MEET THE BAND

Sam Gatto is on staff as the worship leader at South Ridge Community Church in Clinton, NJ and Recovery-Hub (R-HUB), Milford, NJ.

1499 was created to bring worship outside the walls of the church because Jesus left the Ninety-Nine (99) For (4) the One (1).

Lead Vocals, Keys
Sam started playing piano at the age of five but never took to formal instruction. Music was inside of him. He heard it. And played what he heard. When he was eight, he moved to Mexico with his family and helped develop an off-grid horse ranch for kids in poverty in the middle of the desert. He drove quads through dry riverbeds, caught snakes, and learned to play the drums from a jazz percussionist who spoke only Spanish. During times of worship on the ranch, Sam found his greatest instrument … his voice.
When he returned to the states 10 years later, Sam joined a choir and did some theater on the side. A few years later, he was hired to lead worship at a local church, then transitioned to a much larger one. A small band of incredible musicians came together with a unified heart and a resounding passion for worship, and 1499 was birthed.

LEAD VOCALS, CELLO
New Jersey born and raised, Gabriele began playing cello at a very young age. She sang and danced her way through childhood and received a degree in Voice Performance at the University of Michigan. Once she devoted her life to Jesus, she realized the “why” behind her musical gifts and passions.
“Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18).
Gabriele currently teaches music and directs a choir at the Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School. She serves on the worship team at South Ridge Community Church in Clinton, NJ and resides in the same area with her husband and two children.

BASS
The first time Terry heard the Jackson Five as a child, he wanted to learn and play every instrument possible. It started with drums at five and tenor saxophone at twelve. He borrowed his friend’s bass guitar for a year in middle school and learned how to play. As he got older, he had the privilege to tour with a number of bands (concert bands, jazz bands, jazz combos, rock bands) across our beautiful country.
It was an amazing experience, but as he got older and got baptized and saved by Jesus Christ, music had a different purpose in his life. All he wanted to do was serve Jesus through worship and use his gifts God has blessed him with. That was over 25 years ago and his heart condition to serve Jesus remains the same. 1499 has brought a new season of music for him and a revitalization of his spirit in worship.

Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Faithful servant of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, husband, and father of a son in the U.S. Marines and a daughter in college. Billy was hooked on music at the age of six when he attended his first concert to see his cousin Ed Gagliardi, the original bassist of Foreigner.
Billy is 1499’s lead guitarist and sings a song here and there. Along with electric guitar, he also plays acoustic, bass, and piano, and is committed to serving Jesus through worship. Billy enjoys being a sonic architect, using tone and effects as building blocks to great music. He is influenced by the playing styles of U2’s the Edge, John Mayer, Jonny Buckland of Coldplay, and various guitarists from Elevation Worship and Hillsong United. He works as a marketing executive full time.