Sonny Sandoval
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sonny Sandoval | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Paul Joshua Sandoval |
| Also known as | Sonny |
| Born | May 16, 1974 |
| Origin | United States |
| Genre(s) | Alternative metal, nu metal, rapcore |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Rapper |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 1992-present |
| Associated acts | P.O.D. |
Paul Joshua "Sonny" Sandoval (born May 16, 1974) is an American singer and rapper. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band P.O.D.
[edit] Biography
Sandoval was born in San Diego, California to a Guamanian-Hawaiian mother and a Mexican-Italian father.[1] He identifies himself as Pacific Islander and Italian/Mexican-American, he is usually seen as being a Chicano by most. He grew up in a Chicano barrio of San Diego, and joined a gang at age thirteen. He drank and used marijuana frequently during his teenage years. However, in 1992, when he was eighteen, Sandoval's mother died of leukemia at the age of 37. Sonny was greatly influenced by the death of his mother, who was a devout Christian. Turning his life around, he pursued a career as an emcee. He later joined the band Enoch, a group started by Wuv Bernardo, Gabe Portillo and Marcos Curiel, which, with the addition of Sandoval, later became P.O.D. (acronym for "Payable On Death"). Sandoval states his musical roots as reggae, rock, and rap, all of which are apparent in P.O.D.
He and his wife Shannon married in 1996, and have two daughters, Nevaeh and Marley, and a son, Justice. Sandoval is widely credited with the sudden popularity of the name Nevaeh, which, as he revealed on MTV Cribs, is Heaven spelled backwards.[2][3]
For most of P.O.D.'s career, Sandoval was well known for his dreadlocks, but since the release of P.O.D.'s seventh studio album, When Angels & Serpents Dance, he has cut them off.
He has been named number 63 in Hit Parader's Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time in 2006. Many Christian Emcees note Sonny Sandoval as being one of their influences.
[edit] External links
- Official website
- P.O.D. on MySpace
- The Warriors Tour Official Site
- P.O.D. Promotions Crew: Official Street Team
- theSouthtown.com
[edit] References
- ^ P.O.D. - Biography
- ^ Harris, Dan. "Rock Star's Baby Name Rockets up Charts for Kids", ABC News, May 18, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-05-30.
- ^ Lee, Jennifer 8.. "And if It's a Boy, Will It Be Lleh?", The New York Times, May 18, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-05-30.
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