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The 22-year-old purveyor of pop and soul brings us back in time with his sweet, sincere songs.

What’s a 22-year-old from sunny California doing wearing suspenders, horn-rimmed glasses, old school tuxedos and fedoras, performing songs by Frank Sinatra and Ben E. King? Tony Ferrari may have been born in the ‘90s, but the singer-songwriter would probably be comfortable in Back to the Future, inspired as he is by soul and pop music from the 1950s and 1960s. On his debut, Gentleman, Ferrari croons about love and respect. “In a time when a lot of music is demeaning to women, and people in general, I want to create something that reminds you that you always deserve the best.”

Hometown and current residence: Thousand Oaks, California. I love it too much to leave!

How did you discover music?

The first time I really remember finding music was in high school. I happened upon Nat King Cole and Sam Cooke, and I just fell in love with the music of that time. I feel like I really found myself when I found music.

When was the first time you realized you wanted to perform onstage?

I had been writing poems my whole life, and began to write songs right around the same time in high school. I had written a few songs and decided to try out for my high school talent show. I took the stage for the first time, and the rest is history. I fell in love the first time I played for an audience. There's nothing quite like singing your songs and feeling other people relate to it in their own way.

What's the first song you ever wrote?

The first song I ever wrote was called "Dancing With Shadows." It was about my grandma who passed away a few years before. My grandpa was the person who always encouraged me and taught me to write. I wrote the song for them, but I was too scared to share my first song with anyone!

Who were your childhood heroes in music?

When I really got into music, Jack Johnson was my absolute favorite. I loved the simplicity and the love that he put into his music. I also loved to watch Jason Mraz perform. As I listened to more and more music, I started to find that soul music was where my heart was, and I am greatly inspired by Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and all those cats.

Why are you fascinated with music from a bygone era?

There's so much sincerity in music from previous eras. The music had so much feeling, you could hear the crooners pain when they sang about it. I think the constant theme of love really stood out to me too. Love is the most important thing.

You’ve mentioned that your grandfather, who was a poet, was a big influence on you.

My grandfather Charles "Chuck" Schmelter is one of the best humans I've ever met. His love for my grandma to this day is one of the strongest things I've known. He is just an admirable and great guy, and I always wanted to be like him. Writing was just one of the things that he taught me. We would write poems together and put little Clipart on the pages, and he'd hang them in his office. That always made me feel so proud, and I don't think I would have fallen in love with writing without that. When my grandma passed away he told me, "I lost my heart for writing when I lost grandma." I always felt like that was my cue to pick up where he left off.

If you could be or do anything else what would it be?

I would love to be Bill Murray. I want to see the world the way he does. I love that guy. I also always wanted to be an oncologist. Cancer affects so many people, and I would love to help in the fight against it.

What do you like most about yourself?

I like that I'm honest. I'm the worst liar, and that even comes through in my writing. I'm not ashamed to be vulnerable and express what I'm feeling.

What's the craziest thing a fan has ever done for you?

One time I was in my hotel and someone posted a picture saying "I see you." I would've been creeped out but I was too excited and I went outside and gave them a hug.

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