Paul Manousos

A singer/songwriter noted for his expressive vocal style and personal, evocative lyrics, Paul Manousos was born and raised in Almadea, CA, where he grew up in a family of music fans. At the age of five, Manousos begged his mother for piano lessons, and was soon playing classic standards like "Moon River" and "Alfie" at the family keyboard. Manousos discovered rock & roll as a teenager, and joined a local band when he was 15. While Manousos was given the occasional lead vocal spot from behind his keyboards, he longed to be up front where the audience could see him (and vice versa), so he took up the guitar and began writing his own songs. In 1999, Manousos joined a band called Sway, which would in time evolve into the group Power13 and release a pair of albums before calling it quits in 2002. Power13's second album, Soon, was produced by Steve Fisk, who encouraged Manousos to write more personal material and explore different musical paths, and in 2003 Manousos decided to take his advice and go solo. Manousos began touring on his own and teamed up with Fisk again to record his first solo disc, For Better or Worse, which was released in early 2006. One of the songs from the album, "Beautiful Girl," was picked up for a television spot promoting Century Theaters, with Manousos featured in the ad. A second solo effort from Manousos is expected in 2008. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide