Pray for the Soul of Betty
| Pray for the Soul of Betty | |
|---|---|
| Origin | New York City |
| Genres | Post-grunge Hard rock |
| Years active | 2003—2006 |
| Labels | Baby Julius Productions/Koch Records |
| Website | www.myspace.com/prayforthesoulofbetty |
Pray for the Soul of Betty (often known by the acronym, "PFTSOB") was a hard rock band from New York City. The band consisted of Michael Hamboussi (drums), João Joya (guitar), Taylor, C.R. (bass) and lead vocalist Constantine Maroulis. On March 20, 2006, Maroulis announced his departure on the band's official message board, and on May 13, 2006, drummer Hamboussi posted in his MySpace blog that PFTSOB had officially disbanded.
Hamboussi and Joya worked as a drummer-guitarist duo in small bands before the addition of Taylor completed the original lineup. Maroulis was added as the lead vocalist in 2003 after over 150 auditions. When asked about the origin of the band's name, band members answer that they named themselves after the death of their bassist's aunt, though Betty can refer to anyone who is in need of support.
The band toured heavily around the United States and a few other countries (including Japan), simultaneously with the 2003-2004 Broadway touring production of the musical Rent. Maroulis was starring in the lead role of Roger Davis, joining his bandmates for live gigs after performing in the play each night. PFTSOB rose to national attention when Maroulis auditioned for and was selected to appear on the popular television show American Idol. His audition clip showed him "quitting" the band amongst the displeasure of one of his bandmates, which they have claimed is an inaccurate portrayal. Maroulis advanced to become one of the final six contestants on American Idol (season 4), airing in 2005. He was eliminated ahead of the other rocker of the season, Bo Bice, to the chagrin of his many fans.
In the spring of 2005, the band inked a distribution deal with Koch Records, who released a re-engineered version of their eponymous debut on May 10, 2005. (see Pray for the Soul of Betty album) The CD reached No. 129 on the Billboard 200, climbing to No. 7 on the Billboard Top Independent Albums chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart. In January 2006, the band completed a national tour beginning in San Diego and ending in Philadelphia. That March, Maroulis announced that he would be officially leaving Pray for the Soul of Betty to pursue solo projects.
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