Pray for the Soul of Betty
Encyclopedia
Pray for the Soul of Betty (often known by the acronym, "PFTSOB") was a hard rock
band from New York City
. The band consisted of Michael Hamboussi (drums), João Joya (guitar), Taylor, C.R. (bass) and lead vocalist Constantine Maroulis
. On March 20, 2006, Maroulis announced his departure on the band's official message board, and on May 13, 2006, drummer Hamboussi posted in his MySpace
blog that PFTSOB had officially disbanded.
The band toured heavily around the United States
and a few other countries (including Japan
), simultaneously with the 2003-2004 Broadway touring production of the musical Rent
. Maroulis was starring in the lead role of Roger Davis, joining his bandmates for live gigs after performing in the play each night.
PFTSOB rose to national attention when Maroulis auditioned for and was selected to appear on the popular television show American Idol
. His audition clip showed him "quitting" the band amongst the displeasure of one of his fellow bandmates, which they have claimed is an inaccurate portrayal.
Maroulis advanced to become one of the final six contestants on American Idol (season 4)
, airing in 2005. He was eliminated ahead of the other rocker of the season, Bo Bice
, to the chagrin of his many fans.
In the spring of 2005, the band inked a distribution deal with Koch Records
, who released a re-engineered version of their eponymous debut on May 10, 2005. (see Pray for the Soul of Betty
album) The CD reached #129 on the Billboard
200, climbing to #7 on the Billboard Top Independent Albums chart and #2 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart. In January 2006, the band completed a national tour beginning in San Diego
and ending in Philadelphia. That March, Maroulis announced that he would be officially leaving Pray for the Soul of Betty to pursue solo projects.
Since the band's breakup, in addition to other projects Maroulis released a solo work, Constantine
, which debuted at #75 on the Billboard charts
. He has achieved particular success acting on Broadway. For his role as Drew in the rock musical Rock of Ages
, Maroulis received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
. He also received the honor of being immortalized in a caricature at Sardi's
, taking his place alongside other Broadway luminaries similarly honored at the legendary New York City establishment. (For more detailed information regarding Constantine, see also: Constantine Maroulis
.) Hamboussi has also been involved with various music projects in the New York City area, including the band January Jane. Hamboussi and Maroulis currently serve as Creative Directors for Sweetfire Studios, a recording studio in Brooklyn
.
, Velvet Revolver
, Incubus
, Rage Against the Machine
, Red Hot Chili Peppers
, Led Zeppelin
, Jimi Hendrix
and Neil Young
. The band has also been compared to Black Sabbath
and Nirvana
.
"Over 600 fans showed up for the sold-out event to see their favorite Idol perform with the band in what can only be described as high-energy rock. The predominantly female audience went crazy with excitement as the group took to the stage and never let up until they brought the house down on the last song."--Tricia Spears, Soundmusic.net
"Their hard, brash, NY rock is complimented by their new songs which are powerful, thoughtful, and focus on the love we have in front of us. Constantine's training gave his performance a professional edge, and, combined with the skill and maturity of their instrumentals, the band proved they have earned the critical acclaim they've received."--Janice French, GarageRadio.com
"Thanks, Betty for waking me up.loud and rocking clear! I haven't been this giddy for a new band in a long time." --Linda Dale MacLean, The Celebrity Cafe
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The band consisted of Michael Hamboussi (drums), João Joya (guitar), Taylor, C.R. (bass) and lead vocalist Constantine Maroulis
Constantine Maroulis
Constantine James Maroulis is an American rock singer, actor, and writer from Wyckoff, New Jersey. He was the sixth-place finalist on the fourth season of the reality television series American Idol, and lead vocalist of the hard rock band Pray for the Soul of Betty...
. On March 20, 2006, Maroulis announced his departure on the band's official message board, and on May 13, 2006, drummer Hamboussi posted in his MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
blog that PFTSOB had officially disbanded.
History
Hamboussi and Joya worked as a drummer-guitarist duo in small bands before the addition of Taylor completed the original lineup. Maroulis was added as the lead vocalist in 2003 after over 150 auditions. When asked about the origin of the band's name, band members answer that they named themselves after the death of their bassist's aunt, though Betty can refer to anyone who is in need of support.The band toured heavily around the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and a few other countries (including Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
), simultaneously with the 2003-2004 Broadway touring production of the musical Rent
Rent (musical)
Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème...
. Maroulis was starring in the lead role of Roger Davis, joining his bandmates for live gigs after performing in the play each night.
PFTSOB rose to national attention when Maroulis auditioned for and was selected to appear on the popular television show American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. His audition clip showed him "quitting" the band amongst the displeasure of one of his fellow bandmates, which they have claimed is an inaccurate portrayal.
Maroulis advanced to become one of the final six contestants on American Idol (season 4)
American Idol (Season 4)
The fourth season of American Idol premiered on January 18, 2005 and continued until May 25, 2005. It was hosted by Ryan Seacrest. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell also returned to judge. It was won by Carrie Underwood, who has gone on to become a five-time Grammy-winning country megastar...
, airing in 2005. He was eliminated ahead of the other rocker of the season, Bo Bice
Bo Bice
Harold Elwin "Bo" Bice, Jr. is an American singer and musician who placed second to Carrie Underwood in the fourth season of American Idol. He has recorded three studio albums, including one on RCA Records...
, to the chagrin of his many fans.
In the spring of 2005, the band inked a distribution deal with Koch Records
Koch Records
E1 Music , the primary subsidiary of E1 Entertainment LP, is the largest independent record label in the United States. It is also distributed by the Universal Music Group in Europe under the name E1 Universal...
, who released a re-engineered version of their eponymous debut on May 10, 2005. (see Pray for the Soul of Betty
Pray for the Soul of Betty (album)
Pray for the Soul of Betty is the self-titled hard rock debut album of the band Pray for the Soul of Betty released on May 10, 2005, self-produced locally by the band, global release courtesy of Koch Entertainment, who released it in two editions, explicit and clean; re-engineered by Michael...
album) The CD reached #129 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
200, climbing to #7 on the Billboard Top Independent Albums chart and #2 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart. In January 2006, the band completed a national tour beginning in San Diego
and ending in Philadelphia. That March, Maroulis announced that he would be officially leaving Pray for the Soul of Betty to pursue solo projects.
Since the band's breakup, in addition to other projects Maroulis released a solo work, Constantine
Constantine (album)
Constantine is the solo debut album of rock singer Constantine Maroulis. It debuted at #75 on the Billboard 200, selling around 9,000 copies in its first week.- Track listing :#"Girl Like You"#"Several Thousand"#"Everybody Loves"...
, which debuted at #75 on the Billboard charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
. He has achieved particular success acting on Broadway. For his role as Drew in the rock musical Rock of Ages
Rock of Ages (musical)
Rock of Ages is a rock/jukebox musical, with a book by Chris D'Arienzo, built around classic rock hits from the 1980s, especially from the famous glam metal bands of the decade. The musical features songs from Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Steve Perry, Poison and Asia, among...
, Maroulis received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical is awarded to the actor who was voted as the best actor in a musical play, whether a new production or a revival...
. He also received the honor of being immortalized in a caricature at Sardi's
Sardi's
Sardi's is a restaurant in New York City's theater district at 234 West 44th Street in Manhattan. Known for the hundreds of caricatures of show-business celebrities that adorn its walls, Sardi's opened at its current location on March 5, 1927....
, taking his place alongside other Broadway luminaries similarly honored at the legendary New York City establishment. (For more detailed information regarding Constantine, see also: Constantine Maroulis
Constantine Maroulis
Constantine James Maroulis is an American rock singer, actor, and writer from Wyckoff, New Jersey. He was the sixth-place finalist on the fourth season of the reality television series American Idol, and lead vocalist of the hard rock band Pray for the Soul of Betty...
.) Hamboussi has also been involved with various music projects in the New York City area, including the band January Jane. Hamboussi and Maroulis currently serve as Creative Directors for Sweetfire Studios, a recording studio in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
.
Style and culture
The band cites many artists and bands as influences: AudioslaveAudioslave
Audioslave was an American rock supergroup that formed in Los Angeles, California in 2001. It consisted of former Soundgarden lead singer/rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell and the former instrumentalists of Rage Against the Machine: Tom Morello , Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk...
, Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...
, Incubus
Incubus (band)
Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell;...
, Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
and Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
. The band has also been compared to Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
and Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
.
Reviews and public reaction
The band received mixed reviews throughout their brief history. The increased national attention after American Idol put PFTSOB into the spotlight, transforming the band from non-notable garage band into public figures."Over 600 fans showed up for the sold-out event to see their favorite Idol perform with the band in what can only be described as high-energy rock. The predominantly female audience went crazy with excitement as the group took to the stage and never let up until they brought the house down on the last song."--Tricia Spears, Soundmusic.net
"Their hard, brash, NY rock is complimented by their new songs which are powerful, thoughtful, and focus on the love we have in front of us. Constantine's training gave his performance a professional edge, and, combined with the skill and maturity of their instrumentals, the band proved they have earned the critical acclaim they've received."--Janice French, GarageRadio.com
"Thanks, Betty for waking me up.loud and rocking clear! I haven't been this giddy for a new band in a long time." --Linda Dale MacLean, The Celebrity Cafe