Sonny Sandoval

Paul Joshua "Sonny" Sandoval (born May 16, 1974) is an American singer and rapper. He is best known as co-founder and the lead vocalist of the alternative metal band P.O.D.

Early life

Sandoval was born in San Diego, California to an Hawaiian-Chamorro mother and a Mexican-Italian father. He grew up in the Otay Mesa neighborhood of South San Diego. He drank and used marijuana frequently during his teenage years. In 1992, when he was eighteen, Sandoval's mother died of leukemia at the age of 37. During her illness, Sandoval was greatly influenced by his mother's faith as a devout Christian. He pursued a career as an MC and later joined the band Enoch, a group started by Wuv Bernardo, Gabe Portillo and Marcos Curiel, which, with the addition of Sandoval, later became P.O.D. (acronym for "Payable On Death"). Sandoval states his musical roots as reggae, rock, and rap, all of which are apparent in P.O.D.

P.O.D.

Sandoval is best known as co-founder and the lead vocalist of the alternative metal band P.O.D.

The Whosoevers

Since 2008, Sandoval has been part of an outreach group, The Whosoevers, with Ryan Ries, Lacey Sturm, formerly of Flyleaf, and Brian Welch, guitarist for the nu metal band Korn.

Other work

Sandoval appeared in Project 86's self-titled album in the song "Six Sirens". In 2004, he contributed to two tracks on Anastacia's self titled album, "Seasons Change" and "I Do". He has been named number 63 in Hit Parader's Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time in 2006.

In 2009, Sandoval appeared on Tribal Seeds' new album The Harvest, in the song "Warning". In 2010, Sandoval appeared on War of Ages' fourth album release Eternal, in the song "Eternal". In 2010, Sandoval appeared on Lecrae's fourth album release Rehab, in the song "Children of the Light". In 2011, Sandoval appeared on Dominic Balli's single, "American Dream". In 2012, Sandoval appeared on For Today's fourth album release Immortal, in the song "The Only Name". Also in 2013, Sandoval appeared on the track "Something Better" released on Flyleaf's EP Who We Are. He appeared on Islander's album, Violence & Destruction on the track, "Criminals".

He is currently involved with MTV EXIT concerts.

Family

He and his wife Shannon married in 1996, and have two daughters, Nevaeh and Marley, and a son, Justice. Sandoval is widely credited with the sudden popularity of the name Nevaeh, which, as he revealed on MTV Cribs, is "heaven" spelled backwards.

Appearance

For most of P.O.D.'s career, Sandoval was well known for his dreadlocks (which, by the release of the video for "Going in Blind", had reached the length of his waist), but since the release of P.O.D.'s seventh studio album, When Angels & Serpents Dance, he has cut them off.

P.O.D.

• Snuff the Punk (1994)
• Brown (1996)
• The Fundamental Elements of Southtown (1999)
• Satellite (2001)
• Payable on Death (2003)
• Testify (2006)
• When Angels & Serpents Dance (2008)
• Murdered Love (2012)
• SoCal Sessions (2014)
• The Awakening (2015)

Guest Appearances

• "Six Sirens" by Project 86 on the album Project 86 (1998)
• "America" by Santana (with P.O.D.) on the album Shaman (2002)
• "Seasons Change" & "I Do" by Anastacia on the album, Anastacia (2004)
• "Warning" by Tribal Seeds on their album, The Harvest (2009)
• "Eternal" by War of Ages on their album, Eternal (2010)
• "Children of the Light" by Lecrae on his album, Rehab (2010)
• "The Only Name" by For Today on their album, Immortal (2012)
• "Something Better" Flyleaf on their EP, Who We Are (2013)
• "Criminals" by Islander on their album, Violence & Destruction (2014)