Richie "LaBamba" Rosenberg
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Image:Richielabambarosenberg.jpg Richie "LaBamba" Rosenberg is an American trombonist, originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and a George Washington High School graduate. He is best known as a member of the The Max Weinberg 7, the house band on the NBC television talk show Late Night with Conan O'Brien, for which he also performs in skits such as "In the Year 2000." He is also commonly the butt of O'Brien's jokes during his monologues or interviews in which LaBamba is often implied to be homosexual; LaBamba responds with chagrin, or at few times, hides his face behind a sheet of music. In 2006, Conan responded to the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony by placing lights around LaBamba's mustache, then holding his own ceremonial lighting.
Since 1976, he has been a member of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. LaBamba has also recorded with such performers as Bruce Springsteen, Ricky Martin, Little Steven, and Joe Cocker, and toured with Diana Ross.
LaBamba also leads his own band, LaBamba and the Hubcaps, as well as a big band named 18 Pieces of Soul.
In 1999, LaBamba performed on the Special Olympics' "Very Special Christmas" television special. This event hosted by President and Mrs. Clinton at the White House was broadcast nationally on TNT.
His nickname is sometimes written as two words (La Bamba) although his web site generally shows the nickname as one word with a capital B in the middle (LaBamba).
According to the official LaBamba and the Hubcaps website, Rosenberg is married and has five children.
He placed #85 on the Boston Phoenix Web site list, "The 100 Unsexiest Men in the World."
