Fred Gillen Jr. cut his teeth as bassist in the popular roots-rock band Rain Deputies in the mid- nineties, before going solo in 1997 and releasing his first CD Intentions As Big As The Sky. As a solo artist he has since released five other full-length CD's and two ep's. His latest CD Coney Island has been well-received by local critics and fans. Building up a strong following by playing at practically every small venue in the Hudson Valley, Gillen was voted "Best Folk Artist" for three consecutive years by readers of The Westchester Weekly. In 2002 he was awarded a New York Foundation for the Arts grant to cover expenses for his first European Tour. 2006 saw Gillen speaking on a panel at the International Folk Alliance Conference in Austin, TX. In 2007 Gillen was asked to read his poetry at a New Year's Eve concert hosted by U. S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich in Manchester, New Hampshire.