Nov. 23: Alan Paul of Manhattan Transfer "Boy From New York City" is 61 today.

Born in Newark, New Jersey, Alan Paul is a Grammy Award winning singer and composer, best known as one of the founding members of the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer.

Alan also played Teen Angel and Johnny Casino in the original Broadway cast of Grease where he introduced the songs "Beauty School Dropout" and "Born to Hand Jive." As a child, he appeared in the original Broadway cast of Oliver! He released a solo CD Another Place and Time in 2003.

The second line-up of performers in Manhattan Transfer that began performing together in 1972 included Paul, Tim Hauser Janis Siegel, and Laurel Massé. (All but Laurel are still with the group.)

The album included the group’s first successful single, the gospel tune "Operator." During the summer of 1975, the Manhattan Transfer were showcased in their own hour-long television variety series on CBS.

During 1981, The Manhattan Transfer made music history by becoming the first group to win Grammy awards for both popular and jazz categories in the same year. "Boy from New York City" (a cover of the 1965 success by The Ad Libs), which scored in the top 10 on the popular charts, won them the award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and "Until I Met You (Corner Pocket)" earned them a Grammy for Best Jazz Performance, Duo or Group. Both of these songs appeared on the group's fifth album, Mecca for Moderns.

During 1982, the group won another Grammy, for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group, for its rendition of the classic ode-to-the-road, "Route 66." The song was on the soundtrack to the Burt Reynolds film Sharky's Machine.

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