If you ever need a sink snaked in your Hoboken brownstone, Gene “D. Plumber” Turonis is your guy. An offbeat New Jersey treasure since the ’70s, Turonis can also carry a pretty sweet tune. For the most part, his “swinging honky-tonk-a-billy” sound is a good-natured Garden State take on Western swing, with an enthusiastic nod to his idol, George Jones.
“I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” the first video from the new Gene D. Plumber Celebrates Christmas (Bar/None), was shot mostly in the Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains and rural New York. It’s directed with a subtle, melancholy touch by Jersey City-based singer/songwriter Rio The Messenger and her filmmaker husband, Nanda Veluru.
“I’ve always thought of the song as a blend of doo-wop and ’40s swing,” says Turonis. “It’s melancholic, but it’s such a classic. It’s a real heartbreaker, and this video really captures that feeling. Christmas is all about being home with family—but this guy won’t be home for Christmas. He lives for the stage, like troubadours immemorial.”
We’re proud to premiere Gene D. Plumber’s “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” video.
—Hobart Rowland
