Constantine Maroulis
Constantine Maroulis |
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Constantine James Maroulis (born September 17 1975 in New York, USA) is a male American rock singer of the 2000s. Maroulis appeared as a finalist on the reality television show American Idol during its fourth season in 2005. A 2002 graduate of the Boston Conservatory[1], Maroulis is a Greek-American and makes a living singing, acting, and writing, including appearing in the national tour of the Broadway show Rent. He is also the lead singer of the band Pray for the Soul of Betty. Contrary to what was portrayed on the reality TV series, he did not quit his band, only took a temporary leave of absence to join American Idol, and returned after he was voted off. His rendition of the Queen classic "Bohemian Rhapsody" earned him the praise of judges, including Simon Cowell. A full-length version was later reprised for Killer Queen, released in summer.
Maroulis is currently working on a debut solo album and a television drama series.
Background
Constantine, named after the Church of Constantinople in Greece, grew up in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, where he studied music from a young age. He is of Greek descent and was raised in the Greek Orthodox Church, where he was an altar boy and youth group leader. In his early twenties, he was in a myriad of local theatrical productions. He played Hedwig in the off-Broadway musical theater play Hedwig and the Angry Inch in August 2001. Other notable theatrical performances include roles in Tango 'til They're Sore (Oleg), Macbeth (Malcolm), Jesus Christ Superstar (Judas, Jesus), West Side Story (Tony), and The Grapes of Wrath (Tom). He also had roles in Law and Order: SVU and AstroBoy; as well as several independent films (i.e, The Strangler's Wife); and was a winning contestant on the dating show Elimidate. At twenty-six, Maroulis graduated from the Boston Conservatory in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in fine arts. He specialized in musical theater, studying acting and vocal performance.
Constantine auditioned for Idol in Washington, DC with Aerosmith's "Crying" on August 17, 2004. His audition video was later aired on January 18, 2005. In the Hollywood rounds, he sang "Open Arms," "The Letter" (along with semi-finalist Aaron Kelly and fellow finalist Bo Bice) and "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" (along with semi-finalists William Blake and Dezmond Meeks). He went on to the three-round semi-finals comprised of the top 12 girls and top 12 guys. There, he performed "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," "Hard To Handle," and "Kiss From A Rose." He made it halfway through the final top 12 where he performed several group numbers with the cast such as a version of Destiny's Child's "Emotion." The twenty-nine year old Betty rocker was the oldest of the dozen, with Bice being one month his junior. Maroulis and the 11 other finalists also performed Dolly Parton's "When You Tell Me That You Love Me", which was included in the American Red Cross charity single. He also dramatized seven solo songs on the show. On April 27 2005, Maroulis was voted off American Idol after he performed Nickelback's "How You Remind Me" during 2000's music week. Until this point, he was never ranked in the bottom three. The fan-favorite's sixth-place ouster caused immense shock and outrage from fans and was noted as having made Paula Abdul weep.
American Idol:
- 03/15/05 - "You've Made Me So Very Happy"
- 03/22/05 - "I Think I Love You"
- 03/29/05 - "I Can't Make You Love Me"
- 04/05/05 - "My Funny Valentine"
- 04/12/05 - "Bohemian Rhapsody"
- 04/19/05 - "Nights On Broadway"
- 04/26/05 - "How You Remind Me"
Betty
Pray For The Soul Of Betty, informally known as Pray for Betty's Soul, PFTSOB or simply Betty (fans of the band are called Betties), is the New York based alternative rock band fronted by Constantine Maroulis. They performed at Lollapalooza, Rock in Rio, and the Rolling Rock Town Fair. They have also performed at notable clubs such as CBGB's and the Viper Room. The other members of the band are Joao Joya on guitar, C.R. Taylor on bass, and Michael Hamboussi on drums. The band started formation in 2003 by Joya, Taylor, and Hamboussi but was not complete until Maroulis was discovered after over 150 auditions. While Constantine was on the show, they got picked up by Koch Records, who released a re-engineered version of their self-titled album on May 10 2005. The original CD is produced on their own label, Baby Julius Productions.
The band's name derives from the bass player's deceased great-aunt.
The Hartford Courant described Betty as “a mix of visceral indie-rock songs and souped-up tunes with the feel of old-school Black Sabbath,” while the New Haven Advocate said, "The long solos are rather intoxicating, and there’s an old-fashioned professionalism to the endeavor."
Selected Discography
- Pray for the Soul of Betty (2004)
- Drift
- Rich *****
- Truck Stop Sally
- Some of My ****** Up World
- Cry
- Cut the Cord
- ...The Day
- Suicide
- Playground
- Sylvan
- Bohemian Rhapsody
External links
- Pray for the Soul of Betty Band website
- American Idol Maroulis' information on show website.
- Constantine Maroulis at IMDb
- Template:Tvtome person
- Constantine Maroulis at MySpace