New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Accomplished musical theater and screen star Robert Bannon has released his debut single, providing an inspiring, unforgettable soundtrack to a tumultuous year. Bannon's powerful rendition of Bette Midler's "From a Distance" written by
Julie Gold is a highly emotional and inspiring performance that sums up 2020 perfectly, providing an unforgettable, uplifting soundtrack to a tumultuous year. The track spotlights Bannon's emotive, rich, soaring voice and vocal flourishes as he sings of a hopeful, peaceful and prosperous future.
The song released as a video on YouTube and streaming on Video
Music apps has been seen by over 40k views as a tribute to front line workers. It has received praise from notables such as Darlene Love, Marc Shaiman, Kyle Dean Massey and Tyler Frey, and the songs writer
Julie Gold.
"From a Distance" is the first single from Bannon's upcoming debut album, "Unfinished Business," set for release in 2021. "
Unfinished Business" includes two originals and all new arrangements of 11 classic songs by a variety of American Songbook crowd pleasers running the gamut from
Frank Sinatra to Johnny Mercer to Whitney Houston.
The forthcoming release features Bannon's versatile vocal talents and includes duets with Grammy Nominee
Jane Monheit and recording star Loren Smith. Bannon recorded the album in his home studio with all musicians adhering to social distancing guidelines.
An accomplished cabaret singer and comedic actor ("Saturday Night Live"), Bannon has been dazzling audiences on the stage and screen for years, his effective vocals and knack for comedy bringing people by turns to tears of emotion, laughter and elation, and always to their feet.
A tireless performer, Bannon brings a wealth of experience and rave reviews to listeners. In addition to his work on "Saturday Night Live" the past three years, he has performed with a number of rhythm-and-blues, jazz and comedy icons including Patti LaBelle,
George Benson and Whoopi Goldberg at legendary venues like Madison
Square Garden, the Beacon Theatre and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Bannon also sang for Bill and Hillary Clinton during for Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center and for Hillary Clinton at a
Martin Luther King Day event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Bannon and international cabaret superstar Lee Lessack in 2020 co-hosted the virtual sensation, "Quarantine, Cabaret, and Cocktails," a weekly livestream on Facebook and YouTube that has reunited the Broadway casts of "Frozen," "Aladdin" and "Mrs Doubtfire" and featured Broadway legends like Lea Salonga, Chita Rivera, Shoshana Bean and many more.They also led the applauded "Best of Broadway and Music" on Facebook Live and YouTube. Lessack produced "Unfinished Business."
Bannon has in addition traveled the country performing his hit one-man show, "Unfinished Business," including at New York's famed Feinstein's/54 Below cabaret. The autobiographical performance traces Bannon's journey from his time at the prestigious Juilliard Prep school to giving up music to become a teacher and finding his way back to the stage. He's also performed in national touring and regional productions of "My Big Gay Italian Wedding," "Rent," "We Will Rock You," "
My Way" and many more.
Robert Bannon has been singing since he was 12. He is a graduate of the
William Esper Conservatory and Juilliard Prep, both in Manhattan. Bannon was admitted into the very first Juilliard Prep class for musical theater under the direction of Broadway icon Bertin Rowser at Lincoln Center. A Fort Lee, New Jersey, resident and native of Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, Bannon spends his "downtime" from singing and performing in the classroom as a 5th grade history teacher in North Bergen, New Jersey.
