Michael Sembello

Michael Sembello first gained widespread recognition as both the writer and singer of the massive dance single "Maniac," featured in the 1983 film Flashdance. The Philadelphia-born songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist, who arrived in 1954, began his professional path playing in Stevie Wonder’s band during the early 1970s. He subsequently contributed session performances to recordings by Sergio Mendes, the Jackson 5, Stephen Bishop, Randy Crawford, and David Sanborn, among many others. The Flashdance soundtrack ultimately delivered his widest exposure, earning six-times-platinum certification in the years that followed. Across his own discography he released Bossa Nova Hotel in 1983, which contained “Maniac,” followed by Without Walls in 1986, Caravan of Dreams in 1992, and Backwards in Time in 1997. In the late 1990s he also formed the jazz group the Bridge, which issued a single self-titled album. Beyond his solo work, Sembello has written and produced material for Chaka Khan, George Benson, Gerardo, New Edition, the Temptations, and Donna Summer.