Michael Sembello

Born on April 17, 1954, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Michael Andrew Sembello began his musical career as a session musician. By the age of 17, he was working with Stevie Wonder, playing electric and acoustic guitar on albums such as ‘Fulfillingness’ First Finale’ and ‘Songs in the Key of Life’. On ‘Songs in the Key of Life’, he was credited as lead and rhythm guitarist on most tracks, including the instrumental ‘Contusion’, and shared songwriting credit with Wonder for ‘Saturn’. These early collaborations established his reputation as a versatile and skilled musician within the industry.

Sembello’s songwriting achievements include ‘Mirror Mirror’, a hit for Diana Ross in 1981, reaching number 2 on the soul singles chart and number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. He also wrote ‘Carousel’, which Michael Jackson recorded for his 1982 album ‘Thriller’. Although initially replaced on the album, it was later included on ‘Thriller 25’ and released as part of The Ultimate Fan Extras Collection in 2013. His solo career launched with the 1983 album ‘Bossa Nova Hotel’, which featured the hit song ‘Maniac’. Co-written with Dennis Matkosky, ‘Maniac’ reached number one in the United States and was a key track on the ‘Flashdance’ film soundtrack. The soundtrack received a Grammy Award in 1984 for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special.

Throughout his career, Sembello has produced albums for artists like Jennifer Batten (1992) and Argentine singer Valeria Lynch (1994). His compositions have been featured in films such as ‘Cocoon’, ‘Independence Day’, ‘Gremlins’, ‘The Monster Squad’, and ‘Summer Lovers’. In 2008, he collaborated with saxophonist Michael Lington on the album ‘Heat’. In 2009, Sembello formed the trio The Bossa Nova Hotel with Bruce Gaitsch and Janey Clewer, releasing the album ‘Moon Island’ on EMI Japan, which featured American pop songs with a Brazilian influence.