Nick Pallas, the 16-year-old singer from Grayson, will welcome his mentor and songwriter back to his home roots this coming week.
Steve Dorff, the Los Angeles-based producer and songwriter for such artists as Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand and Whitney Houston, will return to his hometown of Atlanta for a special performance at "Swallow in the Hollow" in Roswell Aug. 1 and 2. Nick will be joining Dorff in this special and very rare public appearance.
In fact, Dorff's return to Atlanta, which includes meeting with Nick and appearing at "Swallow," is a case of life turning full circle. Dorff is from Atlanta, attended UGA and was given his first break in show business 40 years ago by music publisher Bill Lowery. Now he is coming back and will appear with his young friend, Nick, promoting the song Dorff wrote for him titled "Dream Big."
The fact that Dorff is appearing here at all is very rare and special. Says Nick's business manager Jayne Madigan, "Mr. Dorff rarely performs publicly, so it is a real treat for Nick to sing with him here. Mr. Dorff wrote and produced three songs for Nick when we visited him in Los Angeles."
Nick has a special musical style that can be described as a "new generation rat packer." His style is a blend of contemporary, classical and pop with a jazzy flavor all its own. He has been compared to Josh Groban and Michael Buble. When Dorff offered to write three songs for Nick, who was then 15, it signaled a great acknowledgement of Nick's talent.
This happened in December 2007. Since then, Nick has continued to enthrall audiences while his management shops the three songs to major record labels in pursuit of a recording contract.
"Dream Big" is particularly special because it describes the exhilaration Nick feels as his lifelong dream unfolds before him while he pursues a singing career in the music industry. In fact, it is such a special song, that he has created a contest on his MySpace site to inspire listeners.
"You could have Nick come to your own home for your own private concert," Madigan said. "If you go to www.nickpallas.com and listen to the song 'Dream Big,' you can enter a contest by telling us what the song means to you in your own words. The winner will receive $500 plus a private concert and other goodies."
And if you don't win the contest, you can still see Nick at many upcoming events including the one at "Swallow at the Hollow" in Roswell. The venue is located at 1072 Green St. Or, a little closer to home, enjoy Nick at the Duluth Brown Bag Concert at noon Aug. 7 at the Duluth Town Green.
For more information about Nick and to see his upcoming schedule of performances, visit his site at Myspace.com/nickpallas or visit www.nickpallas.com.
For information about Steve Dorff, visit his Web site at www.stevedorff.com.
Former Grayson student now a rising
music star
By Fenit Nirappil
You aren't going to find 15-year-old singing sensation Nick Pallas in
the halls of Grayson High School anymore. Plucked from obscurity, Pallas has
been tossed into a world where he might find himself serenading hundreds in
South Carolina on a Friday night rather than cheering for Rams football.
The past two years have been a blur as Pallas prepares to go from singing in
school plays to singing under a big name producer in California.
Pallas was always a singer even as a child who confined his voice to his
bedroom. With no professional lessons, his first gigs were family reunions and
talent shows.
Then, the fateful month of November 2006 rolled around.
Pallas' career kicked off when an entertainer for a Grayson High pageant fell
sick. Pallas - who was operating the lights and sound - took the stage and
wowed the audience of more than 500 with a powerful, yet gentle voice booming
from a 14-year-old body. It just so happened that the pageant director was
music representative (and future manager) Jayne Madigan.
The sky has been the limit ever since. Recognizing his talent, Madigan started
booking Pallas at local events last January and became his manager that June.
His new gigs resulted in him performing in more than 50 charity events,
including a televised performance for the 11-Alive Can-A-Thon, singing the
national anthem at an Atlanta Braves game and leaving Georgia at least four
times a month. Due to his busy schedule, Pallas withdrew from Grayson High in
2007.
Press
Release:
(Featured
in the Tri-City Times and The Loganville Tribune)
15-Year-Old
Singer Signs Production Contract with Famed Producer in Los Angeles!
Atlanta, GA, January
17, 2008
– Nick Pallas from Grayson, GA sealed a production deal with veteran Los
Angeles composer and producer, Steve Dorff. Dorff has crafted songs for some of
the biggest names in show business, including Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand,
Kenny Rogers, Whitney Houston and many others. In December of 2007, Nick
accompanied by his manager, Jayne Madigan, flew out to Los Angeles to record
three original songs at Schnee Studios. These songs were written,
arranged and produced by Steve Dorff. The recording environment at this
well-known studio brought with it new opportunities to add on to Nick's
singing, such as a contribution and collaboration with pianist extraordinaire
Matt Rollings, who is one of the most skilled session players in the country.
Another asset was sound engineer John Guess, an eleven time Grammy
nominee. The titles of Nick’s original songs are Dream Big, No
Greater Love, and Tear Down All the Walls. Dream
Big describes the exhilaration Nick feels as his life-long dream unfolds
before him as he pursues a singing career in the music industry. Tear
Down all the Walls is a moving song that speaks of love and world peace,
while No Greater Love is an uplifting beautifully written spiritual
song. Nick will be touring the country to promote his new songs while his
management shops them to the major record labels to obtain a recording
contract.
Local
singer Pallas sees his star rise quickly
Gwinnett
Daily Post
12-21-07
This summer, I introduced readers to a freshman from Grayson High School, who
was quickly becoming a talented addition to the local music scene. Not quite
six months later, Nick Pallas has taken the next step to stardom: a
production deal with a noted composer/producer.
Nick and his manager, Jayne Madigan, recently returned from Los Angeles, where
Nick worked with Steve Dorff, a multi-award winning composer and producer.
Dorff has crafted songs for some of the biggest names in show business,
including Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Kenny Rogers, Whitney Houston and many
others.
Dorff is a friend of Madigan's, and when she called him with information about
the tall, dark and handsome teen with the golden voice, he became interested in
Gwinnett's young crooner.
"When Steve met Nick, he knew Nick was something special," said
Madigan. "At first he worried about Nick's age, but when he met Nick, he
saw what a mature, poised and dedicated young man he is. Now they are looking
at a long-term relationship."
How
Lucky can one guy be? 15-year-old crooner sings the classics.
By:
Sharon Swanepoel
GRAYSON -- Nick Pallas of Grayson is only 15, but he has already
been hailed as a new generation rat-packer – albeit local for the time being.
The Grayson High School sophomore has been making the rounds of local functions
singing his particular brand of “contemporary, classical and pop” music
reminiscent of the old Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin genre – entertainers he
has no problem being likened to and in fact entertainers he would very much
like to emulate.
“I want what every performer that tries to make it wants,” Pallas said. “I want
to become a recording artist and have people all over the world love my music
and come to my concerts. I do want to be a “total” entertainer such as the “rat
pack” bunch of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. They were people who not only
sang for their audience, but completely performed for their audience members
and that is exactly what I want to achieve.
Pallas said his music is influenced by the sounds of entertainers such as
Michael Buble and Josh Groban and those who know his music say he sings their
numbers with his own unique vocal style. The teenager wowed the crowd at a
recent joint in Walton County and Greater Grayson chambers of commerce network
event, working the room with the ease of a seasoned performer.
Hearthrob
of Gwinnett
By
Alysse Whatley
GRAYSON - "It has taken off pretty quickly," 15-year-old Nick Pallas,
says of the sudden launch of his music career.
Regarded as Gwinnett's teen heartthrob, Pallas's rise to local stardom is
fairy-tale like in how it quickly unfolded.
Pallas
often sang in his bedroom, family reunions, elementary school talent shows and
plays at Grayson High School. Nick belted out God Bless The USA by Lee
Greenwood in his 5th grade talent showcase and Come What May from Moulin Rouge
in 8th grade. In the play Lucky Stiff, he was the only freshman cast in a role
requiring a solo.
Pallas
claims to have developed his passion for singing at age six when his mom gave
him a CD titled, Michael Crawford performs Andrew Lloyd Webber. "Since
then," Nick says, "I've been singing my heart out in my room!".....
Tri-City
Times
Nick
Pallas is Grayson's Own Performing Prince of Hearts
By
Michelle Couch
I
always get excited when Jayne Madigan of JEM Entertainment calls to tell me
about her newest talent discovery, and Nick Pallas has taken that anticipation
to an entirely new level. My interview with Jayne and Nick occurred prior
to the recording of Nick's demo, but I was already fascinated with his innate
charm and charisma at the tender age of 15. Coupled with his manager's
keen sense of talent, I knew I was in for a treat when I did receive the
demo. What I didn't prepare for was to be swept away by his mature voice
and Broadway worthy style in which he sang his musical selections.
Literally, as I drove to Monroe listening to his demo CD on a 105-degree August
afternoon, I had goose bumps, was shivering all over, and had tears of
astonishment rolling down my cheeks.....
Gwinnett
Daily Post-
ART
BEAT: SINGER NICK PALLAS IS GWINNETT’S NEWEST “HEART-THROB!”
2007,
June 1st
Rising GraysonHigh School sophomore Nick Pallas turns 15 on June 10th,
but he isn’t going to Six Flags or having a party to celebrate. Instead, he
will be preparing to record his first CD at Groove Tunes Studio in Alpharetta.
A few days before this auspicious event, Nick will be making an appearance at
the Duluth Town Green’s Brown Bag Summer Concert series. The first concert is
on June 14th, and another happens on June 21st. On June
22nd, he will be advancing to yet another level in the “Lilburn Idol
Competition.”
This tall, handsome young man with the curly dark hair and the modest,
confident manner is definitely headed for big time show business. How he got
his start is a terrific story in its own right.
“I was running the sound booth for the ‘Miss Grayson’ pageant last year, and
the girl who was supposed to sing as the entertainment got sick,” he explains.
“A friend of mine, Sara Madigan, said ‘Let’s give Nick a chance!’ and the rest
is history. I didn’t even have time to get nervous. Once I heard people in the
crowd shouting ‘Go Nick!’ and felt the energy from the audience, it was a
defining moment for me. From then on, I knew I wanted to be a performer.”
