Paul Lekakis | |
---|---|
Born | New York City, United States | October 22, 1966
Genres | Hi-NRG, house, pop |
Occupation(s) | Model, actor, singer |
Paul Lekakis (born October 22, 1966) is an American model, actor and club music / Hi-NRG singer, who was discovered for his musical and dancing skills at an Italian nightclub while on assignment as a model.
His debut single, "Boom Boom (Let's Go Back to My Room)", was released in 1987. The hit version was produced by the Italo disco producers Miki Chieregato, Tom Hooker and Roberto Turatti, with additional production by Ric Wake. The song was originally released on ZYX Records and peaked at No. 43 on the Billboard Hot 100, [1] No. 60 on the UK Singles Chart, [2] No. 7 in New Zealand, No. 2 in Canada and No. 1 on the Pop charts in Australia (for 5 weeks) and Japan. This single received attention for its suggestive lyrics (Boom boom boom / Let's go back to my room / So we can do it all night / And you can make me feel right) and is Lekakis's best-known song. This led to a recording contract with Sire Records, who released his debut album Tattoo It in 1990. The album included the Top 20 Hot Dance Club Play hit, "My House".
Lekakis sang the title track to the British film The Fruit Machine , which was released in 1988. In the US, the film was renamed Wonderland. This song was produced by Stock Aitken Waterman.
Lekakis has since had further success in the dance music genre with the club hits "Let It Out", "Assume the Position", and "(I Need A) Vacation".
In late 2006, Lekakis filmed a music video for a remix of "Boom Boom (Let's Go Back to My Room)" in Palm Desert, California. The track featured slightly different lyrics from the original (i.e., "...how would you like to come back for another boom boom"). The video was directed by Walid Azami. In late July 2007, the 20th anniversary remix appeared on the Billboard dance chart. In 2009, "Boom Boom" ranked No. 83 on VH1's "Top 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 80's" list. [3]
In 2012, after five years of not releasing music, Lekakis returned with the song "I Need a Hit". In September 2012, Lekakis released the digital download-only single "Meet Me on the Dancefloor".
In July 2016, Lekakis embarked on an 8 date Australian tour with other popular '80s performers. It was his first visit to the country after having a No.1 hit ("Boom Boom") in 1987.
On July 28, 2016, his new song "All Around the World" was released on iTunes, followed by "Somebody (Is Out There)" in September 2017.
In December 2022, Lekakis released a new single titled "Rainbow". [4]
Lekakis had roles in Sex, Politics & Cocktails in 2002, then in the queer horror film, Hellbent , a co-starring role in the 2001 film Circuit , and various roles on the television programs Out of Practice and Passions . In June 2005, Lekakis and fitness trainer Clay Adkins released a fitness DVD, Partners, that was sold at Target stores throughout the United States.
He performed in the James Edwin Parker two-man stage play 2 Boys in a Bed on a Cold Winter's Night alongside Scott Douglas Cunningham at the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre in San Francisco, California in July 2007.
Lekakis is gay. [5] [6] He tested positive for HIV around 1989, though he did not make this widely known until the 1990s. In recent years, he has played HIV-positive characters in several of his film appearances and has spoken out publicly on HIV-related issues. In 2000, Lekakis appeared on the cover of the February issue of POZ magazine, where he also gave an interview, relating, among other reminiscences, his time as a male prostitute in West Hollywood between 1994 and 1997, and in the interview admitted to intentionally exposing his escort johns to HIV. Lekakis said in the article [7] "he had unprotected sex with clients (as a male escort) whom he did not inform of his HIV status. He also admitted to lying to clients about his status and then having unprotected sex with them". He eventually "joined a 12-step group and quit drinking, doing drugs and turning tricks". [8] Lekakis currently lives in West Hollywood, CA.
Dead or Alive were an English pop band who released seven studio albums from 1984 to 2000. The band formed in 1980 in Liverpool and found success in the mid-1980s, releasing seven singles that made the UK Top 40 and three albums in the UK Top 30. At the peak of their success, the line-up consisted of Pete Burns (vocals), Steve Coy (drums), Mike Percy (bass), and Tim Lever (keyboards), with the core pair of Burns and Coy writing and producing for the remainder of the band's career due to Percy and Lever exiting the group in 1989. Burns died in 2016; with the death of Coy in 2018, the band ended.
Peter Jozzeppi Burns was an English singer, songwriter and television personality who formed the band Dead or Alive in 1980 during the new wave era and acted as the band's lead vocalist and principal songwriter. He sold over 17 million albums and 36 million singles worldwide and also gave successful English songwriting and record production trio Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW) their first UK No. 1 hit single. His first three albums all reached the UK Top 30, with Youthquake reaching the Top 10. Additionally, the band had seven UK Top 40 singles, two US Top 20 singles and another two singles which went to No. 1 on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. In 2016, Billboard ranked Dead or Alive as one of the most successful "dance artists" of all time.
Armand van Helden is an American DJ, record producer, remixer and songwriter from Boston. He is considered one of house music's most revered figures, with a career spanning three decades.
Robert "Shep" Pettibone is an American record producer, remixer, songwriter and club DJ, one of the most prolific of the 1980s.
Shawn Bosco Fernandes, known by his stage name Shawn Desman, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, dancer, and choreographer.
Hani is a Kuwaiti / American record producer and remixer based in New York, notable for his restructurings of hits by artists ranging from Michael Jackson to Alicia Keys, as well as his original productions. His 1999 release, "Baby Wants to Ride", reached number 1 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. His work has led to a collaboration with DJ Frankie Knuckles, as well as vocalists Jason Walker, Andrea Martin, Faith Trent, and others.
"I Walk the Line" is a song written and recorded in 1956 by Johnny Cash. After three attempts with moderate chart ratings, it became Cash's first #1 hit on the Billboard country chart, eventually reaching #17 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"It's Me Bitches", is a song by American hip hop recording artist and record producer Swizz Beatz. The song, released February 13, 2007, serves as the lead single from his debut studio album, One Man Band Man (2007). The single debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 100 and peaked at number 83.
Philip Steir is an American drummer, remixer, composer and record producer.
Jason Joel Desrouleaux, known professionally as Jason Derulo, is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. Since the start of his solo recording career in 2009, he has sold over 250 million singles worldwide and has achieved fourteen platinum singles in the US.
"Boom Boom (Let's Go Back to My Room)" is the debut single by American singer and model Paul Lekakis. Released in 1987 on ZYX Records, then picked up by Polydor Records for a wider release, the song peaked at number 43 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number six on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and number 60 on the UK Singles Chart. The single fared better in other parts of the world, staying at number one for five weeks on the Australian Music Report and for three weeks on South Africa's Springbok Radio chart. It also peaked at number four in Canada and number seven in New Zealand.
Tattoo It is a 1990 album by American pop / Hi-NRG singer Paul Lekakis. The album was released on Sire Records. It contains the hit single, "Boom Boom ", which Lekakis had previously released in 1987 on Polydor Records. Two of the tracks on the album, "You Blow Me Away" and "My House", were produced by Shep Pettibone. The track "Are You Man Enough" features additional vocals by Lisa Bellamy.
"Something in My House" is a song by English pop band Dead or Alive, produced by Stock Aitken Waterman. It was released in the UK in December 1986 as the second single from the band's third studio album, Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know. The single peaked at No. 12 on the UK singles chart.
"Boom Boom Pow" is a song recorded by American group the Black Eyed Peas for their fifth studio album The E.N.D. (2009). It was written by group members will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo and Fergie, being produced by will.i.am. The song features a vocal sample from the 1990 song "Reach Out" by British house duo Sweet Mercy featuring singer Rowetta. It was released as the lead single from The E.N.D. on February 22, 2009, by Interscope Records.
"Better on the Other Side" is a tribute song from American recording artists The Game, Chris Brown, Diddy, DJ Khalil, Polow da Don, Mario Winans, Usher and Boyz II Men dedicated to Michael Jackson. The song was recorded on June 25, 2009, after being notified that Jackson had died that day, and subsequently released the following day on Diddy's Twitter account. The song gained airplay on radio show "Big Boy's Neighborhood" as well as on Game affiliate DJ Skee's satellite radio show, "Skeetox". The song's lyrics are about Jackson's influence and effect on people worldwide, as well as the recording artist reflecting on their memories of Jackson.
David Martin Frank is an American music producer, composer, classically trained pianist, and founding member of the 1980s R&B group the System. Yamaha Music calls him "the founding father of electronic R&B."
Michael Fall is a Belgian DJ, producer, and remixer from Moerbeke-Waas, Belgium. Michael Fall is currently signed on different record labels worldwide. In the past, he signed deals with major labels such as Universal Music Group, CNR Records in Belgium and ZYX Music records in Germany. He released many songs that have charted in Belgian and foreign charts. He ended his publishing contract with BMC Universal in November 2012 and signed a new publishing contract in November 2012 at the Dutch independent music publisher Strengholt Music Group until 2018. In 2013 he released his debut album called 'Turn on your radio' and was listed in the official Belgium album charts. Michael is the owner of MFrecords based in Belgium and he previously owns a record store in Zelzate until the end of 2020. In 2014 he received a golden award for his debut album. On 31 July 2015, he released his second album called 'Ain't nothing but a party'. On August 28, 2020, Michael's single 'Winter' reached 1 million Spotify Streams. In April 2021 he released a new album on Zyx Music called Million Years.
Tobias Topic, also known mononymously as Topic, is a German DJ and music producer. His song "Home" was certified platinum in Australia and Germany.
Shaun Charles Frank is a Canadian DJ, singer-songwriter and record producer. He was a part of the band Crowned King and later left that to join Envy. He ventured on his own after Envy broke up and has collaborated with EDM artists around the world. He has many charting singles and remixes credited to his name.
Frenk DJ is a former Disc jockey - Music producer.