John Joseph Hall (born July 23, 1948) is an American musician, songwriter, politician,
environmentalist
An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with and/or advocates for the protection of the environment. An environmentalist can be considered a supporter of the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that se ...
, and community activist. He was elected to the legislature of
Ulster County, New York
Ulster County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. It is situated along the Hudson River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 181,851. The county seat is Kingston. The county is named after the Irish province of Ulster.
History
...
, in 1989 and the
Saugerties, New York
Saugerties () is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in the northeastern corner of Ulster County, New York, Ulster County, New York (state), New York. The population was 19,038 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 C ...
Board of Education in 1991, and he was the
U.S. representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for , serving from 2007 to 2011. He is a member of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
. Hall also founded the rock band
Orleans in 1972 and continues to perform with them.
Early life and musical career
Hall was born in
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, and grew up in
Elmira, New York. He is the son of James A. Hall, who was a
PhD in electrical engineering and Marie W. Hall, who had
M.A.
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
in divinity. A three-time
National Science Foundation summer scholar, he skipped two grades in school and left
Notre Dame High School in Elmira at age sixteen to study physics at the
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic university, Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend, Indiana, South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin fo ...
, and then English at
Loyola College, Baltimore.
Hall began playing piano at age 4, and later studied French horn in school and taught himself guitar and bass. After changing his concentration to creative writing and performing in numerous musical ensembles, Hall quit college to begin his professional musical career in the clubs of
Georgetown, D.C., and then in
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...
. In 1967, his group Kangaroo released an album on
MGM Records, and Hall also composed music for a
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...
trilogy ''Morning, Noon and Night''. He released his debut solo album, ''Action'' in 1970. Since then he has released 7 albums solo or as the John Hall Band.
In late January 1972, he founded
Orleans in
Ulster County, New York
Ulster County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. It is situated along the Hudson River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 181,851. The county seat is Kingston. The county is named after the Irish province of Ulster.
History
...
, with
Wells Kelly
Orleans is an American pop rock band best known for its hits " Dance with Me" (No. 6 in 1975); " Still the One" (No. 5 in 1976), from the album '' Waking and Dreaming''; and "Love Takes Time" (No. 11 in 1979). The group's name evolved from th ...
and
Larry Hoppen
Larry Lewis Hoppen (January 12, 1951 – July 24, 2012) was an American musician who was a co-founder, vocalist and guitarist/keyboardist of the pop-rock group Orleans. Orleans was formed in Woodstock, New York in January 1972 by Hoppen, vocalist/ ...
. Lance Hoppen, Larry's brother, joined the band later in that year, completing the Orleans lineup that would last throughout the band's most successful period. Orleans released two albums on
ABC Records, and two on
David Geffen's
Asylum Records
Asylum Records is an American record label, founded in 1971 by David Geffen and partner Elliot Roberts. It was taken over by Warner Communications (now the Warner Music Group) in 1972, and later merged with Elektra Records to become Elektra/Asylu ...
label, the latter two including the top five hits "
Dance With Me" and "
Still The One" which are each certified by BMI at more than 7 million airplays in the United States. As part of Orleans, he was a songwriter and session musician for artists that include
Janis Joplin,
Seals and Crofts
Seals and Crofts was an American soft rock duo made up of James Eugene Seals (October 17, 1942 – June 6, 2022) and Darrell George "Dash" Crofts (born August 14, 1938) They are best known for their hits " Summer Breeze" (1972), " Diamond Girl ...
,
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mu ...
, Jackson Browne, Little Feat, and
Bonnie Raitt.
In 1977, Hall left to concentrate on the solo career that had begun with the ''Action'' album at the beginning of the decade and became active in the
anti-nuclear movement
The anti-nuclear movement is a social movement that opposes various nuclear technologies. Some direct action groups, environmental movements, and professional organisations have identified themselves with the movement at the local, natio ...
, fighting to stop a nuclear plant planned for
Cementon on the
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
, and co-founding
Musicians United for Safe Energy
Musicians United for Safe Energy, or MUSE, is an activist group founded in 1979 by Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, Bonnie Raitt, Harvey Wasserman and John Hall. The group advocates against the use of nuclear energy, forming shortly after the Th ...
with
Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, and
Graham Nash
Graham William Nash (born 2 February 1942) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, photographer, and activist. He is known for his light tenor voice and for his contributions as a member of the Hollies and the supergroups Crosby, Stills ...
. His second solo recording of that period (his third overall) included the title track "Power," which became an environmental anthem performed by
Pete Seeger
Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...
,
Peter, Paul and Mary
Peter, Paul and Mary was an American folk group formed in New York City in 1961 during the American folk music revival phenomenon. The trio consisted of tenor Peter Yarrow, baritone Paul Stookey, and contralto Mary Travers. The group's reper ...
,
Holly Near
Holly Near (born June 6, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, teacher, and activist.
Early years
Holly Near was born in Ukiah, California, United States, and was
raised on a ranch in Potter Valley, California. She was eight years ...
, and the
Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in 1970 in San Jose, California, known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their vocal harmonies. Active for five decades, with their greatest success in the 1970s, ...
and
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...
who cut it live at the
No Nukes Concerts at
Madison Square Garden. In 1981 he formed the John Hall Band, which consisted of Hall, keyboardist and vocalist Bob Leinbach, bassist and vocalist John Troy, and drummer Eric Parker. The John Hall Band released two albums on the
EMI America
EMI America Records was started in 1978 by EMI as a second US label next to Capitol Records. It absorbed Liberty Records in 1984. In the late 1980s, EMI America was consolidated with Manhattan Records to form EMI Manhattan Records, which lat ...
label with high
AOR and
MTV visibility but limited Top 40 success. "
Crazy (Keep On Falling)," from the album ''All of the Above'', was the band's only major hit (U.S. #42).
While living in Saugerties, Hall co-founded two citizens' groups — Saugerties Concerned Citizens and the Winston Farm Alliance. The former worked to close down illegal junkyards operating in the town, and the latter successfully opposed the siting of a giant dump and incinerator on the historic Winston Farm, named after the engineer James Winston, who designed New York City's system of reservoirs and aqueducts. Hall also served one term in the Ulster County Legislature, and was elected twice to the Saugerties Board of Education, where his fellow trustees elected him president.
Hall spent decades writing songs for other artists and reunited with Orleans in 1985, rejoining them intermittently up through 2006. After his divorce from Johanna, he moved to
Hunter, New York
Hunter is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town located in Greene County, New York, Greene County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 2,732 at the time of the 2010 census. The town contains three Administra ...
, and later to
Nashville. There he wrote more songs including co-writing
Steve Wariner
Steven Noel Wariner (born December 25, 1954) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Initially a backing musician for Dottie West, he also worked with Bob Luman and Chet Atkins before beginning a solo career in the late ...
's #1 country hit "
You Can Dream of Me
"You Can Dream of Me" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Steve Wariner. It was released in November 1985 as the first single from the album '' Life's Highway''. The single stayed at number one for a single week and ...
," began touring with Jonell Mosser and
Freebo
Daniel Friedberg, better known by the stage name Freebo, is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and producer noted primarily for his work with Bonnie Raitt. He is also a session musician who has recorded and performed with Ringo Starr, ...
, and continued sporadically performing with Orleans. In 2005, he released ''Rock Me on the Water'', an album of songs inspired by an extensive sailing trip he took with his second wife Pamela Bingham from
Kingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, United States. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. The city's metropolitan area is grouped with the New York metropolitan area around Manhattan by the United ...
, to
Key West, and
Havana, Cuba on a humanitarian aid delivery mission, and later
Martha's Vineyard,
Cuttyhunk
Cuttyhunk Island is the outermost of the Elizabeth Islands in Massachusetts. A small outpost for the harvesting of sassafras was occupied for a few weeks in 1602, arguably making it the first English settlement in New England. Cuttyhunk is loc ...
, and
Annapolis, Maryland. He also formed the band Gulf Stream Night with longtime Orleans drummer Peter O'Brien, percussionist
Joakim Lartey
Joakim Lartey is a percussionist, born October 27, 1953, in Ghana. He has played with Singer Natalie Merchant, John Hall, and renowned jazz drummer Jack DeJohnette.
Joakim studied at Prempeh College in Kumasi, Ghana and then at Vassar College ...
, bassist Bobby MacDougal, and his wife Pamela, who co-wrote four of the songs on the CD, on vocals and guitar. Having sold the boat and moved back to the Hudson Valley of New York, this time to
Dutchess County, the Halls began to settle in and make new friends in
Dover and
Millbrook, where "Gulf Stream Night" was recorded.
Orleans released a new CD in 2005, ''Dancin' in the Moonlight'', containing many of Hall's writing collaborations, guitar parts, and vocals, as well as two songs co-written by John and Pamela Melanie Hall.
Hall put his musical career on hold during his time in office, but performed at the concert honoring the 90th birthday of Pete Seeger, supporting the
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc. is a non-profit organization based in Beacon, New York that seeks to protect the Hudson River and surrounding wetlands and waterways through advocacy and public education. Founded by folk singer Pete Seege ...
at Madison Square Garden on May 3, 2009. He joined other performers in the singing of "Oh Mary Don't You Weep" and later joined the entire cast for an encore, singing "
Good Night, Irene". In August 2011, Hall joined his MUSE cohorts Bonnie Raitt,
Jackson Browne, and
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) were a folk rock supergroup made up of American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills and English singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young as a fourth member ...
along with
Jason Mraz
Jason Thomas Mraz (; born June 23, 1977) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his debut studio album, ''Waiting for My Rocket to Come'' (2002), which spawned the single " The Remedy (I Won't ...
, the Doobie Brothers, and
Tom Morello
Thomas Baptist Morello (born May 30, 1964) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He is best known for his tenure with the rock band Rage Against the Machine and then with Audioslave. Between 2016 and 2019, More ...
for a benefit concert in
Mountain View, California
Mountain View is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. Named for its views of the Santa Cruz Mountains, it has a population of 82,376.
Mountain View was integral to the early history and growth of Silicon Valley, and is the ...
, proceeds to aid victims of the tsunami and nuclear meltdowns in
Fukushima, Japan
Fukushima Prefecture (; ja, 福島県, Fukushima-ken, ) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Fukushima Prefecture has a population of 1,810,286 () and has a geographic area of . Fukushima Prefecture borders Miyagi ...
, and to promote renewable energy. John and Pamela Hall, along with co-lyricist Bob Furlong, wrote the song "I Told You So" and performed it with Browne, Raitt, and Nash at the concert. In 2012, following the death of Larry Hoppen, Hall rejoined the band Orleans and has been recording and performing with them since.
Political career
He has been involved with Mid-Hudson Nuclear Opponents, who successfully fought the siting of a nuclear power plant on the
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
in
Greene County. While living in
Saugerties, New York
Saugerties () is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in the northeastern corner of Ulster County, New York, Ulster County, New York (state), New York. The population was 19,038 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 C ...
, Hall co-founded Saugerties Concerned Citizens, and helped write the town's first
zoning law
Zoning is a method of urban planning in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into areas called zones, each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for a si ...
. When Ulster County announced plans for a solid waste dump on the historic Winston Farm, Hall led the opposition. This effort culminated in his 1989 election to the
Ulster County
Ulster County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. It is situated along the Hudson River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 181,851. The county seat is Kingston. The county is named after the Irish province of Ulster.
History
...
Legislature. In the late 1990s, after three successive school budgets were rejected by the voters, John ran for, and was elected twice to, the Saugerties
Board of Education. His fellow trustees elected him president, and budgets were passed each year of Hall's tenure.
In late October 2004, Hall publicly commented that the presidential campaign of
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
had not asked for permission to use the Orleans song "
Still the One" at campaign events. His publisher sent a cease and desist letter to the campaign which dropped the song from their playlist. Four years later, Hall expressed similar disapproval when
John McCain's presidential campaign also used the song without asking for permission.
During the fall of 2005, Hall's concern about the environment and the Iraq War, and dissatisfaction with
Sue Kelly, the U.S. Representative for his new home town, contributed to his decision to set musical projects aside and run for the seat in New York's 19th congressional district. He defeated several other Democratic candidates in the primary and Kelly in the general election. In the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
, Hall served on the
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis was a select committee established in the 116th United States Congress in 2019 when Democrats regained the majority of the United States House of Representatives. The chair is Congresswoman Kath ...
, the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives.
History
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure was formerly known as the Committee on Public Works a ...
, and the
House Veterans Affairs Committee
The standing Committee on Veterans' Affairs in the United States House of Representatives oversees agencies, reviews current legislation, and recommends new bills or amendments concerning U.S. military veterans. Jurisdiction includes retiring an ...
. He was appointed to be chairman of the
Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. He was one of three freshmen representatives assigned a subcommittee chairmanship. As chair of the VA Disability and Memorial Affairs subcommittee, he helped write the Veterans Claims Modernization Act of 2008, which passed the House and Senate unanimously and was signed into law by President George W. Bush, who referred to it as "good government". Hall was assigned to serve on the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives.
History
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure was formerly known as the Committee on Public Works a ...
and was chairman of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs of the
Veterans Affairs Committee in the 110th Congress.
Hall was reelected in 2008 over Republican candidate
Kieran Lalor
Kieran Michael Lalor (born January 23, 1976) is an American politician, entrepreneur and author who founded Iraq Vets for Congress (a political action committee). He works in the defense industry, and is a former social studies teacher, and a U. ...
, but he lost in the 2010 election to
Nan Hayworth
Nan Alison Hayworth (née Sutter; born December 14, 1959) is an American ophthalmologist and former Congresswoman for . A Republican, she was elected in 2010.
In 2012, after redistricting, Hayworth ran for reelection in the new 18th district ...
. In July 2011, Hall announced that he would not seek a rematch with Hayworth, citing the prohibitive campaign fund-raising necessary as a result of the
Supreme Court's decision in ''
Citizens United v. FEC
''Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission'', 558 U.S. 310 (2010), was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States regarding campaign finance laws and free speech under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It wa ...
''. He said he wanted to spend time with his family and travel across the country with his band. Hayworth served one term before losing reelection in 2012.
Policy positions
Despite representing a historically Republican area, Hall has described himself as a
progressive Democrat. He was a member of the
Congressional Progressive Caucus
The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is a congressional caucus affiliated with the Democratic Party in the United States Congress. The CPC represents the most left-leaning faction of the Democratic Party. " e Congressional Progressive Cau ...
.
In the beginning of the
110th Congress
The 110th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, between January 3, 2007, and January 3, 2009, during the last two years of the Presidency of George W. Bush. It was composed of ...
, Hall voted to raise minimum wage and federal funding of embryonic
stem cell research.
Prior to the election, Hall expressed interest in drug policy reform, noting that many of his best friends and mentors in the music industry partake in recreational drug use without adverse effects. At
SUNY New Paltz, during a March 11, 2006, audio interview, he said that drug prohibition had "failed" and that he agreed with
Maurice Hinchey
Maurice Dunlea Hinchey (October 27, 1938 – November 22, 2017) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from New York and was a member of the Democratic Party. He retired at the end of his term in January 2013 after 20 ...
on the need for reform on
Plan Colombia
Plan Colombia was a United States foreign aid, military aid, and diplomatic initiative aimed at combating Colombian drug cartels and left-wing insurgent groups in Colombia. The plan was originally conceived in 1999 by the administrations of Col ...
,
medical marijuana
Medical cannabis, or medical marijuana (MMJ), is cannabis and cannabinoids that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has not been rigorously tested due to production and governmental restrictions ...
, and a provision of the
Higher Education Act that denies financial aid to students with drug offenses. However, in July 2007, John Hall voted against an amendment by Hinchey that would end the raid of medical marijuana patients.
Hall voted for the
Healthcare Reform Bill that passed in the House on November 7, 2009, as well as the Senate bill on March 21, 2010. He opposed the
Stupak Amendment The Stupak–Pitts Amendment was a proposed amendment to the Affordable Health Care for America Act of 2010 (AHCAA). It was submitted by Representatives Bart Stupak (Democrat of Michigan) and Joseph R. Pitts (Republican of Pennsylvania). Its stated ...
which proposed to restrict the use of federal funds for abortion funding. He was also a critic of
BP's handling of the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
The ''Deepwater Horizon'' oil spill (also referred to as the "BP oil spill") was an industrial disaster that began on 20 April 2010 off of the coast of the United States in the Gulf of Mexico on the BP-operated Macondo Prospect, considere ...
in the Gulf of Mexico.
Campaigns
2006
Hall ran for Congress in the 19th District in the September 2006
primary race as a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
in . He won the primary, with a commanding 48% in a 4-way race, and faced incumbent
Sue W. Kelly in the November election. Hall defeated Kelly with 51% of the vote, losing to Kelly in
Putnam,
Dutchess
Dutchess County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie, New York, Poughkeeps ...
, and
Rockland counties, but carrying the incumbent's home county of
Westchester, as well as
Orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
*Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum
* ...
, to pull off the upset.
According to an article in the
Hudson Valley
The Hudson Valley (also known as the Hudson River Valley) comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York. The region stretches from the Capital District including Albany and Troy south to ...
newspaper, the
Middletown ''
Times Herald-Record
The ''Times Herald-Record'', often referred to as ''The Record'' or ''Middletown Record'' in its coverage area, is a daily newspaper published in Middletown, New York, covering the northwest suburbs of New York City. It covers Orange, Sullivan ...
'', two days after his primary victory, Hall, in an online chat with the progressive blog
Firedoglake, was asked about his position on a possible impeachment of then-President George W. Bush. Hall stopped short of endorsing impeachment "before hearing evidence", but added that "Whether impeachment or
censure
A censure is an expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism. In parliamentary procedure, it is a debatable main motion that could be adopted by a majority vote. Among the forms that it can take are a stern rebuke by a legislature, a spi ...
, some action must be taken to circumscribe the powers of the presidency". When pressed on the issue, "he candidly reminded the probing blogger, 'I'm trying to get elected in an historically
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
district.'"
Hall was interviewed by
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programmin ...
-based satirist
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program '' The Colbert Report'' from 2005 ...
on October 19, 2006, for a "
Better Know a District
Better Know a District (also known as BKAD) was a recurring segment on ''The Colbert Report''. It offered a humorous examination of a different United States congressional district in each segment and generally included an interview with that dis ...
" segment of his popular comedy show, ''
The Colbert Report
''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December 18, 2014, for 1,447 episodes. The show fo ...
''. Stephen Colbert said that he opposes everything that John Hall stands for, but Hall was willing to talk to him; Sue Kelly turned down the opportunity to be interviewed so John Hall picked a "Smear Card" which said "My opponent smokes marijuana". Colbert replied by saying "That's a bold accusation, that someone in the press should investigate or at least look up on because it's out there now; it's out there now that Sue Kelly smokes pot. DEA, check out her house. Look for grow lights. ''I'm'' not saying it. ''He'' is". As the centerpiece of the interview, Colbert eventually convinced Hall to harmonize with him on the Orleans song "
Dance with Me". He made a brief encore appearance on ''The Colbert Report'' the day after his election, November 8, joining Colbert in a harmonized rendition of ''
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the b ...
''.
2008
Although the 19th is a historically Republican district, Republicans had trouble recruiting a strong challenger to Hall. Several potential top-tier candidates, such as
State Assemblyman Greg Ball,
Orange County
Orange County most commonly refers to:
*Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Orange County may also refer to:
U.S. counties
*Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando
*Orange County, Indiana
*Orange County, New ...
Executive
Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to:
Role or title
* Executive, a senior management role in an organization
** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators
** Executive dir ...
Ed Diana, and former White House Press Secretary
Ari Fleischer
Lawrence Ari Fleischer (born October 13, 1960) is an American media consultant and political aide who served as the 23rd White House Press Secretary, for President George W. Bush, from January 2001 to July 2003.
As press secretary in the Bush ...
all declined to run for the seat.
Andrew Saul
Andrew Marshall Saul (born November 6, 1946) is an American businessman and political candidate who served as commissioner of the United States Social Security Administration from 2019 to 2021. Saul was fired from the position by President Jo ...
, head of the
Federal Thrift Retirement Investment Board had begun raising funds for a campaign but announced on November 20, 2007, that he would not run. In February 2008, however, Saul was rumored to be considering entering the race once again and had launched online polls to gauge interest.
Hall drew numerous potential challengers for the
2008 race, including Iraq veteran
Kieran Lalor
Kieran Michael Lalor (born January 23, 1976) is an American politician, entrepreneur and author who founded Iraq Vets for Congress (a political action committee). He works in the defense industry, and is a former social studies teacher, and a U. ...
and
Westchester County Legislator George Oros. Other potential challengers included Sue Kelly, ex-Congressman
Joseph J. DioGuardi, ex-State Superintendent of Insurance
Howard Mills
Howard D. Mills III (born May 29, 1964) is an American insurance consultant and former politician from Goshen, New York. He served as New York's Superintendent of Insurance from 2005 to 2006, and previously held elective office in both the New ...
, ex-NYC Finance Commissioner and State Tax Commissioner
Andrew Eristoff
Andrew P. Sidamon-Eristoff (born February 20, 1963) is an American Republican Party lawyer, politician and government official from New York City who served as New Jersey State Treasurer under Governor Chris Christie from January 2010 until his ...
,
Emily Pataki, the daughter of former
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki (; born June 24, 1945) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 53rd governor of New York from 1995 to 2006. An attorney by profession, Pataki was elected mayor of his hometown of Peekskill, New York, and went on ...
, and ex-Pataki campaign manager
Michael Finnegan. Having received the endorsement of the Republican committees in all five counties in the district, Lalor was the only remaining Republican challenger.
On November 4, 2008 Hall was re-elected to serve the 19th district of New York in the 111th session of the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
. He defeated Republican newcomer Kieran Lalor, taking 59% of the vote. In January 2009, Hall declared his support for
Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand (; ; born December 9, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from New York since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as member of the U.S. House of ...
becoming the junior senator of New York, a seat vacated by Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
.
2010
Facing a tough re-election, Hall lost to Republican nominee
Nan Hayworth
Nan Alison Hayworth (née Sutter; born December 14, 1959) is an American ophthalmologist and former Congresswoman for . A Republican, she was elected in 2010.
In 2012, after redistricting, Hayworth ran for reelection in the new 18th district ...
in the
2010 election.
Personal life
Hall married his first wife, writer Johanna Hall, who he met while playing at
Cafe Wha
Cafe Wha? is a music club at the corner of MacDougal Street and Minetta Lane in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The club is important in the history of rock and folk music, having presented numerous musicians and ...
in Greenwich Village, in 1971. They lived in
Woodstock
Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock. Billed as "an Aq ...
then
Saugerties, New York
Saugerties () is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in the northeastern corner of Ulster County, New York, Ulster County, New York (state), New York. The population was 19,038 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 C ...
, and have one daughter, Lillian Sofi Hall. Johanna Hall was the co-author, with Hall, of such songs as "
Dance with Me" and "
Still the One". In 2001, Hall married his second wife, Pamela Bingham Hall, a guitarist and attorney who has also co-written songs with Hall. They divorced in 2021 and Hall married singer and fiddler Andrea Zonn in April 2022. They live in Nashville TN.
Discography
Studio albums
References
External links
*
Music Career Interview with John Hall*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, John
1948 births
Living people
American pop musicians
American rock musicians
Orleans (band) members
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
University of Notre Dame alumni
Politicians from Westchester County, New York
Politicians from Rockland County, New York
School board members in New York (state)
Activists from New York (state)
American anti–nuclear power activists
American environmentalists
20th-century American musicians
21st-century American musicians
21st-century American politicians
Politicians from Baltimore
Politicians from Elmira, New York
Musicians from Maryland
People from Dover Plains, New York