J. PAUL

With a mom who is a master pianist, J.Paul was bound to be a musician. Growing up, his mom tried to instill the importance of music in her children. J.Paul had a natural voice but still knew he had a lot to learn. He just recently started taking piano lessons from his mom, and they meet every week for several hours. J.Paul also discovered his passion for hairstyling at a young age, and it eventually led him to go to cosmetology school and open his own salon. Later, he moved from California to Washington, D.C., with his husband, Christopher, where he focused mainly on hair. When his new friends discovered his talent for singing, they pushed him to start gigging. He was eventually introduced to Grammy Award-winning artist Stephanie Mills, who was looking for background singers. That one gig eventually led to a decade-long career, touring all over the country and performing in various arenas, festivals and events.