They call him "The Jager Guy." Clearly when singer/songwriter Lee Totten graduated from college with an English degree and a philosophy minor, this was not what he intended. Realizing that his employment prospects in the 'real world' were pretty slim, Totten followed his passion and embarked on a musical career. Armed with a pop sensibility, Lee hoped to bring and honest and introspective edge to AAA pop/rock music. Instead he brought a drinking anthem.
It was "The Jagermeister Song", a drinking song about the hazards of drinking the German liquor, that became Radio 104's Friday afternoon drive-time anthem. Soon it could be heard throughout New England on stations like WCCC, WAAF and WFNX. It earned Lee the moniker 'Jager Guy' and the occupation hazard of people buying him Jagermeister shots every where he goes.
But don't let The Jager Song fool you - Totten is no Weird Al Yankovoich. Instead, The Jager Song merely expresses the satirical side of a songwriter who can also be cynical, philosophical, self-deprecating and deadly honest. Since the release of his debut CD 'Sleeping Alone' on the ninibudu music label in 1996, Lee has built a career based on non-drinking songs that has seen him appear with The Offspring, Third Eye Blind, Everclear, and Barenaked Ladies. He has performed over 200 shows a year throughout the Northeast, Southeast and the West Coast. He has appeared on volume one of the MP3.com '103 of the Best Songs You've Never Heard' compilation disk, chosen for the 'Daddy's Junky Music Best Of Massachusetts' compilation, and featured in the book and CD 'The Complete Idiot's Guide to MP3.' He was chosen to participate in ASCAP's 1997-Advanced Songwriter's Workshop, and was chosen for both the ASCAP and the NARAS mentor programs. He has garnered a series of local music award nominations and participated in the inaugural Burlington, VT Music Conference, the 1998 Philadelphia Music Conference and the NEMO Boston Music Conference. His music has been used by the Oxygen Network, KTLA in Los Angeles, on Pauly Shore's DVD "You'll Never Weiz In This Town Again", National Public Radio and, most recently, NBC's "The Today Show". His most recent CD 'Could Have Been King' was recorded at the legendary Long View Farm recording studios (Aerosmith, Godsmack, Limp Bizkit) and produced by Fran Flannery, best known for his work with Creed and Fuel.
Of course, they put a copy of The Jagermeister Song on the CD because, sometimes, it's more fun just being known as 'The Jager Guy'....
Tell us your Jager Story below in our comments!
(Make sure they're MySpace friendly, please!
..