BIOGRAPHY
Hello, My name is Al Gonzales and I've been playing the Pipes since I was a teenager in Leonia, NJ. Performing is one of my passions and I have been fortunate to travel the world doing what I truly enjoy.
In 2006, I retired after 20 years in the NYPD, it is the greatest job in the world and I miss it every day.
Front Page / NY Post Delivering a baby on Christmas Day
In August 2003, I was invited by Queen Elizabeth II to visit and perform for her at her summer residence, Balmoral Castle in Scotland. My dear friend Jim Motherwell, the Queen's Piper, arranged the visit and it was an experience that I will never forget. I'm told that I am the only American Piper ever to do so, and I even managed to have a very nice private conversation with The Queen, who was so gracious and friendly. My visit was featured in Majesty magazine and my local newspaper published the article below.
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Piping in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower
Griffin and I keeping the city safe.
I'll always remember the time I spent with Mother Teresa and Princess Diana.
They were both women of grace and distinction and being a bodyguard for them was truly an honor. Ray Kerrison of the New York Post thought my experiences would make an interesting column.
I always enjoy performing in Las Vegas!
Another Happy Bride !
This photo recently won an award from the
New York Wedding Photographer's Society
Performing at the Central Park Bandshell in NYC
My son Griffin keeps me busy in retirement. I'm hoping he'll play the Pipes someday. I already have a set for him.
Receiving an award for 20 years of service in the NYPD
Being interviewed on WAXQ radio in NYC
With my friend Faye Dunaway
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Majesty Magazine
I also play in a rock band called "The Shots"
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From an article by Chris Wyman of Sussex AIM News
The MAG 7 Pipe Band, is an organization of 15 talented and
diverse musicians that is headed by Pipe Major Al Gonzales,
of Highland Mills, NY. Raised in Leonia, NJ, Gonzales is the
founder of the band as well as a retired NYC Police Officer.
Although the bagpipes are usually associated with Scotland,
Gonzales explained that his heritage is part Irish and part
Spanish, and said, " at the age of fifteen, I heard the calling
of the Pipes, and I was hooked from that moment. It was all
I thought of throughout my high school years in Leonia."
And his enthisiasm has taken him around the world to perform
in countries including Ireland, Scotland, England, France,
Turkey, Belgium and throughout the US. In 2003 he had the
opportunity to perform for the Queen of England and the
British Royal Family. "The occasion was perhaps the most
nervous I have ever been, more so than the 20 years of mayhem
that I had experienced working as a street cop in the South Bronx," said Gonzales.
He offered some free advice for those who are interested in music saying. " I always tell young kids to pursue their interest in music. It opens so many doors that would have been closed and can change the course of your life. It certainly has for me."
Additional information about MAG 7 and Al Gonzales can be found on their websites at www.magseven.com and theroyalpiper.com
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