Best known for his 1983 chart-topping hit "Maniac," which first appeared on the multi-platinum Flashdance soundtrack, Michael Sembello is an American solo artist, songwriter, and producer whose music incorporates elements of pop/rock, dance, jazz, and soft-rock. Born on April 17, 1954, in the Philadelphia suburb of Ardmore, Pennsylvania, he became a versatile guitarist at a young age and began playing with Stevie Wonder at 17 years old. He appeared on Stevie Wonder's 1974 release, Fulfillingness' First Finale, as well as 1976's Songs in the Key of Life, both of which won Album of the Year at the annual Grammy Awards. He also began working as a songwriter, co-writing songs like Stevie Wonder's "Saturn" and the Michael Jackson deep cut "Carousel." However, it was his appearance on 1983's Flashdance: Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture that transformed him from a behind-the-scenes collaborator into a popular solo artist. "Maniac," his Oscar-nominated contribution to the popular film, became a Number 1 hit in both America and Canada. It also cracked the Top 10 in Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, and Switzerland. Months after the soundtrack's release, Michael Sembello released the solo album Bossa Nova Hotel, which included the Top 40 hit "Automatic Man" as well as a different version of "Maniac." Although follow-up releases like 1986's Without Walls and 1992's Caravan Of Dreams failed to chart, Michael Sembello continued appearing on popular film soundtracks for more than a decade, contributing music to Cocoon, Gremlins, Independence Day, and other movies. He also explored genres outside of the pop/rock field, performing jazz with The Bridge during the late-1990s and recording Brazilian-influenced covers of pop hits with The Bossa Nova Hotel during the 2000s.
