Alan Paul is best known as a member of the multi-Grammy-winning vocal foursome, The Manhattan Transfer.

Paul began singing at the age of six, his earliest musical experiences coming from his family. “There was always a lot of singing going on in my house,” he says. “We had this old Emerson reel-to-reel tape recorder that we’d sing into. My grandfather was a cantor and his singing influenced my mother who in turn inspired me.”

He spent his childhood in Newark, New Jersey where he was exposed to all kinds of music. “Newark was a cultural melting-pot located 20 miles from New York City,” he says. “Consequently, I was exposed to a wide variety of music that bombarded the metropolitan airwaves, ranging from pop, R&B, jazz, gospel, salsa, and swing, to classical, opera, and Broadway musicals.”

At the age of seven, he had the opportunity to develop his aspirations at a local Boys Club that he and his older brother Jerry belonged to. “The people at the Boys Club were very supportive of my singing and encouraged me to develop my talents. They awarded me a scholarship that enabled me to study privately in New York and put me through college.” Currently, Paul continues his association with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newark as a member of their Board of Trustees, and helps set up new programs and fund-raisers for a new generation of children.

At age twelve, his career spiraled upward when he landed a role in the original Broadway production of Oliver. This in turn opened the door to a new career as an actor not only on the stage but also in film and TV. Some of his early credits include: A Hole in the Head, The King and I, The Pursuit of Happiness, and The Pawnbroker.

Upon entering high school, his musical tastes changed, as he became more interested in R&B, swing, and the music of his generation. “During high school,” he says, “I put together a nightclub act and performed around New Jersey and New York to keep my vocal and performing skills in shape. Much of the music I sang was influenced by the singers and groups that I listened to, such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Frankie Valli, Frankie Lymon, The Young Rascals, Jackie Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald, and the soulful sounds from Motown, Atlantic and Stax records, just to name a few."

After high school, he attended Newark State College (now Kean University), graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education. While in college, he spent his summers working as an entertainer at a hotel in the Catskill Mountain region of New York, an experience he fondly remembers. “I was 19 years old and I got this job as an activities director/singer at a family hotel, organizing bingo and poolside activities during the day, and singing and emceeing strippers at two in the morning. Wow!"

He has also received two honorary doctorate degrees: one in the Humanities from Kean University in 1992, and another in Music from Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1993 (along with the other three members of The Manhattan Transfer).

With college behind him, he returned to Broadway, where he created the roles of Teen Angel and Johnny Casino in the original cast of Grease, which was when he was approached to join The Manhattan Transfer.

“It was the autumn of ‘72,” he recalls, “and the band from Grease was playing at a club showcasing some original material. My soon-to-be partners, Janis Siegel and Laurel Massé (later replaced by Cheryl Bentyne), were singing backup for them. Laurel was dating the drummer in Grease and approached me backstage one night about forming a group with her, Janis and this other guy, Tim Hauser. We met and talked for hours about the absence of four-part harmony in popular music and its viability." Within hours, The Manhattan Transfer were born.

Besides his abilities as a singer and performer, Paul’s contributions as writer and arranger are well represented. His work in these categories has earned him four Grammy Award nominations for his compositions, “Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone” and “Code of Ethics”, and vocal arrangements for “Boy from New York City” and “Ray's Rockhouse”. He also received a Grammy Award nomination (Best Jazz Vocalist, Male) for “I Remember Clifford” (from Vocalese). Some of the other songs he has penned include: “Smile Again”, “Spies in the Night”, “Malaise en Malaisie”, “All Heart”, “The Quietude”, “What Goes Around Comes Around”, “Santa Man”, “It’s Good Enough to Keep”, “Stompin' at Mahogany Hall”, and “Nothin’ Could Be Hotter Than That”.

In 2004, he released his debut solo CD, Another Place and Time which he co-produced with arranger/conductor David Snyder. Following that was his second solo CD - a compilation of old school R&B.

In 2006, he produced a CD for Los Angeles-based singer Laura Ellis called Here Lies Love, which was released by King Records in Japan. He also produced a CD in 2007 for Swing Shift, a girl vocal group.

He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Angela and their daughter Arielle and enjoys fly fishing, tennis, basketball, yoga and meditation.

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