Richard Rossi(I)
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Richard Rossi, from the musical Rossi family of Pittsburgh,
is an entertainer, actor, novelist, filmmaker, musician,
singer-songwriter, comic, painter and poet.
Richard became a performing artist at an age when most children were
just starting to learn to read, playing guitar on stage at age 7 and
wowing audiences with his jazz renditions of classic songs like
'Somewhere Over the Rainbow.' Richard is the
oldest of five musical children (siblings are Tony, Joe, Pete, and
Beth), and he had professional musician parents, Richard Sr. and
Dorothy. The Rossi family performed regularly in the bars and clubs of
their hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a teen, Richard acted in
films shot in Pittsburgh such as 'The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh.'
In 1980, Richard formed a duo with his best friend from high school,
John Walker, and soon "Walker and Rossi" were performing their original
folk rock songs on national TV on the 700 Club and in a CBS documentary
entitled 'Teens Songs Reflect Positive Outlook.' Lynda Guydon of the
Pittsburgh Post Gazette compared them to Simon and Garfunkel and called
them poets of song. Their music was played on the radio and they toured
for several years, performing at high schools, colleges, and churches.
Richard's music from this period was featured on the album "New Wine"
(aka "The Kingdom Is Near"), and on the Walker and Rossi record 'The
Ballad of Johnny Walker.'
In 1984, Richard met and married his wife Sherrie in Lynchburg,
Virginia. Sherrie saw Walker and Rossi perform there at Liberty
University, where they were given a standing ovation by the audience of
5,000. Richard and Sherrie moved back to Pittsburgh in 1986. Richard
reached out to his hometown, performing concerts and facilitating
healing services as a guitar-playing maverick minister in Pittsburgh
venues such as the nightclub Graffiti, Station Square, and Soldier's
and Sailors, drawing crowds of several thousand.
In 1988, Richard and Sherrie became parents for the first time. Their
daughter Karis was born. Richard was reading the Bible in the original
Koine Greek and came to a verse that read 'By grace ('Karis' in Greek)
are you saved.' He suggested the name to Sherrie who loved it. In March
of 1991, their second child, a son, was born. They named him Joshua.
Together, Richard, Sherrie, Karis, and Joshua hosted dinners for the
homeless and Richard hosted his popular talk-show 'Richard Rossi Live'
during evening drive time from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.on WPIT-FM until the
station was sold in 1992. The popular program expanded to an
international audience online.
Richard formed partnerships with African American ministers like Rev.
James Lattaker and Rosalee Watkins and founded the Multi-Cultural
Community Coalition to combat racism. Richard's ministry was featured
on TV in a FOX documentary, and on TV shows like American Journal, Hard
Copy, Inside Edition, Nightline, A Current Affair, Jerry Springer, CNN,
and in newspapers like USA Today, The LA Times, the Seattle Post
Intelligencer, Pittsburgh Press and Post Gazette, and the Associated
Press. Richard's sermons were thespian, an art-form foretelling his
future as an actor.
Richard's celebrity in his hometown grew to such an extent that he
became the target of tabloid stories and false accusations on a regular
basis. He exposed political and police corruption on his acclaimed
talk-show and soon he and Sherrie were targeted for retaliatory death
threats, attacks, and accusations. Richard ministered to AIDS victims
and as a result was protested by Fred Phelps, a Religious Right
hate-monger who protests military funerals with signs reading 'God
Hates Fags.' Phelps group called Richard a fag lover for his healing
ministry to homosexuals.
The local media became an unwitting accomplice in the efforts to bring
Richard down and snuff out his light. The relentless front-page stories
became exhausting emotionally, physically, and financially for Richard
& his family. Sherrie wrote a biography of Richard that cleared up the
many tabloid lies written about them both in the newspapers and on the
Internet. Richard and Sherrie were vindicated regarding the vicious
lies spread by disreputable poison pens when they were awarded monetary
damages as compensation for libel by those who wanted to make money by
slandering the Rossi family. The bad apples of the press were convicted
beyond a reasonable doubt of actual malice for knowingly writing false
and defamatory stories about Richard and Sherrie in an attempt to
damage their reputations and hurt their livelihood.
Richard released his second album 'Full Circle' (aka "Without Her
Love"), in the fall of 1995, an alternative rock classic album
exploring the depression and dark times he experienced and the trials
and tribulations he and Sherrie overcame together through their strong
and solid faith and family. He performed the material in secular
venues, crossing over beyond his gospel rock fan base.
In 1996, Richard and his wife Sherrie and their two small children,
Karis and Joshua, relocated from Pittsburgh, making a three-thousand
mile journey to Hollywood, California. Richard became known as
the "Renaissance Man." Renaissance means 'reborn' in
French. Richard was reborn spiritually through his faith as a youth and
he expressed this in his creative and cutting-edge ministry meeting the
needs of others with grace, compassion, and understanding. He was
reborn a second time artistically through his move to California. He
returned to his roots, freely exploring his childhood creative
interests and passions. Art became Richard's ministry. In 1998, Richard
took acting classes with another Pittsburgh native, legendary acting
teacher Milton Katselas, and soon Richard was working as an actor,
appearing on hit TV shows like Ally McBeal and Gilmore Girls.
Richard was granted permission to perform the Pulitzer Prize and
Oscar-winning story of evangelist Elmer Gantry on stage. Richard played
the lead role and directed his version of the play at the famed Stella
Adler Theatre in Hollywood, garnering laudatory reviews. Richard's
research revealed the Gantry play was inspired by the famed female
faith healer Aimee Semple McPherson. This led to Richard's writing,
directing, and acting in his films on Sister Aimee ('Saving Sister
Aimee' in 2001 and 'Sister Aimee: The Aimee Semple McPherson Story' in
2008) that he made as an allegory for his former life and experience as
an evangelist in Pittsburgh. Sister Aimee, like Richard, was artistic
in her ministry, falsely accused in the tabloids, was
front-page news, and a favorite of Hollywood. Variety, The Hollywood
Reporter, and Associated Press reported Richard was offered the role of
Elmer Gantry in a remake of the Oscar-winning classic, but Richard
backed out of the project, choosing to make the two Aimee films
instead.
The Rossi's took the lemons and made lemonade out of them. They learned
lessons about overcoming media stalking and created Eternal Grace, a
ministry to actors and artists. Richard & Sherrie knew what it's like
to be chased by paparazzi, so they minister to celebrities who are
victimized by slander and media harassment. ABC Entertainment News
called Richard the 'Pastor to the Stars' when it leaked out that he was
the confidant and advisor to the biggest names in show business.
Richard's penned and published multiple books:
His first novel, 'Stick Man' is a controversial coming-of-age story about
a boy growing up in Pittsburgh, along with the novel's musical
soundtrack featuring Richard's singing and playing his original songs.
He wrote a self-help book entitled 'Create Your Life: Daily
Meditations On Creativity' to encourage people to get in touch with
their creative side, His third book 'Sister Aimee: The Aimee Semple
McPherson Story' contains his thoughts on the famed female
faith-healing evangelist and also Richard's screenplay from his feature
film about her. His novels "Canaan Land," and "Lucy & the Lake Monster,"
(co-written with Kelly Tabor), were made into movies.
Musically, Richard released three original folk-rock albums 'Without Her
Love,' 'Seasons of My Heart,' & 'The Kingdom Is Near.' Richard finished and
released his long-awaited feature film on Roberto Clemente, his childhood hero
entitled 'Baseball's Last Hero: 21 Clemente Stories.'
His films have been covered in the Los Angeles Times,
Washington Post, Washington Times, Huffington Post, Newsmax, Sporting
News, Orange County Register, Backstage, Post Gazette, Tribune Review,
Auburn Pub, Charisma Magazine, Christianity Today, East Valley Tribune,
Bakersfield Californian, and various other media.
In 2017, he started shooting his feature "Canaan Land," (based on his novel), starring Richard as
an Elmer Gantryish evangelist and co-starring Rebecca Holden as Sister Sara
Sunday, a female faith healer. The film was released in 2020 and won Most Creative Feature Film at the New York premiere
at the Great Lakes Christian Film Festival. Rebecca Holden won Best Actress at the Marina Del Rey Film Festival,
and Richard Rossi was nominated for Best Actor at the Great Lakes Film Festival. Deadline, The Wrap,
and Variety reported the film was on the Oscar list for consideration for Best Picture, and five of
Richard's songs from the film were eligible for Best Song.
In 2021, Richard started filming his new feature film, "Lucy and the Lake Monster,"
based on the bestselling children's novel written by Richard and his lifelong
friend Kelly Tabor. The film is in post-production as of 2024 with an imminent release.
In private life, he is said to be an avid reader and bibliophile.
is an entertainer, actor, novelist, filmmaker, musician,
singer-songwriter, comic, painter and poet.
Richard became a performing artist at an age when most children were
just starting to learn to read, playing guitar on stage at age 7 and
wowing audiences with his jazz renditions of classic songs like
'Somewhere Over the Rainbow.' Richard is the
oldest of five musical children (siblings are Tony, Joe, Pete, and
Beth), and he had professional musician parents, Richard Sr. and
Dorothy. The Rossi family performed regularly in the bars and clubs of
their hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a teen, Richard acted in
films shot in Pittsburgh such as 'The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh.'
In 1980, Richard formed a duo with his best friend from high school,
John Walker, and soon "Walker and Rossi" were performing their original
folk rock songs on national TV on the 700 Club and in a CBS documentary
entitled 'Teens Songs Reflect Positive Outlook.' Lynda Guydon of the
Pittsburgh Post Gazette compared them to Simon and Garfunkel and called
them poets of song. Their music was played on the radio and they toured
for several years, performing at high schools, colleges, and churches.
Richard's music from this period was featured on the album "New Wine"
(aka "The Kingdom Is Near"), and on the Walker and Rossi record 'The
Ballad of Johnny Walker.'
In 1984, Richard met and married his wife Sherrie in Lynchburg,
Virginia. Sherrie saw Walker and Rossi perform there at Liberty
University, where they were given a standing ovation by the audience of
5,000. Richard and Sherrie moved back to Pittsburgh in 1986. Richard
reached out to his hometown, performing concerts and facilitating
healing services as a guitar-playing maverick minister in Pittsburgh
venues such as the nightclub Graffiti, Station Square, and Soldier's
and Sailors, drawing crowds of several thousand.
In 1988, Richard and Sherrie became parents for the first time. Their
daughter Karis was born. Richard was reading the Bible in the original
Koine Greek and came to a verse that read 'By grace ('Karis' in Greek)
are you saved.' He suggested the name to Sherrie who loved it. In March
of 1991, their second child, a son, was born. They named him Joshua.
Together, Richard, Sherrie, Karis, and Joshua hosted dinners for the
homeless and Richard hosted his popular talk-show 'Richard Rossi Live'
during evening drive time from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.on WPIT-FM until the
station was sold in 1992. The popular program expanded to an
international audience online.
Richard formed partnerships with African American ministers like Rev.
James Lattaker and Rosalee Watkins and founded the Multi-Cultural
Community Coalition to combat racism. Richard's ministry was featured
on TV in a FOX documentary, and on TV shows like American Journal, Hard
Copy, Inside Edition, Nightline, A Current Affair, Jerry Springer, CNN,
and in newspapers like USA Today, The LA Times, the Seattle Post
Intelligencer, Pittsburgh Press and Post Gazette, and the Associated
Press. Richard's sermons were thespian, an art-form foretelling his
future as an actor.
Richard's celebrity in his hometown grew to such an extent that he
became the target of tabloid stories and false accusations on a regular
basis. He exposed political and police corruption on his acclaimed
talk-show and soon he and Sherrie were targeted for retaliatory death
threats, attacks, and accusations. Richard ministered to AIDS victims
and as a result was protested by Fred Phelps, a Religious Right
hate-monger who protests military funerals with signs reading 'God
Hates Fags.' Phelps group called Richard a fag lover for his healing
ministry to homosexuals.
The local media became an unwitting accomplice in the efforts to bring
Richard down and snuff out his light. The relentless front-page stories
became exhausting emotionally, physically, and financially for Richard
& his family. Sherrie wrote a biography of Richard that cleared up the
many tabloid lies written about them both in the newspapers and on the
Internet. Richard and Sherrie were vindicated regarding the vicious
lies spread by disreputable poison pens when they were awarded monetary
damages as compensation for libel by those who wanted to make money by
slandering the Rossi family. The bad apples of the press were convicted
beyond a reasonable doubt of actual malice for knowingly writing false
and defamatory stories about Richard and Sherrie in an attempt to
damage their reputations and hurt their livelihood.
Richard released his second album 'Full Circle' (aka "Without Her
Love"), in the fall of 1995, an alternative rock classic album
exploring the depression and dark times he experienced and the trials
and tribulations he and Sherrie overcame together through their strong
and solid faith and family. He performed the material in secular
venues, crossing over beyond his gospel rock fan base.
In 1996, Richard and his wife Sherrie and their two small children,
Karis and Joshua, relocated from Pittsburgh, making a three-thousand
mile journey to Hollywood, California. Richard became known as
the "Renaissance Man." Renaissance means 'reborn' in
French. Richard was reborn spiritually through his faith as a youth and
he expressed this in his creative and cutting-edge ministry meeting the
needs of others with grace, compassion, and understanding. He was
reborn a second time artistically through his move to California. He
returned to his roots, freely exploring his childhood creative
interests and passions. Art became Richard's ministry. In 1998, Richard
took acting classes with another Pittsburgh native, legendary acting
teacher Milton Katselas, and soon Richard was working as an actor,
appearing on hit TV shows like Ally McBeal and Gilmore Girls.
Richard was granted permission to perform the Pulitzer Prize and
Oscar-winning story of evangelist Elmer Gantry on stage. Richard played
the lead role and directed his version of the play at the famed Stella
Adler Theatre in Hollywood, garnering laudatory reviews. Richard's
research revealed the Gantry play was inspired by the famed female
faith healer Aimee Semple McPherson. This led to Richard's writing,
directing, and acting in his films on Sister Aimee ('Saving Sister
Aimee' in 2001 and 'Sister Aimee: The Aimee Semple McPherson Story' in
2008) that he made as an allegory for his former life and experience as
an evangelist in Pittsburgh. Sister Aimee, like Richard, was artistic
in her ministry, falsely accused in the tabloids, was
front-page news, and a favorite of Hollywood. Variety, The Hollywood
Reporter, and Associated Press reported Richard was offered the role of
Elmer Gantry in a remake of the Oscar-winning classic, but Richard
backed out of the project, choosing to make the two Aimee films
instead.
The Rossi's took the lemons and made lemonade out of them. They learned
lessons about overcoming media stalking and created Eternal Grace, a
ministry to actors and artists. Richard & Sherrie knew what it's like
to be chased by paparazzi, so they minister to celebrities who are
victimized by slander and media harassment. ABC Entertainment News
called Richard the 'Pastor to the Stars' when it leaked out that he was
the confidant and advisor to the biggest names in show business.
Richard's penned and published multiple books:
His first novel, 'Stick Man' is a controversial coming-of-age story about
a boy growing up in Pittsburgh, along with the novel's musical
soundtrack featuring Richard's singing and playing his original songs.
He wrote a self-help book entitled 'Create Your Life: Daily
Meditations On Creativity' to encourage people to get in touch with
their creative side, His third book 'Sister Aimee: The Aimee Semple
McPherson Story' contains his thoughts on the famed female
faith-healing evangelist and also Richard's screenplay from his feature
film about her. His novels "Canaan Land," and "Lucy & the Lake Monster,"
(co-written with Kelly Tabor), were made into movies.
Musically, Richard released three original folk-rock albums 'Without Her
Love,' 'Seasons of My Heart,' & 'The Kingdom Is Near.' Richard finished and
released his long-awaited feature film on Roberto Clemente, his childhood hero
entitled 'Baseball's Last Hero: 21 Clemente Stories.'
His films have been covered in the Los Angeles Times,
Washington Post, Washington Times, Huffington Post, Newsmax, Sporting
News, Orange County Register, Backstage, Post Gazette, Tribune Review,
Auburn Pub, Charisma Magazine, Christianity Today, East Valley Tribune,
Bakersfield Californian, and various other media.
In 2017, he started shooting his feature "Canaan Land," (based on his novel), starring Richard as
an Elmer Gantryish evangelist and co-starring Rebecca Holden as Sister Sara
Sunday, a female faith healer. The film was released in 2020 and won Most Creative Feature Film at the New York premiere
at the Great Lakes Christian Film Festival. Rebecca Holden won Best Actress at the Marina Del Rey Film Festival,
and Richard Rossi was nominated for Best Actor at the Great Lakes Film Festival. Deadline, The Wrap,
and Variety reported the film was on the Oscar list for consideration for Best Picture, and five of
Richard's songs from the film were eligible for Best Song.
In 2021, Richard started filming his new feature film, "Lucy and the Lake Monster,"
based on the bestselling children's novel written by Richard and his lifelong
friend Kelly Tabor. The film is in post-production as of 2024 with an imminent release.
In private life, he is said to be an avid reader and bibliophile.