polish Border Incident", a true story about
international spy's in the early 80's. Doc has just completed a television
pilot for Dark Side Enterprises called: "Heinz Altmann, Bullet Catcher" a true
story of a high level, high profile body guard which was also aired on Fox
Television.
Another movie project in the works at the Power Plant Studios in Virginia is "Broken Badge", the true story of the federal agent that exposed Washington D.C. mayor, Marion Barry, to the world as being involved with corruption and drugs within the nation's capital.
In 2006 Doc started working on a Television show pilot titled "Is It Real
Or Is It Hollywood". The first episode explores the television show "The Waltons"
and the difference between the Hollywood version of the Walton's and the real
Family the show was written about. This episode is being filmed on location in
the Blue Ridge Mountains where the actual family lived.
In July of 2000 Doc enjoyed a rebirth of his career as a recording
artist, when he released his first new self penned album since 1983, titled
"Payback's A Bitch" The album reached the #1 spot on the World Independent
Charts of The Tracker Magazine on July 15, 2000 and stayed at #1 for 4
consecutive weeks receiving air play in 15 countries around the world, The music
video from the title song "Pay Back's A Bitch" was aired on national television
in rotation on IMNTV for 5 weeks. A second music video from that album "How Can
You Live" received the 2003 "Telly Award" for Independent Music Video.
Doc is currently enjoying his new rebirth in performing, producing, managing,
and writing .... And his beat goes on!