Alan Paul
The soaring tenor whose voice and songwriting helped transform The Manhattan Transfer into a genre-defying, Grammy-winning institution.
Born 1949 (age 77)·American singer and composer·Birthday: November 23·Baby Boomers
Biography
Alan Paul didn't just join The Manhattan Transfer; he was instrumental in forging the group's second and most famous incarnation in 1972. With his clear, flexible tenor and knack for harmony, he became one of the quartet's defining voices alongside Tim Hauser, Janis Siegel, and Cheryl Bentyne. Paul was more than a singer; he was a composer and arranger who helped shape their eclectic sound, which swung from complex vocalese and bebop to doo-wop, pop, and Brazilian rhythms. His stage presence, often marked by a sharp wit and dynamic energy, made him a fan favorite. For decades, his contributions were central to the group's artistic ambition and commercial success, earning them a stack of Grammys and a permanent place in the landscape of vocal music.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Alan was born in 1949, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1949
#1 Movie
Samson and Delilah
Best Picture
All the King's Men
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Alan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1949Born
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1954Started school
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1962Became a teenager
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1965Could drive
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1967Could vote
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1970Turned 21
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1979Turned 30
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 40
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 50
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 60
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 70
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 77 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- As a member of The Manhattan Transfer, won multiple Grammy Awards, including for the song 'Birdland.'
- Co-wrote several of the group's songs, including their hit 'Spice of Life.'
- Performed with the group for over four decades, contributing to their status as vocal music pioneers.
- Starred as 'Matt' in the original Broadway production of 'Grease' in the early 1970s.
- Inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame with The Manhattan Transfer in 1998.
Did You Know?
Before joining The Manhattan Transfer, he was a child actor, appearing in the Broadway production of 'Oliver!' and the film 'The Diary of Anne Frank' (1959).
He is the son of actor and acting teacher Michael Wichinsky.
He and his Manhattan Transfer bandmate Janis Siegel released a duo album titled 'A Christmas Album' in 1992.
He left The Manhattan Transfer in 2014 but returned for their final tour in 2023.
“The voice is the original instrument; everything else is just an imitation.”
