Bob Gaudio Plays James Taylor!

June 03, 2025
12:00pm - 1:00pm

In August, 1970, Bob Gaudio heard “Fire and Rain” on his car radio, a song by a new singer/songwriter named James Taylor. The tune knocked him for a loop. Gaudio had just graduated from Brooke High School and was anticipating the start of undergraduate studies at West Liberty State College. 17-year-old Bob rushed home, grabbed his Epiphone acoustic and tried to recreate the chord sequence and remember some of the deeply emotional lyrics. From that day on, the masterful James Taylor was a go-to artist for the burgeoning R.J. Gaudio – Troubadour. At noon on June 3rd, Gaudio, known professionally as R.J. Gaudio – Troubadour, will entertain our Lunch With Books audience with an hour of James Taylor’s acoustic magic. Hearkening back to his days as a solo artist in clubs and coffee houses of the 1970s, Bob cordially invites you to come and sing along to some memorable tunes that Sweet Baby James has gifted us over the last five-and-a-half decades.

Bob Gaudio is a retired trial attorney who spent much of his career in the law as a public defender in Ohio County. The father of three and grandfather of four, Gaudio regularly performs music around the tri-state area while acting and directing in local theater productions and dabbling in writing plays and crime fiction. Bob’s spouse, Clare McDonald, is a retired occupational therapist who is known for her talent as a visual artist. 

Lunch With Books Livestream starts at noon on Facebook and YouTube.

Subscribe to the Lunch With Books Youtube channel or like us on the Lunch With Books Facebook page or to receive notifications of our upcoming LWB broadcasts. To receive emails about our upcoming programs, visit our News page, click the "Subscribe" button to sign-up for our news blasts or download our free OCPL Connect app from your smartphone's app store. 

"Lunch With Books" is the library’s flagship program for adult patrons. These lunchtime programs feature authors, poets, musicians, historians, and more every Tuesday at noon. Bring lunch (to the Library Auditorium or your computer), feed your brain!