It appears that Southside Johnny Lyon doesn’t want to go home, even though his native city is undergoing something of a renaissance these days. Asbury Park, New Jersey, has gone from honky-tonk seaside playground to economic doldrums to up-and-coming destination for the trendy, thanks to its being one of the few burgs in the Garden State where property is reasonably affordable. But Johnny resides in Delaware — close enough to the Asbury Park scene, but far enough away not to be directly involved. Anyway, New Jersey’s most famous rhythm-and-blues-harmonica player (his band’s name, the Asbury Jukes, is derived from “Juke,” by 1950s harp wizard Little Walter) might not recognize the place these days. Artistic types are relocating, and developers are busy knocking down the historic, Victorian-era buildings in favor of condominiums.
This article appears in Dec 15-21, 2004.