“I love the fact that I can make people happy, in any form. Even if it’s just an hour of their lives, if I can make them feel lucky or make them feel good, or bring a smile to a sour face, that to me is worthwhile.”
Josh fell in love with performing at the age of 9, with his first major professional role at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Josh studied musical theatre at the University of Colorado-Boulder and Northern Illinois University, practicing the vocal stylings of Steve Perry and Freddie Mercury in-between opera and acting lessons.
Post college, Josh joined 80s tribute band The Breakfast Club, and soon he was playing across the country at private and public events opening for national acts like The Romantics, Human League, Gin Blossoms, Rusted Root, Coolio and Biz Markie. The group also had the honor of performing for the US Air Force troops stationed in Jordan and Qatar.
In the summer of 2011, Josh auditioned for Karaoke Battle USA, a new nationally televised program on ABC. Hosted by *NSYNC’s Joey Fatone, it pitted thousands of singers across the country battling to become the Karaoke National Champion and featured celebrity judges including platinum selling artist Carnie Wilson and the former editor of Rolling Stone magazine Joe Levy. Josh earned praise with each performance, with Carnie exclaiming that Josh “continued to dazzle, excite, and generate electricity in the room wherever he stood or sang.”
After winning the competition he was signed with Hollywood Records and represented the United States at the Karaoke World Championships in Killarney, Ireland. In 2012, Josh released his first single, “City Lights”, which immediately garnered heavy fan-driven rotation on Chicago radio station Star 105.5. After continued success and exposure in the Chicagoland festival and club circuit, he teamed up with the Florida-based “MTV Buzzworthy” band Orange Avenue, lending his pop/rock vocals to numerous concert series at Universal Studios and Busch Gardens and sharing the stage with such artists including Vanilla Ice, Lifehouse, American Authors, Aloe Blac, Matt Nathanson, Puddle of Mudd and Tonic. Josh co-wrote with Orange Avenue for their EP Worlds Collide, released on Lovelamp Records in the fall of 2014. Orange Avenue also partnered with NBA franchise Orlando Magic to promote the upcoming season with their original single “Start Again”.
Josh resides in Chicago and can be seen on any given night expanding his repertoire performing with one of the Maggie Speaks/Magnificent Events family of bands. He continues to expand his solo endeavors and develop fresh new music acts in and around the Chicago area, including his newest project: Radio Gaga, a tribute to Lady Gaga & Queen.
