Josh Zuckerman

Josh Zuckerman came by success in a roundabout way. As a child, he really wanted to be a rock musician; instead, he ended up studying the violin. When he finally did get to play rock, it was for a cover band, when what he really wanted to do was play his own music. Today, he's finally doing his own thing: playing rock guitar and singing vocals with lots of pop flavor.

For years Zuckerman devoted himself to supporting other musicians. Early in his career, he called himself Josh Stevens, and for a time, he fronted the rock band China White. Though he doesn't seem to think much of his time with that band, it was with China White that he opened for Warrant, the heavy-metal pop group (with the superhuge hair) that peaked in the '80s. And though some may scoff at the musical genre that had straight men sporting tights and perms, for Zuckerman -- an avowed Bon Jovi fan -- this was a big deal.

Shutting the door on an unsatisfying run with China White, Zuckerman found work as a singer and band instructor for the feel-good "Up With People." Dropping the Stevens alias, he went on to play some impressive shows, including one with Peabo Bryson at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, and another with B.B. King at the 1998 World Expo.

Now, after many years of surrendering the limelight to others, Zuckerman is finally coming into his own. His first solo album, the modestly uncapitalized "a totally new sensation," has earned some decent reviews, and one of the tracks, "When Love Comes Back Again," recently won third place in the 2004 International Songwriting Competition.

Zuckerman's musical coming-out blends traces of heavy metal and rock (while growing up he listened to a lot of Joan Jett-type music), with a healthy dose of modern radio-pop sensibility -- perfect for the listener who shuns postpunk and/or hip-hop. "When Love Comes Back Again," a piece similar in feel to Deep Blue Something's 1995 hit "Breakfast at Tiffany's," covers familiar lyrical terrain, which should help Zuckerman appeal to the radio masses.

All in all, the new album is solid pop rock. The title track makes good use of Zuckerman's ample (and slightly gravelly) vocals. "Missing You" is a sweet song with strumming guitars about taking a chance on love. Zuckerman even somehow manages to effectively work references to both the missionary and doggie-style positions into his lyrics.

A veteran musician, Zuckerman is a decent songwriter, and he's come up with some catchy melodies for his solo debut. Now he's back in the studio, working on 13 new songs. Look for his second solo album -- and another round of tour dates -- to be announced soon.