Born "Santo Gennaro" in Little Italy,, Gennaro grew up on Staten Island, New York. At the age of 3 he showed interest in a toy drum and later at age 13 he played a friend's snare drum, which prompted him to buy his first drum set. At age 14 he joined his first band "The Black and Blues". Gennaro took private lessons and by 16 he was touring the New York/New Jersey/Pennsylvania circuit, playing high school dances, parties and minor musical events. At 18, Gennaro toured the Midwest playing night clubs and bars in a Cover band. In 1976 Gennaro moved to California and joined rock quartet Blackjack, featuring Michael Bolton, guitarist Bruce Kulick and bassist Jimmy Haslip. Blackjack recorded two albums and toured with Peter Frampton which eventually led Gennaro to record his first hit single with the New York-based singer Benny Mardones, "Into the Night" and LP Never Run, Never Hide. This was the beginning of Gennaro's association with the Pat Travers Band and afterwards his connection with singer/songwriter Cyndi Lauper, whose debut album She's So Unusual became a multi-platinum hit. Lauper hired Gennaro for the Fun Tour as well as other national and international tours and he appears on the concert video for the singer's single "Money Changes Everything". From here Gennaro went on to record and tour with Bo Diddley, Joan Jett and Johnny Winter.
Gennaro toured with throughout Europe/UK as the opening band for Queen during mid-1986. He participated on every The Monkees reunion tour from 1987 until the death of Davy Jones in 2012. Gennaro frequently served as a counselor and teacher at David Fishof's Rock and Roll Fantasy Camps since 2007. Gennaro taught at The Collective in New York City for 27 years where he created the Music Business program, teaching private lessons and master classes before moving to Nashville. Gennaro wrote several articles for Modern Drummer magazine. He is also the creator of "Drum Basics" and "Contemporary Rock Styles for the Drums." His writing is featured in the October 2016 issue of Drumhead Magazine issue #057, page 70 "The Top 10 Straight 8th and 16th note Grooves Every Drummer Should know....And Why"
Discography
1979 Blackjack – Blackjack, Polydor PD-1-6215
1980 Blackjack - Worlds Apart, Polydor PD-1-6279
1980 Benny Mardones - Never Run Never Hide, Polydor PD 2391 449
1981 Pat Travers – Radio Active, Polydor PD 2391 499
1982 Pat Travers – Black Pearl, Polydor PD 2391 553
1994 Junkyard Angels – Out of the Junkyard Onto the Curb, Midnight Fantasy Records 9839-2
2001 Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Peter Tork – 2001: Live in Las Vegas, Not On Label 772801
2002 The Monkees – Live Summer Tour, WIN Media – DVD-UK003d
2013 Pat Travers Band – Can Do, Back On Black Rock Classics RCV123LP
Compilation albums
1991 Pat Travers – The Best of Pat Travers, Polydor 849 374-2
2014 Cyndi Lauper – She's So Unusual , Portrait 88883706352
2015 Pat Travers – Feelin' Right - The Polydor Albums 1975-1984, Polydor 5352821
Personal life
On May 12, 1990, Gennaro married Shari Lynn Athey in North Carolina. Gennaro currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where he continues to teach, write, record, perform and travel for music and speaking engagements.
