The Beastie Boys' first full-length album, 1986's Licensed to Ill, was produced by Lido Beach native Rick Rubin; Rubin was also the co-founder of the record label Def Jam. The prior year, The Beastie Boys filmed the music video for "She's On It" in Long Beach, which you can see here. Part of that video was shown within Apple TV's Beastie Boys Story.
The Beastie Boys were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Public Enemy's Chuck D and LL Cool J, who both have lived on Long Island. Rubin, Public Enemy's Chuck D and LL Cool J are all featured in the new Long Island-centric film The Sixth Borough, which screened at this year's Tribeca.
Also, some of the key music videos for The Beasties were directed by Adam Dubin and featured the crew work of Douglas DiMonda -- two Long Island natives, one of whom Rubin's college roommate at NYU -- as recently discussed for the Paltrocast. Dubin also notably has worked for Metallica for over 30 years, including directing the multi-platinum selling A Year And A Half In The Life Of Metallica Parts 1 & 2 feature length documentaries.
Here is a link to some of the resources your local library in Nassau County can get you from these punk and hip-hop pioneers. Video of the Beasties performing at the Nassau Coliseum in 1995 can be seen here.
Researched by Darren Paltrowitz, April 16, 2025. Updated on June 12, 2025, September 6, 2025, November 26, 2025 and December 3, 2025.
While The Beatles are generally associated with Liverpool, England, at least 2 of The Beatles have been known to live on Long Island.
Paul McCartney has been known to spend summers in the Hamptons for decades. He reportedly owns a house in Amagansett, near East Hampton. In 2024, he made a surprise appearance at the Amagansett venue Stephen Talkhouse, which you can watch footage of here. The show at the 250-capacity Stephen Townhouse included backing from McCartney's producer Andrew Watt, who grew up in Great Neck. Speaking of the Hamptons and McCartney, he was spotted at a 2025 Metallica show in that area.
John Lennon, with wife Yoko Ono Lennon, reportedly purchased a "waterfront mansion overlooking Cold Spring Harbor on Long Island’s North Shore in 1979. Video of Lennon at this home, known as Cannon Hill, can be seen here
A Paltrocast interview with Beatles producer and catalog curator Giles Martin can be heard here.
Some of the Nassau County Libraries resources on-hand with relation to The Beatles can be found here.
Researched by Darren Paltrowitz on May 28, 2025. Updated on June 12, 2025, November 13, 2025 and November 26, 2025.
Pat Benatar is documented to have grown up on North Hamilton Avenue in Lindenhurst, New York, a village in the Long Island town of Babylon, and studied at Stony Brook University. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame alongside husband and long-time musical collaborator Neil Giraldo, with whom she has regularly performed at Long Island venues for over 40 years.
Here is a link to video of Benatar visiting her childhood home and high school in Lindenhurst. Here is a link to some of the resources your local library in Nassau County can get you from this Long Island great. Video of Pat Benatar performing with the Lindenhurst High School Choir in 2008 at New York City's Union Square can be seen here. And here is a link to a July 2025 interview with Neil Giraldo for the Paltrocast in which he confirmed that he feels like an honorary Long Islander.
Some of the Nassau County Libraries resources on-hand with relation to Benatar and Giraldo can be found here.
Researched by Darren Paltrowitz, April 16, 2025. Updated on July 30, 2025, November 21, 2025 and November 26, 2025.
While Jon Bon Jovi (a.k.a. John Bongiovi) is forever associated with New Jersey -- or more specifically the Jersey Shore part of the state -- he also has been associated with Long Island for decades. Beyond owning a historic property in East Hampton, he is a co-founder of the wine brand Hampton Water, which is known for its rosé.
Here is video of Jon Bon Jovi performing alongside Southside Johnny at the Amagansett venue Stephen Talkhouse. More information about Jon Bon Jovi performing at Stephen Talkhouse can be found here, while video from that 2015 event can be found here.
Some of the Nassau County Libraries resources on-hand with relation to Bon Jovi can be found here.
Researched by Darren Paltrowitz, April 16, 2025. Updated on April 21, 2025, May 19, 2025 and November 26, 2025.
David Bowie’s connection to Long Island runs deeper than mere geography -- it is embedded in his artistic collaborations and friendships, particularly with Lou Reed, the legendary rocker born in Freeport, Long Island. Bowie played a pivotal role in revitalizing Reed's solo career after the dissolution of The Velvet Underground. Their most notable collaboration came in 1972 when Bowie co-produced Transformer, Reed’s breakthrough solo album, alongside guitarist Mick Ronson. Recorded in London, the album’s glam-influenced sound, including the iconic track “Walk On The Wild Side,” bore Bowie’s artistic fingerprints and helped cement Reed’s legacy beyond New York's underground scene.
Bowie performed multiple times on Long Island, notably at venues like Nassau Coliseum and Jones Beach, and was known to live for decades in New York. Bowie's 1976 performance at the Nassau Coliseum was released in 2017, posthumously, as Live Nassau Coliseum '76 via the Parlaphone label. It included a cover of Lou Reed's Velvet Underground song "Waiting For The Man."
Video of a 2016 tribute to David Bowie at Stephen Talkhouse, as featuring tennis legend John McEnroe, can be seen here.
Researched by Darren Paltrowitz on June 26, 2025. Updated on November 26, 2025.
David Crosby was twice honored by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame -- first in 1991 as a founding member of The Byrds and again in 1997 with Crosby, Stills & Nash -- highlighting his indelible impact on folk-rock and the broader tapestry of American music. As a harmonist extraordinaire, Crosby helped shape the genre with classics like “Eight Miles High,” “Wooden Ships,” “Guinnevere,” and “Déjà Vu,” leaving an enduring legacy that is recognized within multiple spots of Rolling Stone’s The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time rankings.
Crosby’s roots and influence, however, extend far beyond music. He was reportedly a direct descendant of William Floyd, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and a prominent Long Island figure whose Mastic Beach estate is now part of the Fire Island National Seashore. Fire Island News confirmed that Floyd was Crosby’s fourth-great-grandfather and that the lineage weaves through notable Dutch-American families like the Van Cortlandts, Delafields, and Van Rensselaers.
Audio of members of The Byrds (Chris Hillman, Gene Clark and Roger McGuinn) performing at Hempstead's Calderone Hall in 1978 can be heard here.
Researched by Darren Paltrowitz on July 9, 2025. Updated on November 26, 2025.
