Eliot Lewis

Eliot Lewis (born March 10, 1962) is an American rock, and soul singer, multi-instrumentalist and solo artist.

In the late 1980s, Lewis met Alan Gorrie, one of the founders of the Scottish R&B group Average White Band.

AWB had disbanded in 1983, but Lewis and Gorrie began writing together.

He is best known for his work with Average White Band (1989–2002) and Hall & Oates (2003–2023).

Lewis was the original featured musician on Live from Daryl's House, an Internet-based show hosted by Daryl Hall that now can be seen on its popular YouTube channel.

In addition, Lewis maintains his own successful solo career as well as a prolific output of music.

Lewis grew up in Norwalk, CT, the youngest of three children, in what he describes as a very musical environment.

Although his mother was a classical pianist, Lewis’ first instrument was the drums, which he discovered at age 10.

When he was 12 years old, he formed his first band, Take Off, with three childhood friends.

Richard Totoian, the father of Take Off's bass player Kevin Totoian, worked for several major record labels and was instrumental in exposing young Eliot to many of the artists of the day, including The Who, Elton John, and Alice Cooper.

He even arranged a jam session for the boys at his house with Peter Frampton.

At age 16, Lewis picked up the guitar and began writing his own songs.

A few years later, recognizing technology's potential impact on music, he taught himself keyboards and bass, and learned to program synthesizers.

Today, Lewis plays five instruments, and is a completely self-contained songwriter and musician.

In his early 20s, Lewis was introduced to Dan Hartman, a singer, songwriter, and record producer responsible for hits such as "Free Ride," "Relight My Fire," and "I Can Dream About You."

Lewis began working with Hartman, collaborating on music for some of the day's top stars and working on albums like Joe Cocker’s Unchain My Heart and Tina Turner’s Simply the Best.

A few years later, Lewis inked his first publishing deal with Sony Tunes, where he collaborated with many other songwriters, including Porter Carroll Jr. of the band Atlantic Starr.

After several years with Sony, Lewis signed with Warner Chappell Music, then produced a number of releases for RCA.

Lewis wrote a number of songs, including "Spirit of Love," and when AWB reformed in 1989 to record AfterShock, Gorrie asked Lewis to play on the album and co-produce it.

Lewis became an official member of AWB when the record was complete.

He spent 13 years in AWB, playing guitar, bass, and keyboards, and singing lead vocals on hits including “School Boy Crush” and "Walk On By".

The title song from his first CD, "Get Back What You Give," released in 2000, earned Lewis an award in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest.

Lewis left AWB in 2002 to focus on his own music.

A little more than a year after leaving AWB, Lewis got a call from singer and songwriter Daryl Hall, whom he'd met through Gorrie.

Hall needed a keyboard player for a short tour supporting some new solo material, and Lewis agreed to join him.

At the end of the tour, Lewis was invited to be a permanent member of both Hall's solo band and the Daryl Hall and John Oates band.

He has been with both groups longer than any member except Hall, Oates, and saxophonist Charlie DeChant.

As a member of the Hall & Oates band, Lewis has played some of the world's most famous venues, including the Hollywood Bowl and Japan's Budokan Arena.

He has also performed on popular television shows such as "The Voice," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," and "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

Live from Daryl's House is a critically acclaimed webcast started by Hall in late 2007.

The show features Hall and his band, including Lewis, playing live, unrehearsed songs with guest artists such as veterans Smokey Robinson, Todd Rundgren, and Rob Thomas, and new acts like Fitz and the Tantrums, the Dirty Heads, and JOHNNYSWIM.

Lewis is the only member of the Live from Daryl's House band (besides Hall himself) who has played on every episode.

While he generally is on keyboards, Lewis has played guitar on several songs; LFDH episode 63, with ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, features several guitar solos by Lewis.

He played bass on episode #18 with The Doors' Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek.

Along with his departure from the Hall & Oates band, Lewis announced his plans to depart Live from Daryl's House to pursue his solo career.

In addition to working with other artists, Lewis has recorded and independently released seven solo CDs.

Lewis plays all the instruments and sings backup and harmonies.

Lewis appeared with the Hall & Oates band in the 2010 feature film You Again He played with the Live From Daryl's House band on the anchor float in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade in 2014, and with the Hall & Oates band at the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

In April 2023, Lewis announced his departure from the Hall & Oates band in order to focus on his own music.

His CD, “Live And Up Front,” released in November 2013, is his first live recording, and includes songs played during solo dates in Ohio.