Pray for the Soul of Betty (often known by the

acronym An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...

, PFTSOB) was a

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...

band from

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. The band consisted of Michael Hamboussi (drums), João Joya (guitar), Taylor, C.R. (bass) and lead vocalist

Constantine Maroulis Constantine James Maroulis (; born September 17, 1975) is an American actor and rock singer. He was the sixth-place finalist on the fourth season of the reality television series ''American Idol'', and received a nomination for the Tony Award f ...

. 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.

History

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 The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and a few other countries (including

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

), simultaneously with the 2003-2004 Broadway touring production of the musical ''

Rent Rent may refer to: Economics *Renting, an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property *Economic rent, any payment in excess of the cost of production *Rent-seeking, attempting to increase one's share of e ...

''. 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 ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...

''. 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) The fourth season of ''American Idol'' premiered on January 18, 2005, and continued until May 25, 2005. It was hosted by Ryan Seacrest. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell also returned to judge. Carrie Underwood won the season with approx ...

'', airing in 2005. He was eliminated ahead of the other rocker of the season,

Bo Bice Harold Elwin "Bo" Bice Jr. (born November 1, 1975) is an American singer and musician who was the runner-up against Carrie Underwood in the American Idol (season 4), fourth season of ''American Idol''. Prior to auditioning for ''American Idol'', ...

, to the chagrin of his many fans. In the spring of 2005, the band inked a distribution deal with

Koch Records MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch", formerly known as Koch Records and eOne Music) is a New York City-based independent record label and music management company. It was formed in 2009 from the music assets of Koch Entertainment, which had b ...

, who released a re-engineered version of their eponymous debut on May 10, 2005. (see ''

Pray for the Soul of Betty 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 ...

'' album) The CD reached No. 129 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' 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. Since the band's breakup, in addition to other projects Maroulis released a solo work, ''

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I * Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given na ...

'', which debuted at No. 75 on the ''Billboard'' charts. He has achieved particular success acting on Broadway. For his role as Drew in the rock musical ''

Rock of Ages Rock of Ages may refer to: Films * ''Rock of Ages'' (1918 film), a British silent film by Bertram Phillips * ''Rock of Ages'' (2012 film), a film adaptation of the jukebox musical (see below) Music * ''Rock of Ages'' (musical), a 2006 rock ...

'', Maroulis received a nomination for the

Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical is awarded to the actor who was voted as the best actor in a musical play, whether a new production or a revival. The award has been given since 1948, but the nominees who did no ...

. He also received the honor of being immortalized in a caricature at

Sardi's Sardi's is a Continental food, continental restaurant located at 234 West 44th Street, between Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eighth Avenue, in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Manhattan, New Yo ...

, taking his place alongside other Broadway luminaries similarly honored at the legendary New York City establishment. (For more detailed information regarding Constantine, see also:

.) Hamboussi has also been involved with various music projects in the New York City area, including the band January Jane. Hamboussi and Maroulis served as Creative Directors for Sweetfire Studios, a recording studio in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

Style and culture

The band cites many artists and bands as influences:

Audioslave Audioslave was an American Rock music, rock supergroup (music), supergroup formed in Glendale, California, in 2001. The four-piece band consisted of Soundgarden's lead singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell with Rage Against the Machine membe ...

Velvet Revolver Velvet Revolver was an American hard rock supergroup consisting of Guns N' Roses members Slash (lead guitar), Duff McKagan (bass, backing vocals) and Matt Sorum (drums, backing vocals), alongside Dave Kushner (rhythm guitar) formerly of punk b ...

Incubus An incubus is a demon in male form in folklore that seeks to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. In medieval Europe, union with an incubus was supposed by some to result in t ...

Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to simply Rage) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerfor ...

Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea (musician), Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates element ...

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

and

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay ...

. The band has also been compared to

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...

and

Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...

Reviews and public reaction

The band received mixed reviews throughout their brief history. The increased national attention after ''American Idol'' put PFTSOB into the spotlight, transforming the band from non-notable garage band into public figures. ''"Over 600 fans showed up for the sold-out event to see their favorite Idol perform with the band in what can only be described as high-energy rock. The predominantly female audience went crazy with excitement as the group took to the stage and never let up until they brought the house down on the last song."''—Tricia Spears, ''Soundmusic.net'' ''"Their hard, brash, NY rock is complemented by their new songs which are powerful, thoughtful, and focus on the love we have in front of us. Constantine's training gave his performance a professional edge, and, combined with the skill and maturity of their instrumentals, the band proved they have earned the critical acclaim they've received."''—Janice French, ''GarageRadio.com'' ''"Thanks, Betty for waking me up.loud and rocking clear! I haven't been this giddy for a new band in a long time."''—Linda Dale MacLean, ''The Celebrity Cafe''

Discography

*2005: ''

Pray For The Soul of Betty 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 ...

References

External links