Larry Packer

Guitars, Mandolin, Violin, Viola, Vocals
1967-1970

About

• New Jersey
• Paul Geremia
• Rock and Other Four Letter Words
• Sha Na Na
• Quinames Band
• The Band
• Levon Helm
• McGarrigle Sisters 
• Sessions
• Hair of the Dog
• Artist-in-Residence
• Eye of the Sun

Larry was born in New York City on September 26, 1948 and grew up in Clifton, New Jersey. When he was nine years old, he found a violin in his parent’s attic and soon after began to take lessons. By the time he was eleven he was taking the bus to Passaic, NJ to study with Anthony Sinigalliano. At age thirteen he took up the guitar and was soon playing in Back Door Men around 1963 or 1964. 

Clifton’s proximity to New York City enabled Larry to venture into Greenwich Village to hear Mississippi John Hurt, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Dave Van Ronk, the Lovin’ Spoonful, the Fugs, the Holy Modal Rounders, John Lee Hooker, John Hammond Jr., Phil Ochs and many others who made their mark on the young Packer who also tried his hand playing basket house gigs before graduating from Clifton High School in 1966.

 Larry attended Drew University in Madison, NJ, but a year later, in 1967, was enrolled at The New England Conservatory in Boston. Not long afterward he began playing with people in the Boston folk scene like Chris Smither, Bill Staines and country blues great Paul Geremia, known as an acoustic guitar purist.