Pray For The Soul Of Betty:
Four musicians who have performed on stages that range from Lollapalooza, Rock in Rio, and the Rolling Rock Town Fair to Shakespeare’s Macbeth and the National Tour of Rent. Somehow they made it to the same stage in NYC and never wanted to leave...
The music is distinctly rock, Scattered throughout the moods of all of it, All intense
Constantine Maroulis - Vocals:
Constantine, was raised in Brooklyn & eventually transplanted to New Jersey before leaving home to attend Boston Conservatory. After graduating in 2002, Constantine cultivated an impressive stage career, playing title roles in Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Jesus Christ Superstar, as well as Roger in RENT, Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, Malcolm in Macbeth, and Tony in West Side Story. In addition, he’s appeared on the WB and NBC networks (Law & Order: SVU), and several independent films. After bouncing from band to band, Constantine auditioned for the guys in 2003, and beat out over 150 singers to get the gig in Pray for the Soul of Betty. His recent run on American Idol thrust the band into the international spotlight.
Joao Joya - Guitar:
Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Joao is the son of eccentric Brazilian poet Jorge Salomao and groundbreaking Brazilian videographer Sonia Miranda. Arriving in NYC when he was 16, Joya joined forces with platinum-selling, Brazilian musician Supla, bassist Greta Brinkman (Moby), and drummer Mackie Jayson (Cro-Mags, Bad Brains) in a project known as Supla Zoo Style. The album –Bossa Furiosa – received critical acclaim and was featured in Bruno Barreto’s movie Bossa Nova alongside greats such as Tom Jobim. Several years later, Joao played with Hamboussi in Cohiba, and it was that relationship, as well as Hamboussi’s prior collaboration with Taylor in Clyde, that led to the formation of Pray for the Soul of Betty.
Taylor, C.R. - Bass
Born in NYC, Taylor played previously with Gumption Trap, whose stage antics got them banned from CBGB and landed them on Lollapalooza ’96. He then collaborated with Hamboussi in a band called Clyde, who performed on the main stage at the Rolling Rock Town Fair in 2000. After a short stint with Mental (Wind Up), Taylor was contacted by Hamboussi to “just jam a little with this guitarist I know.” Immediately, they knew they had something, writing several of the songs on the debut CD during that first session.
Hamboussi - Drums:
Born in Cairo, Egypt, Hamboussi is Pray for the Soul of Betty’s madman drummer, often winding up in his underwear by the end of a Betty show. Hamboussi has played with multiple bands, including Band of Thieves (Atlantic), Cohiba (w/Joao), and Clyde (w/Taylor). He was also featured in the August 2001 edition of Modern Drummer. A graduate of NYC’s School of Art and Design, Hamboussi is primarily responsible for band’s artwork, CD cover art, and web design.
