Constantine

Constantine Maroulis made American Idol's 2005 season exceptional. His delivery of the Queen classic "Bohemian Rhapsody" electrified audiences and became that year's must see performance. His black leather jacket, smoldering good looks, rock 'n roll attitude and charismatic stage presence made him stand out from the other contestants, but that wasn't entirely unexpected. Constantine is a seasoned professional; a mutli-talented actor, singer, arranger and performer who'd put in years of hard work before Idol landed him in the national spotlight.

In the past two years, Constantine has continued his winning streak. He's headlined the Summer 2005 American Idol Tour, was personally invited by Queen guitarist Brian May to contribute to the Killer Queen tribute CD and completed his own successful solo tour. He also joined the Broadway production of "The Wedding Singer" as Sammy and co-starred in off Broadway's critically acclaimed production of "Jacques Brel is Alive and Living in Paris."

On May 14th, Constantine became a featured performer on The Bold and The Beautiful, the Number Two soap in the world. Constantine's role was created especially for him, based in part on his real life. The show will be incorporating music from Constantine's upcoming self-titled debut, to be released on August 7th, 2007 on his own Sixth Place Records, through Sony RED. This extraordinary cross-promotion will bring Constantine's music and personality to millions of viewers worldwide, an unprecedented opportunity for a young artist.

Since his unexpected departure from American Idol, Constantine has wisely devoted much time and effort into finding the right band and collaborating with the just the right songwriters. The forthcoming album includes great songwriters from Los Angeles, New York City and Nashville including Rob Thomas, seminal rock singer/songwriter; Willie Nile; Angie Aparo (Faith Hill); Marcel (Rascal Flatts); Grammy nominated, Kevin Kadish (Jason Mraz) as well as tunes written by band members Boggia, Copely and Roye.

Constantine was recorded in small, intimate studios in New York City, including co-producer Marc Copely's living room. "The album was cut live with my own band," Constantine boasts. "No programming, minimal overdubs. We've been playing these songs on the road and chose the tunes that got the best feedback from our audiences." The songs on the album showcase the singer's vocal versatility and the strong arrangements of the Maroulis band – co-producers Jim Boggia and Marc Copely, who both provided guitars and backing vocals; Winston Roye on bass; Rob Clores on keyboards and Clancy on drums. The result is eleven tracks that are true to Constantine and sounds like what he and his band sound like when they play live.

"Everybody Loves," the first track off Constantine, which made it's premiere on The Bold and The Beautiful, is the kind of song that is custom made for Summer, with a sing-along chorus you'll find yourself unable to get out of your head. "Girl Like You" bursts out of the speakers with a thunderous stomp-and-clap intro that will recall Queen's "We Will Rock You," albeit set to the beat of the new millennium. "Child (You're the Revolution)" shows the hard rock side of Constantine that audiences identified with him in his Idol days and is sure to find a home on Modern Rock stations. His snarling vocal and the band's metallic attack makes the tune a potential youth anthem. Other outstanding tracks include "Thought It Was Something" a punky rocker with the raucous feel of New York's nighttime streets and "Several Thousand" another seductive R&B ballad that allows Constantine to show off his persuasive vocal power. "Midnight Radio," a cover from Hedwig and the Angry Inch (featuring an ending scream that will find it's way into the annals of rock, sitting comfortably beside Roger Daltry's classic scream on Won't Get Fooled Again" also makes it's way onto the record. The diversity of Constantine, the album, shows off the restless creative spirit of Constantine the singer and serves notice that he's a force to be reckoned with.

Constantine was born in Brooklyn and raised in New Jersey, in a Greek working class family. Constantine's grandparents moved here from Greece with nothing. "I grew up in an ethnic family and I want to portray that," he says. The Maroulis family loved music. Constantine was exposed to everything from Sinatra and Broadway musicals to Guns n Roses and Bob Marley. In high school, Constantine participated in theater productions – dramatic plays and musicals. In 1999, he attended the prestigious Boston Conservatory of Music, completing the program in three years while taking a minor in Vocal Performance at the Berkelee College of Music. In college, he appeared in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Jesus Christ Superstar, Shakespearian productions, student films and indie features.

Then came American Idol. "Since I had experience performing, unlike some of the contestants, I approached the show as an actor. I was a character and I wasn't camera shy, and sang to the girls at home. Then I took ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,' trimmed it and arranged it to make it work in the time I had on stage."

Constantine may not have become the Idol, but he is an idol, an artist with the professionalism and talent to make a lasting mark on the business no matter what happens. "I was comfortable in my role as bad ass rocker," he says smiling. "Maybe I played into their idea of what I was supposed to be, instead of doing what I what I knew I could do. There was a lot of pressure; it could almost make you physically ill, but I wouldn't trade places with anyone in the world. In the end, it's not about celebrity; it's about the work. I had a lark and approached it with a bit of humor. I don't take myself seriously, but I do take the music seriously."