Bob Burger is a study in contrasts. By night, his fans know him for his passionate, high-energy performances and his skill in composing hook-laden songs. But beyond his reputation as a singer/musician among the rock 'n' roll elite, his other accomplishments extend to careers as a copyright and technology attorney and a computer software consultant.

Growing up, music was always front and center in the Burger household in Erie, Pa. Bob's dad, a music teacher and high school band director, pushed Bob and his siblings in musical directions from an early age. Bob was a given a saxophone at age 4, giving way to piano lessons at age 6 with trumpet following afterward. It wasn't until age 11, though, when his sister taught him the basics of playing guitar, that the musical spark truly ignited. Starting his first band at that time, he immediately started performing and has never stopped since.

Although he studied music theory in high school, music school was not in the cards as his parents insisted he follow a more traditional academic path. With an interest in recording and electronic music, a degree in electrical engineering seemed a logical choice. He played bass in local bars with his band as many as five nights a week and wrote songs in his "spare time," yet still managed to graduate as valedictorian from Penn State University.

Despite exceptional academic credentials, Bob refused to settle into a 9 to 5 routine. He hit the road with his band after college, doing gigs in Pa., Ohio, N.Y. and all along the East Coast. After three years, he became road weary and accepted an electrical engineering position in Annapolis, Md. A year later, wanting to be closer to a vibrant music scene, he moved to the Jersey shore and began making contacts with the local musicians. He later studied intellectual property law at Rutgers and started practicing law after obtaining his J.D. degree with honors…but music continued to be his passion…
 

In the late '80s, Bob's songwriting career got a boost from Glen Burtnik, later a member of Styx, who enlisted him to co-write several songs that Burtnik and other artists subsequently recorded. To date, Bob has about 40 published songs to his credit. Bob earned a Gold Record award for the Styx Edge of the Century CD. Other Burtnik/Burger songs featured on Styx records are "It Takes Love to Make Love," "Little Suzie" (Styx Greatest Hits - Part 2) and most recently "Killing The Thing That You Love" (Cyclorama). He has also composed songs for Burtnik's solo CDs and for media conglomerates such as HBO.
 

Around the same time as his early collaborations with Burtnik, Bob met Bobby Bandiera, noted Jersey artist and now a member of Bon Jovi and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. Bob joined Bandiera's band on bass, and around 2000, started doing acoustic sets with Bandiera at the Celtic Cottage in Long Branch. When Bandiera missed a gig, Bob took the stage alone…and realized he liked it. The experience was the springboard for his solo career.

Over the years, Bob has opened for Dennis DeYoung (formerly of Styx), Meatloaf, Robert Palmer, Hootie and the Blowfish, and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, among others. He has also brought together several musician friends for shows paying tribute to some of the artists who have influenced his music, including Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young and Tom Petty. In addition, Bob has self-produced and recorded four critically acclaimed CDs, Cymbals at Dawn, Surprise Party, Christmas Can’t Wait and The Day After all on his own Big Brave Music label.  He was also very involved with co-producing and co-writing portions of Lisa Bouchelle’s latest CD, Bleu Room with a Red Vase.

No Bob Burger bio would be complete without mention of one of Bob's career highlights. In 2007, he was asked to provide music for a Hamptons Labor Day party that Jon Bon Jovi was throwing for friends. Midway into the party, some of the revelers felt like jamming with Bob and the band. No one special…only Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffett, Roger Waters and of course Jon Bon Jovi, himself. And later, McCartney was seen on the dance floor, mouthing the words of "Back in the U.S.S.R." as Bob belted out the Beatles tune.

With fans like that, Bob clearly is on the right track.