At the age 21 he packed up his songs, his guitar, his harmonica and his ambition and moved to New York City where he worked various odd jobs by day, and spent evening’s buskin in Grand Central Station.
Young, confident and generally optimistic Forbert (and his music) flourished in Greenwich Village’s tough-but-romantic bohemian lifestyle where his Southern folkie persona was in marked contrast to the harder edged new wave scene that was thriving at the time.
Gigs at the renowned Folk City led to his first paying gig in NYC at Kenny's Castaways while an audition at Hilly's Crystal's fabled CBGB's produced opening act slots for artists ranging from Talking Heads to John Cale.