PAUL NIELSEN
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Paul Nielsen began making music at the early age of seven when his dad showed him a few chords on the family ukelele. He immediately started writing songs and playing by ear the radio hits of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys and others. With all modesty, Paul credits his exceptional musical ear to these formative years. In 1966, Paul put together his first band, The Four Stingrays, singing his own compositions and covers alongside his brother Pete on tom-tom (see the classic photo in the Photo Gallery!). He received his first guitar for his ninth birthday and began receiving accolades during his adolescence, taking first place in school talent shows in four consecutive years (1971-1974).
By age seventeen, Paul was performing in popular cover bands and acoustic duos in the LA area. From 1986 to 1990, Paul’s pop duo with David Starns (“Petting Zoo”) regularly packed the house at Shaker Mountain Inn in Glendale. He later enjoyed great success performing with Jo Anne (Kurman) Montana in their renowned acoustic duo, “Nielsen and Montana”. N&M was arguably the finest acoustic cover duo in the LA area during their five-year run (1995-2000) at Beckham Place Restaurant in Pasadena. Their extensive fan base covered the entire metropolitan area, as fans would drive great distances to hear folk-pop classics performed by this stellar duo.
Paul continued writing songs all along, and he moved to Nashville in February 2003 to pursue his songwriting career in earnest. Almost immediately, his songs were being plugged on Music Row by Americana Entertainment, which counted him as one of their own. Currently his catalog is represented by Soundhaven Music Publishing. He performs regularly at Nashville’s most prestigious songwriter venues, including the famous Bluebird Café. He has been featured at several songwriter showcases.
In 2005, Paul recorded his first independent CD project, “Trust the Water” (co-produced with Chip Martin). Paul wrote or co-wrote all of the tracks on this CD, which has been receiving universally high praise. For more information and to place a secure online order over CDBaby.com, see the Buy/Links pages!
In addition to being a seasoned songwriter, Paul is a much sought-after guitarist. He is often seen accompanying songwriters and artists in showcases around town, including radio and television broadcasts.