Jonas Brothers Biography

From LoveToKnow Music

The Jonas Brothers biography is of interest to fans young and old. Although these teenage heartthrobs are on top of the world now, their rise to the top wasn’t overnight. It turns out that the boys all have youngest brother Nick to thank for their big chance, and a lot of hard work went into building their career.

Jonas Brothers Biography – The Early Years

There are three Jonas Brothers – Kevin, Joe and Nick. Kevin, the oldest, was born November 5, 1987. Joe followed on August 15, 1989 and youngest brother Nick was born September 16, 1992. All three were born in Wyckoff, New Jersey.

Despite being the youngest, Nick Jonas got a jump start on his brothers in the music industry when he was discovered by a music manager while singing in a barber shop. The manager took Nick on as a client and soon helped him land a series of roles on Broadway. He performed in Annie Get Your Gun, A Christmas Carol, Les Miserables and Beauty and The Beast, among others.

While Nick was a cast member in Beauty and The Beast, he recorded a song he had co-written with his father called Joy to the World (A Christmas Prayer). The song was for a compilation called Broadway’s Greatest Gift: Carols for a Cure Volume 4 and featured backing vocals by his fellow Beauty and The Beast cast mates. Although the song wasn’t intended to be a launching pad for a Nick Jonas mainstream music career, it garnered significant airplay on Christian radio stations, and soon Columbia Records took notice.

Columbia signed Nick to a deal to record a solo album of Christian music. The label was not happy with the resulting recordings, but they did like the way Nick sounded when he sang with his brothers, who had been recruited for backing vocals for the album. They decided to try a different tact and signed Joe and Kevin up to record an album with Nick. Originally the name of the group was to be Sons of Jonas, but they soon settled in on the Jonas Brothers.

Jonas Brother Biography – First Releases and Label Changes

The first Jonas Brothers full length releases came in 2006. It’s About Time was promoted through a series of high profile touring appearances with some of the biggest names of the day in pop music, including Kelly Clarkson, Jesse McCartney and The Cheetah Girls.

The release of It’s About Time got caught up in personnel changes at Columbia and parent company Sony, and the album was pushed back several times. The initial release date was supposed to be in February, but it did not come out until August. The label limited the run to 50,000 units – hence sky high prices today on internet auction sites.

The relationship with Columbia was always contentious, and the group’s management felt that the label was not invested in promoting the record. Columbia dropped the Jonas Brothers in 2007, and they were quickly scooped up by Hollywood Records, a subsidiary of The Disney Corporation.

Jonas Brother Biography – Disney Days

Hollywood Records proved to be a better home for the Jonas Brothers. They were able to more effectively reach the group’s demographic. They put them on several film soundtracks and various Disney compilations. A string of TV appearances also followed, including The Miss America Pageant and their important appearance on an episode of the Hannah Montana Show.

The boys’ next album, A Little Bit Longer, came out in June of 2008. The sales of this album were much stronger than the first, thanks to relentless touring by the brothers and heavy promotion by Hollywood. Sales were bolstered even further when the band appeared in their own Disney Channel movie called Camp Rock.

2009 and Beyond

Looking to change their sound, the Jonas Brothers hired producer Timbaland to work on their third album, set for a 2009 release. They are also expected to collaborate with R&B singer Chris Brown.