LI Singer To Take Stage With Disco Diva Gloria Gaynor

GLEN COVE, NY — Musician Ana Salvemini has lived an off-beat lifestyle always making sure she instrumentally lined up her irons in the fire — gigs, rather, whether they be wedding performances featuring all of the dance music classics or tending bar at the Old Street Restaurant & Bar in Smithtown. She continued chasing her dream and Thursday night she will be performing in front of millions of viewers on television as she takes the stage as a backup vocal singer for Disco diva Gloria Gaynor for Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve with Ryan Seacrest in Times Square.

“I can tell you we will be performing “I Will Survive,” everything else I will keep under wraps,” said Salvemini, referring to the iconic ‘70s disco song that has been the inspirational jam of the broken-hearted over the years, and now even more so during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unlike her performances in the past, this special performance will be socially distanced on a stage and the performance area will be blocked off to New Year’s Eve revelers. The 40-year-old Glen Cove native said that it’s not a bittersweet moment for her as the performance will be broadcast around the world and will come at a time when a little bit of empowerment, as “I Will Survive” inspires, is needed.

“[The performance] will be dedicated to essential workers, those brave workers who deserve all of the praise for getting us through the year. I am hoping that we bring a little bit of hope and joy to people for the new year to come,” Salvemini said.

Hope is something that she knows and remembers well.

“I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember,” she said.

It was 1984 and MTV was all the rage with teenagers. Salvemini was not immune to the catchy pop music of the then up-and coming music mogul Madonna as she twirled around in a black motorcycle jacket wearing bright red lipstick and mismatched earrings in her classic "Borderline" video. From that moment on, the young chanteuse followed Madonna into that musical dream.

“I knew that is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life” she said. “I really just fell in love with [singing].”

Gloria Gaynor was another musical icon Salvemini looked up to for the empowering 1978 mega-hit, “I Will Survive.”

“It’s so empowering,” she said.

Salvemini continued to sing in her school’s chorus, and later on after college she became a professional wedding singer, belting out popular dance tunes for happy revelers.

In 2013, Salvemini attended Gaynor’s performance — as a fan — at the former Emporium in Patchogue and wondered, letting herself slip back into that childlike wonder she enjoyed while watching music videos in her home, what it would be like to sing with her on stage. About a year later, she auditioned by singing in front of her iPhone, and she was hired to tour the world with Gaynor as a backup vocal singer.

Performances can range from 50 people at a private event to 50,000 people at a music festival in Spain, Salvemini said. Her husband, Jimmy, jokes that while she travels the world, he stays home to take care of their three Chihuahuas. And when she is home, she still sings at weddings and other events with him and also tends bar at The Old Street Restaurant & Bar in Smithtown one day a week. Old Street is a place that’s she is thankful for because the owners have been supportive, which has allowed her to keep up with her unconventional lifestyle.

“The life of a musician is, no matter how big-time things may look from the outside, you have to take things as they come,” she said.

The couple met 15 years ago at karaoke night at The Cat’s Meow, now known as Rockwell’s, and they have been making music together ever since. Jimmy, who was discovered by Luther Vandross after performing on Star Search at 18, sings backup vocals for ‘80s Freestyle legend George Lamond.

With the scaling back of live-music gigs during the pandemic, Ana and Jimmy, were hit hard, Ana explained. “We took a leap of faith,” Ana said.

The two decided it was the time to start a new business, Amp DJ/Band Hybrid, which will offer a combination of deejay and band performances, as well as personalized wedding songs written and performed for each couple.

“It’s very unique and it’s really very personal,” said Jimmy.

But in the meantime, Ana is focusing on her big night Thursday and Jimmy said he is beyond proud.

“I am very excited. She has been doing this a while and she is very deserving of this. She gets to live her dream,” he said.