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Birthday: April 19th
Hometown: Farmingdale, NY
Musical Influences:
- Acoustic Guitar – Paul Simon, Steven Curtis Chapman
- Electric Guitar – John Jorgenson, Dickey Betts, Tommy Crain and B.B. King
- Fiddle – Charlie Daniels, Vassar Clement and Phil Gelfer
In 1990 Paul Paoli came to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It was then that his life was forever transformed by the sovereign grace of Almighty God.
Several years earlier Paul picked up a musical instrument for the first time at the age of 18. After much hard work, he was playing the fiddle professionally within two years. After that he taught himself the guitar and began singing. Over the next eight years Paul performed in bands opening up for acts such as The Gregg Allman Band, The Oakridge Boys, Johnny Cash, The Marshall Tucker Band, Steve Wariner and Dickey Betts and Great Southern, among other national groups. During this time he performed as far north as Connecticut and as far south as Florida.
As time passed, Paul began to be overwhelmed by a sense of futility and emptiness while playing songs that at best brought no glory to God and at worst were lyrically offensive to the Lord. In 1995 Paul quit the band that he was playing in and began to play in the worship team in his local church that same year. In 1997 Paul’s desire to play music had all but faded. That year he stopped playing altogether as he pursued theological studies at a biblically based, doctrinally sound Seminary in New York City. In 2000, while attending a course at the Seminary’s main campus in Louisville Kentucky, Paul met a fellow student and pastor who invited him to play and sing at his home church in Tennessee. In August of 2000 Paul was honored to play at three churches in Tennessee. The Lord used this trip to gradually spark his desire to minister in song once again.
Soon thereafter Paul served as an interim pastor at a church on Long Island. In 2001 he was invited to join a contemporary Christian group called JGnFriends. The group was comprised of friends he ministered with years back in a church worship group. This was a blessed time both musically and spiritually. Stirred by the Lord, in 2004-05 Paul began focusing his attention on writing songs that would bring glory and honor to the Lord Jesus Christ. In 2005 Paul assembled a group of gifted musicians and brothers in the Lord to play a one-night concert of all original Christian music. The band was so well received that they decided to continue ministering, as the Lord leads.
Paul continues to write songs that are grounded in Scripture. His music has been described as “a sermon in every song.” He seeks to address a variety of biblical topics, some that are rarely heard in modern pulpits, much less contemporary Christian music. Paul has described this season as “the most creative and musically fulfilling” time of his life. He has described the band as “the most creative and talented” group of musicians he has ever played with. It is with great joy and enthusiasm that the band continues to minister. Paul Paoli’s heart’s desire is to make the Lord Jesus Christ and the riches of His glory known to people everywhere.
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