Sonny Sandoval

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Paul Joshua "Sonny" Sandoval (born May 16, 1974) is an American singer. He is best known as the lead singer of the nu metal band P.O.D.

Sandoval was born in San Ysidro, California of Guamanian, Italian, Hawaiian, and Mexican descent. He grew up in the ghetto area of San Diego, and joined a gang at 13. He was a heavy smoker of marijuana and a drinker during his teenage years. However, in 1991, when he was 18, Sandoval's mother, a devout Christian, died of leukemia at the age of 37. As his mother was of a Christian faith, this was a huge influence over Sonny especially after her death. He quickly turned his life around, and became a Christian emcee. He later joined the band Enoch, a band started by Wuv Bernardo, Gabe Portillo and Marcos Curiel, which, with the addition of Sandoval, became P.O.D. Sandoval appears on Anastacia's 2004 album Anastacia on the track "I Do." The track is about fighting war, violence, and crime.

Sandoval proclaims his musical roots to belong to reggae, rock, and rap - the cocktail which best personifies P.O.D.'s work. He is a big fan of Blindside, Deftones, and Korn -- all of whom he remains close friends with. He graduated from high school with current WWE superstar Rey Mysterio, and in 2006 the band re-enacted Rey Mysterios theme song Booyaka 619.

He married his high school sweetheart Shannon Kelly in 1996, and they have two daughters, Nevaeh and Marley. Sandoval is widely credited with the sudden popularity of the name Nevaeh, which, as he announced on MTV, is Heaven spelled backwards.^[1]^[2]

[edit] External links

[edit] References

^ Harris, Dan. "Rock Star's Baby Name Rockets up Charts for Kids", ABC News, May 18, 2006. Retrieved on May 30, 2006.
^ Lee, Jennifer 8.. "And if It's a Boy, Will It Be Lleh?", The New York Times, May 18, 2006. Retrieved on May 30, 2006.

P.O.D.
Current members: Wuv Bernardo · Traa Daniels · Sonny Sandoval · Marcos Curiel
Former members: Jason Truby · Gabe Portillo
Discography
Albums: Snuff The Punk · Brown · Payable on Death Live · The Fundamental Elements of Southtown · Satellite · Payable on Death · Testify · Greatest Hits: The Atlantic Years
EPs: The Warriors EP · Limited Edition Bonus EP · The Warriors EP, Volume 2
Singles: "Rock the Party (Off the Hook)" · "Southtown" · "School of Hard Knocks" · "Alive" · "Youth of the Nation" · "Boom" · "Satellite" · "Sleeping Awake" · "Will You" · "Change The World" · "Goodbye For Now" · "Lights Out" · "Going In Blind"