He is a singer born in Troy,
New
York.He started singing professionally
when he was fifteen and he formed The Criterions which released two singles
and appeared on Alan Freed'sBig Beat Show.He studied economics at the VillanovaUniversity and while there he continued
to perform with The Criterions, sang with the Villanova Singers and the
Coventry Lads, and worked at the college radio station.In 1964 he entered the New Jersey
National Guard and the US Air Force and a year later he started working as
a market analyst.In 1969 he
established the original group called The Manhattan Transfer and, although they
released one album, they dissolved in 1971.He became a taxi driver and it was while
he was doing this that he met Laurel Masse and Janis Siegel and after
inviting Alan Paul to join them he decided to reform another version of The
Manhattan Transfer.
He has since gone on to record albums with them such as Bodies
and Souls, Bob Doo-Wop, Coming Out, Extensions, Mecca for Modern,
The Offbeat of Avenues, Pastiche, The Spirit of St. Louise, Symphony
Sessions, Vibrate and Vocalese as well as
Hollywood Madness by Richie Cole, Freddie
Freeloader by Jon Hendricks & Friends, Spontaneous
Inventions by Bobby McFerrin, Live in Tokyo/Vocalese Vol.
1 by Carmen McRae and Appalachian Gospel by Stella
Parton. With the
ensemble he has been a 10 time Grammy winner, been inducted into the Vocal
Group Hall of Fame and been awarded an honorary doctorate from Berklee College
of Music.
The Manhattan Transfer Recordings
Body and Soul
(Edward Heyman/Johnny Green/Robert Sour/Frank Eyton)
Twilight
Zone/Twilight Tone (Marius Constant/Jay Graydon/Alan
Paul)
