Chilly Willie Scoppettone was born in December 1960 in the Bronx, New York City. I attended catholic school and at the time there was no music program. My father Dennis played the tenor saxophone and I was always intrigued with the instrument. In 1967 we moved to Farmingville, Long Island, New York. For me it was culture shock. The new school system I attended was so far ahead of the city, so my reading skills were considered behind, but now there was a music program and I wanted to play. Because of the reading, in the 4th, 5th and 6th grade I wasn't allowed in the music program. I was frustrated, so in the summer between 6th and 7th grade my father gave me lessons on his tenor sax and I practiced like crazy.

In the 7th grade I asked the music teacher if I could audition for the band---he said ok, but didn't think I would make it because the other kids would be so far ahead of me. I came in the next day with my father's old buffet tenor sax and a 25 year old manuscript of Robbins Nest. The teacher couldn't believe I could play it. I did and I was now in the band. I switched to alto sax and played in jazz band and concert band until I graduated in 1978.

In 1978, I played in a band called Topaz; we played at local clubs and parties. Jean Beauvoir (Plasmatics/Columbia records solo artist) was one of my classmates and the lead singer of that band. Jean wrote the song "Drums Along the Mohawk" that became the theme song to the movie Cobra with Sylvester Stallone!

In 1983 I was asked to join a band called the exceptions by my friend Pete Mistretta. The band played constantly in all the Tri-State area clubs and opened up for many national acts. I played with the band until 1988. In July of 1988, through a friend I met Randy Jackson and we became friends. I started to go to see the band often and one night Felix Hanemann asked me to come out and play a song with the band at the chance in Poughkeepsie, New York. No practice, no rehearsal, never played the song before (slow down). The whole ride upstate I'm thinking what the hell am I going to play? So the time came to play, I did and it went great and I was floored more than anybody, I just played with a band that a saw as a kid in the local clubs, then going on to be a Atlantic Records recording artist. The next night I played with the band at Club Bene' in New Jersey, the rest is history. In 2003 I had the privilege of playing on Zebra's fourth album (Zebra 4) on the song Waiting to Die.

Along the way, I got to play with some great musicians because of my affiliation with Zebra. I can't thank Randy, Felix, and Guy enough for giving me the opportunity to play with them. Currently I am playing with serveral national acts and private parties solo playing sax and keyboards and of course, with Zebra!