Michael Sembello

Michael Sembello is an American musician and songwriter who worked professionally with Stevie Wonder on electric and acoustic guitar as a studio player on Wonder's Fulfillingness' First Finale. The list of pop music personalities he worked with, or wrote for, includes Wonder, The Temptations, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, George Benson, Barbra Streisand, Stanley Clarke, David Sanborn, Donna Summer, Miguel Mateos and New Edition among many others.

He released his first solo album, Bossa Nova Hotel in 1983, and the song "Maniac" was selected for inclusion in the blockbuster film Flashdance. He was rewarded with a Grammy Award in 1983 for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special.

Sembello has spent much of his career scoring music to soundtracks for movies and film, some of which have achieved blockbuster commercial success. They are featured on such movies as Cocoon, Gremlins, Summer Lovers, The Monster Squad and Independence Day, among many others.

In 2008, Michael Sembello worked with saxophonist Michael Lington on his album Heat, which was nominated as Jazztrax Album of the Year for 2008. In May 2009, he released the album "Moon Island" was released on EMI Japan which consists of American pop songs given new arrangements with a strong Brazilian influence.

Michael Sembello continues to tour, write, produce and perform all over the world.

Music Video

 * Maniac