Sonny Sandoval

Paul Joshua "Sonny" Sandoval (born May 16, 1974) is an American musician, rapper, singer and songwriter. He is best known as co-founder and the lead vocalist of the rock band P.O.D. Over the course of their career, the band has received three Grammy Award nominations, contributed to numerous motion picture soundtracks and toured internationally. They have sold over 12 million records worldwide.

Sonny Sandoval
Sandoval performing at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, California on May 17, 2011.
Background information
Birth namePaul Joshua Sandoval
Also known asSonny
Born (1974-05-16) May 16, 1974
San Diego, California, United States
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
Years active1992 – present
Labels
Associated actsP.O.D.

With their third studio album, The Fundamental Elements of Southtown, they achieved their initial mainstream success; the album was certified platinum by the RIAA in 2000.[1][2]

Biography

Sandoval was born in San Diego, California. He grew up in the Otay Mesa neighborhood of South San Diego. In 1992, when he was eighteen, Sandoval's mother died of leukemia at the age of 47. During her illness, Sandoval was greatly influenced by his mother's faith as a devout Christian.[3] He pursued a career as an MC and 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. (initialism for "Payable On Death"). Sandoval states his musical roots as reggae, rock, and rap, all of which are apparent in P.O.D.

Career

P.O.D.

Sandoval is best known as co-founder and the lead vocalist of the alternative metal band P.O.D.

The Whosoevers

Since 2008, Sandoval has been part of an outreach group, The Whosoevers, with Ryan Ries, Lacey Sturm, formerly of Flyleaf, and Brian Welch, guitarist for the nu metal band Korn.

Other work

Sandoval appeared in Project 86's self-titled album in the song "Six Sirens". In 2004, he contributed to two tracks on Anastacia's self titled album, "Seasons Change" and "I Do". He has been named number 63 in Hit Parader's Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time in 2006.

In 2009, Sandoval appeared on Tribal Seeds' new album The Harvest, in the song "Warning". In 2010, Sandoval appeared on War of Ages' fourth album release Eternal, in the song "Eternal". In 2010, Sandoval appeared on Lecrae's fourth album release Rehab, in the song "Children of the Light". In 2011, Sandoval appeared on Dominic Balli's single, "American Dream". In 2012, Sandoval appeared on For Today's fourth album release Immortal, in the song "The Only Name". Also in 2013, Sandoval appeared on the track "Something Better" released on Flyleaf's EP Who We Are. He appeared on Islander's album, Violence & Destruction on the track, "Criminals".

He is currently involved with MTV EXIT concerts.

Personal life

Family

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.[4][5]

Appearance

For most of P.O.D.'s career, Sandoval was well known for his dreadlocks (which, by the release of the video for "Going in Blind", had reached the length of his waist), but since the release of P.O.D.'s seventh studio album, When Angels & Serpents Dance, he has cut them off.[6]

Discography

P.O.D.
Main article: P.O.D. discography

Guest appearances

References
  1. MacKenzie, Wilson. "P.O.D. Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved December 4, 2007.
  2. "P.O.D. leaves Atlantic Records and Curiel returns". Blabbermouth. Roadrunner Records. December 20, 2006. Retrieved December 4, 2007. P.O.D. was with Atlantic for four albums and two EPs. The band signed with Atlantic in 1998, after selling more than 40,000 copies of its independently released EPs. The group's Atlantic debut, "The Fundamental Elements of Southtown", came out in 1999 and went platinum, while 2001's "Satellite" was a multi-platinum success. But the group felt that personnel changes at Atlantic were responsible for recent sales dips — more than 500,000 copies of 2003's "Payable On Death" were sold, but less than 250,000 copies of the recent "Testify".
  3. Smith, Debra (Spring 2011). Price, Tom (ed.). "The Whosoevers - Bringing Youth to Christ (Sonny's Testimony)". Calvary Chapel Magazine. Calvary Chapel Magazine. 47: 36–43.
  4. Harris, Dan (May 18, 2006). "Rock Star's Baby Name Rockets up Charts for Kids". ABC News. Retrieved 2006-05-30.
  5. Lee, Jennifer 8. (May 18, 2006). "And if It's a Boy, Will It Be Lleh?". The New York Times. Retrieved 2006-05-30.
  6. Sonny explains why he cut his dreads. February 28, 2008.
  7. "New Song Featuring JAMEY JASTA Available For Free Download". Blabbermouth.com. April 4, 2012. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
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