Paul Mirkovich
Encyclopedia
Paul Mirkovich is a Los Angeles
native, and has been the band leader, keyboardist and duet singing partner for Cher
for the last 16 years. He has also been the band director for Janet Jackson
and Anastasia and a member of the multi-platinum bands Whitesnake
and Nelson (band)
. Paul has also performed and recorded with Peter Gabriel
and Shawn Colvin
, among many others. Paul and the House Band toured the United States with Paul Stanley
(from KISS
) in October/November 2006 as well as Australia in April 2007.
Mirkovich currently serves as musical director of NBC's talent competition,The Voice, which is produced by Mark Burnett. Burnett was excutive producer of Rock Star, on which Mirkovich also surved as musical director.
, Clyde Lieberman, and was asked to audition for the role of musical director for the show. He competed against 11 other musical directors who had also put bands together (a total of 75 - 80 musicians auditioned). Paul got the gig. Two of his band members, Rafael Moreira
(lead guitar) and Sasha Krivtsov
(bass), were also hired. Jim McGorman
(rhythm guitar, keyboards) and Nate Morton
(drums, percussion) were hired from the other auditioning bands.
Alongside Paul Shaffer, Paul Mirkovich is arguably the most visible keyboardist on the planet. As musical director and keyboard player for the Rock Star INXS House Band, Paul is seen no less than three nights a week on prime time TV by millions of viewers. And he makes it look like cake, as he and his ace band mates springboard from genre to genre with the greatest of ease. But, as you might expect, the gig is anything but smooth behind the scenes.
Attended the Dick Grove School of Music.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
native, and has been the band leader, keyboardist and duet singing partner for Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
for the last 16 years. He has also been the band director for Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
and Anastasia and a member of the multi-platinum bands Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
and Nelson (band)
Nelson (band)
NELSON is a American hard rock band founded by singer/songwriters Matthew and Gunnar Nelson . NELSON featuring the twin lead front men had a No. 1 hit in the United States with " Love and Affection" during the week of September 29, 1990...
. Paul has also performed and recorded with Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
and Shawn Colvin
Shawn Colvin
Shawn Colvin is an American singer-songwriter and musician.-Childhood and early career:Colvin was born in Vermillion, South Dakota. Her formative years were spent in the town of Carbondale, Illinois, where she attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She learned to play guitar at the age...
, among many others. Paul and the House Band toured the United States with Paul Stanley
Paul Stanley
Stanley Harvey Eisen , better known by his stage name Paul Stanley, is an American hard rock guitarist, singer, musician, painter and songwriter best known for being the rhythm guitarist and primary lead vocalist of the rock band Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's...
(from KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
) in October/November 2006 as well as Australia in April 2007.
Mirkovich currently serves as musical director of NBC's talent competition,The Voice, which is produced by Mark Burnett. Burnett was excutive producer of Rock Star, on which Mirkovich also surved as musical director.
Musical Director of the Rock Star House Band
Paul received a call from the music producer of Rock StarRock Star (TV series)
Rock Star is a television series produced by Mark Burnett in which aspiring singers from all around the world competed to become the lead singer of a featured group. It debuted on CBS on July 11, 2005, to mediocre ratings. The show was hosted by television personality and commercial spokeswoman...
, Clyde Lieberman, and was asked to audition for the role of musical director for the show. He competed against 11 other musical directors who had also put bands together (a total of 75 - 80 musicians auditioned). Paul got the gig. Two of his band members, Rafael Moreira
Rafael Moreira
Rafael Moreira is a Brazilian-American guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist / vocalist on the hit CBS television shows Rock Star: INXS and Rock Star: Supernova, and most recently on MTV'S Rock the Cradle...
(lead guitar) and Sasha Krivtsov
Sasha Krivtsov
Sasha Krivtsov, born June 6, 1967 in St. Petersburg, Russia, is probably best known as the bass player for the House Band on the TV reality shows Rock Star: INXS and Rock Star: Supernova. He has played with platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated, singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton...
(bass), were also hired. Jim McGorman
Jim McGorman
Jim McGorman, a native of Philadelphia, is an American musician, songwriter/producer and multi- instrumentalist: guitarist, keyboardist, drummer and vocalist. Best known for his work with the House Band on the CBS television shows Rockstar: INXS and Rockstar: Supernova, he has been musical director...
(rhythm guitar, keyboards) and Nate Morton
Nate Morton
Nate Morton is an American drummer. He is currently the drummer for the house band on NBC's hit TV show "The Voice".In 2005 and 2006 Morton appeared on the highly rated Mark Burnett's Rock Star: INXS and Rock Star: Supernova reality shows, as drummer for The House Band...
(drums, percussion) were hired from the other auditioning bands.
Alongside Paul Shaffer, Paul Mirkovich is arguably the most visible keyboardist on the planet. As musical director and keyboard player for the Rock Star INXS House Band, Paul is seen no less than three nights a week on prime time TV by millions of viewers. And he makes it look like cake, as he and his ace band mates springboard from genre to genre with the greatest of ease. But, as you might expect, the gig is anything but smooth behind the scenes.
Early Influences
"I don’t remember a specific moment in which I made a conscious decision that music would be it for me. It’s all I’ve ever really known." It started when I was four years old. One day I was watching a cartoon show. I think it was ‘Casper the Ghost’. The theme song stuck in my head. I went over to the piano and started playing it. Over time, I took lessons and got into bee-bop and jazz along the way. Being from Los Angeles, music is simply all around you. Just as the steel mills may be for folks in Pittsburgh… Entertainment and music is for the folks in Los Angeles."Education
Graduated Providence High School (Burbank, CA) in 1981.Attended the Dick Grove School of Music.