Alan Paul

Alan Paul
Manhattan Transfer, second from right Alan Paul
Manhattan Transfer, second from right Alan Paul
Background information
Born (1949-11-23) November 23, 1949 (age 75)
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Genresa cappella
Occupationsinger
InstrumentVocals

Alan Paul Wichinsky (born November 23, 1949) is an American Grammy Award-winning[1] singer and composer, best known as one of the founding members of the current incarnation of the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer.[2]

Education

Raised in Newark and Hillside, New Jersey[3] Paul graduated from Hillside High School[4] and attended Newark State College (now Kean University) where he earned a BA in Music Education.[5] He received two Honorary Doctorate degrees, one in The Humanities from Kean University and another in Music from Berklee School of Music.[6]

Career

He began his professional career on Broadway at the age of 12 in the original cast of Oliver! After college, he returned to Broadway as Teen Angel and Johnny Casino in the original cast of Grease, where he introduced the songs "Beauty School Dropout" and "Born to Hand Jive". In 2004, he released a solo CD called Another Place in Time.[6] He also provided Dino Spumoni's singing voice on the animated television series Hey Arnold!

Awards

As a writer and arranger for The Manhattan Transfer, he earned four Grammy nominations for his compositions "Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone" and "Code Of Ethics" and for his vocal arrangements for "Ray’s Rockhouse". He received a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocalist, Male.[6]

Personal life

Paul has been married to writer/model Angela Paul for 30 years; they have one daughter, Arielle.[6]

References

  1. ^ Grammy.com
  2. ^ Carr, Ian; Fairweather, Digby; Priestley, Brian (April 26, 2004). The Rough Guide to Jazz. Rough Guides. pp. 99–. ISBN 978-1-84353-256-9. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  3. ^ Lustig, Jay. "'The Boy From New York City,' The Manhattan Transfer", NJArts.net, Institute for Nonprofit News, October 19, 2014. Accessed July 5, 2017. "He was also the only person to be in every incarnation of the group and — like group member Alan Paul, who grew up in Newark and Hillside — a New Jerseyan."
  4. ^ "Alan Paul to Sing Saturday" Archived July 25, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, The Hillside Times, February 24, 1966. Accessed December 12, 2018. "Alan Paul (Wichinsky) will bring his talents to the Newark 'Y' on Chancellor Ave. Saturday as part of An Evening of Performing Arts.... A graduate of the Mace School for Professional Children in New York, Alan Paul spent his freshman high school year in Quintano's School for Professional Children, also in New York City. he is presently a junior at Hillside High School and devotes much of his 'spare time' doing benefit performances."
  5. ^ Alan Paul profile, The Manhattan Transfer.
  6. ^ a b c d Wilbur Theater The Manhattan Transfer