He is a singer-songwriter and actor born Alan Paul Wichinsky in Newark, New Jersey, who came from a musical family with his grandfather being a cantor and his mother a singer. He first performed at Red’s Candy Store when he was still only about seven or eight years old.
He gained support for his aspirations to become a singer at the South Ward’s Boys’ Club of Newark and it awarded him a scholarship for him to go through college and take private studies in New York. He made his first theatrical part in the role of Ally in A Hole in The Head. When he was nine he entered a talent contest and out of 500 entries he won the event and immediately went into studies with the vaudevillian Charlie Lowe in Manhattan.
He attended a school for professional children and when he was twelve he was cast in Oliver and then personally chosen by Richard Rodgers for The King and I. He attended Newark State College and after he graduated he was given a role in the original production of Grease. During this time he met with the members of the disbanded group, The Manhattan Transfer, who asked him to become a fourth voice to complete the quartet and reform. He joined them in 1972 and has been with them ever since, co-writing their Grammy Award nomination hits songs including “Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone” and “Code of Ethics”.
As a solo artist he has released a solo album, performed on the soundtrack of The Marrying Man and appeared in concert with the Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra. In education he is a personal development and performance coach through the Coach University masters program and with the other members of The Manhattan Transfer was awarded an honorary doctorate from the 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)
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