Paul Joshua "Sonny" Sandoval (born May 16, 1974)[1] is an American musician, rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the co-founder and lead vocalist of nu metal band P.O.D.
Sonny Sandoval | |
|---|---|
 Sandoval performing in 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Paul Joshua Sandoval |
| Born | May 16, 1974 San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels | |
Biography
editSandoval was born in San Diego, California.[1] to a Chamorro-Hawaiian mother and a Mexican-Italian father.[2] When he was eighteen, Sandoval's mother was diagnosed with leukemia.[3] During her illness, Sandoval was greatly influenced by his mother's faith as a devout Christian.[4][5]
Career
editP.O.D.
editSandoval is best known as co-founder and the lead vocalist of the metal 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.[3] With their third studio album, The Fundamental Elements of Southtown, P.O.D. achieved their initial mainstream success; the album was certified platinum by the RIAA in 2000.[6][7]
The Whosoevers
editSince 2008, Sandoval has been part of an outreach group, The Whosoevers, with Ryan Ries, Lacey Sturm, of Flyleaf, and Brian Welch, guitarist for the nu metal band Korn.
Other work
editSandoval 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.
Sandoval will publish his autobiography Son of Southtown on February 25th, 2025.[8]
Personal life
editFamily
editHe 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.[9][10]
Appearance
editFor 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", reached his waist). At the time of the release of P.O.D.'s seventh studio album, When Angels & Serpents Dance, he cut them off, but has since regrown them.[11]
Discography
editP.O.D.
edit- Snuff the Punk (1994)
- Brown (1996)
- The Fundamental Elements of Southtown (1999)
- Satellite (2001)
- Payable on Death (2003)
- Testify (2006)
- When Angels & Serpents Dance (2008)
- Murdered Love (2012)[12]
- SoCal Sessions (2014)
- The Awakening (2015)
- Circles (2018)
- Veritas (2024)
Guest appearances
edit- "Six Sirens" by Project 86 on the album Project 86 (1998)
- "America" by Santana (with P.O.D.) on the album Shaman (2002)
- "Seasons Change" & "I Do" by Anastacia on the album, Anastacia (2004)
- "Let It Go" by Kirk Franklin, with TobyMac on the album, Hero (2005)
- "Warning" by Tribal Seeds on their album, The Harvest (2009)
- "Eternal" by War of Ages on their album, Eternal (2010)
- "Children of the Light" by Lecrae on his album, Rehab (2010)
- "American Dream" by Dominic Balli on his album, American Dream (2011) [13]
- "The Only Name" by For Today on their album, Immortal (2012)
- "Something Better" Flyleaf on their EP, Who We Are (2013)
- "Criminals" by Islander on their album, Violence & Destruction (2014)
- "Chasing the Horizon" by Noize MC (2019)
- "They Don't Like It" by Fire from the Gods (2019)
- "Secrets" by Written By Wolves (2019)
- "Magic Eyes" by Nights Like Thieves (2020)
- "All or Nothing" by Ill Niño (2021)
- "Nemesis" by Manafest (2022)
- “Lights, Camera, Action” by Islander (2022)
- "Attitude" by H.R. on his album "Let Luv Lead (The Way)" (2023)
References
edit- ^ a b "Sonny Sandoval". myheritage.com. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
- ^ "Booyaka Booyaka! P.O.D. Frontman Sonny Sandoval on Mysterio, Mania, and making music | Slam Wrestling". 8 August 2021.
- ^ a b "P.O.D. – The Cost of The Crusade". ccmmagazine.com. 2015-11-16. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
- ^ "Sonny Sandoval". 21 November 2006.
- ^ Smith, Debra (Spring 2011). Price, Tom (ed.). "The Whosoevers - Bringing Youth to Christ (Sonny's Testimony)". Calvary Chapel Magazine. 47: 36–43.
- ^ MacKenzie, Wilson. "P.O.D. Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved December 4, 2007.
- ^ "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".
- ^ xhttps://www.theprp.com/2024/10/24/news/p-o-d-s-sonny-sandoval-to-release-new-book-son-of-southtown-my-life-between-two-worlds-in-february/
- ^ Harris, Dan (May 18, 2006). "Rock Star's Baby Name Rockets up Charts for Kids". ABC News. Retrieved 2006-05-30.
- ^ Lee, Jennifer 8. (May 18, 2006). "And if It's a Boy, Will It Be Lleh?". The New York Times. Retrieved 2006-05-30.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Sonny explains why he cut his dreads. February 28, 2008. Archived from the original on 2021-12-22.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Dominic Balli - American Dream". Discogs. 2011.