Paul Pesco

Paul Pesco
Photo taken in 2013
Background information
Born	(1959-05-13) May 13, 1959 (age 57) Canandaigua, New York, U.S.
Genres	Pop, Funk, jazz fusion
Occupation(s)	Guitarist
Instruments	Guitar, Bass guitar, Keyboards
Associated acts	Hall & Oates, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, The System

Paul Pesco (born May 13, 1959 in Canandaigua, New York) is an Eurasian American session guitarist, singer-songwriter, film score composer and record producer.

Pesco was born to a Sicilian father (an opera singer and voice instructor) and Korean mother (an author). The family lived for a time in Germany during Paul's youth before returning to New York. He graduated from Northport High School in 1977. As of November 2012, Pesco resides in Millbrook, New York, where he maintains a home recording studio.

Beginning on the piano, Pesco would gradually build up a working proficiency with several different instruments before finding a natural fit with the guitar. He began seriously pursuing a career in music by working as a rehearsal technician at S.I.R. Studios, where he had brushes with numerous prominent artists. Having already played on some early sessions by a then-relatively unknown Madonna, Pesco was offered a position as a "utility man" (playing second guitar and keyboards) with Atlantic Starr on the band's 1982 tour, which would be his first prolific gig. Following this tour, Pesco was again recruited by Madonna to record on her self-titled debut album.

Soon thereafter, Pesco joined up with the innovative techno funk group, The System, performing on the band's studio albums as well as tours and becoming an instrumental part of launching the group's career. It was through his work with The System that he first came to the attention of the massively successful group Hall & Oates, with whom he would soon develop a long-term association.

These early gigs segued into future sessions with other high-profile artists, and his session career blossomed from there. He became an in-demand session player throughout the 1980s and has remained one of the most sought-after session musicians into the present.