ron mael

In collaboration with vocalist brother Russell, composer/keyboardist Ron Mael was the mastermind behind the skewed pop smarts and wiseguy wordplay of cult favorite Sparks. Born August 12, 1950, in Culver City, CA, Mael spent his childhood modeling young men\'s apparel for mail-order catalogues; while attending UCLA in 1970, he and Russell formed their first group, Halfnelson. Although Todd Rundgren produced the band\'s self-titled 1971 debut, their quirky, tongue-in-cheek art pop initially failed to find an audience. After their manager successfully convinced the Maels to change the group\'s name, however, Sparks almost reached the Hot 100 with the single \"Wonder Girl.\" 1972\'s sublimely bizarre A Woofer in Tweeter\'s Clothing cemented the band\'s cult status, and scored another near-hit with \"Girl From Germany.\" Following the Maels\' relocation to England, 1974\'s glam-bubblegum opus Kimono My House reached the Top Five on the U.K. album charts and spawned two major British hits,...

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