Matt Annecharico

A local singer-songwriter is branching out to host a syndicated television show to help other performers get a start in the business.

Matt Annecharico helped create “MyBand: Vegas” and will star in the show when it debuts in January.

“It’s a music video show that gives independent musicians a platform to have their music video on TV for free,” Annecharico said. “I grew up in independent music and I know how hard it is to find someone to do something like this. We also interview the artists and industry insiders … we’ve talked to tons of musicians all over the world.”

The show will originate from Las Vegas and Annecharico said he is shopping it around to local affiliates. It also will be available on the Internet.

It’s the latest venture for the 24-year old Phoenix man who has made a journey from contemporary Christian vocalist to out-and-proud gay pop star, embracing both his faith and his sexuality.

Annecharico, who came out to his fans early this year, has earned multiple award nominations for his album Mirrors, and is preparing a new album and tour for 2011.

His breakthrough cover of Michael Jackson’s 1995 hit “You Are Not Alone” came almost by accident. “I was in West Hollywood for a show the day he died,” Annecharico said. “My manager said ‘you can’t go out on that stage and not acknowledge what just happened, especially here.’ She thought I should sing one of his songs. She convinced me to do ‘You Are Not Alone.’ The place just went nuts —it was incredible. I did not expect that kind of reaction.”

Annecharico is using “You Are Not Alone” to turn a Hollywood tragedy into a force for good, donating 100 percent of the profits from the song to The Trevor Project, a non-profit suicide-prevention lifeline for LGBT teens.

He also recorded a video for the It Gets Better project, publicly discussing his struggle for the first time. “I talked about how I’ve been there, how I’ve considered suicide, and I’m glad I didn’t succeed. It does get better. If we help one person, that’s my goal.”

Annecharico’s creative journey began early. “My mom loves to tell the story that I sang before I talked,” he said. A starring role in a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat led to his first album, the Christian-contemporary Difference.

2008’s Mirrors found the singer breaking away from the confines of Christian music, and Annecharico said the songs he wrote for the CD were essential to his own self-acceptance.

His song “Honestly” was the turning point. “I remember being so frustrated about how people perceived me,” he said. “The people in the religious community saw me as this perfect little angel, and I was not that by any means. There were so many views of me, and — it’s all me. Accept me for who I am. It was a fight. That song is a milestone for me and really got me through.”

Annecharico said his coming-out was well received by many in his church. “People were so accepting. When I came out, nobody cared, even in the religious community, and they still support me.”

Annecharico is recording an album for release in 2011. “It’s really going to be the first project where I’m going to be acknowledging bluntly my sexuality,” he said. The self-described “workaholic” will also embark on a multi-city “Pride Tour” that will take him around the country, as well as back home to Phoenix.

“I like to work a lot,” he said. “I love what I do, working on the new music … I’m really excited to show a different side of me.” - Echo Magazine

Matt Annecharico had done a little bit of singing in the shower but it wasn't until he took on the title character in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat that he felt a calling to perform.

He was only 12 at the time but the experience was so positive that he realized, like the biblical Joseph, he had his own dream to follow.

Fast-forward nine years and Annecharico is releasing Mirrors, his second CD. His first, Differences, was made independently in the back of a house. Mirrors was produced in the Scottsdale studio of MakeShift Records.

At 6 p.m. Sunday, Annecharico will give a CD release concert at Christ the King Lutheran Church, his home church in northeast Phoenix.
Mirrors is a joint writing venture with Heath Bottomly, a co-owner at MakeShift.

Bottomly said Annecharico has something special, not only in his music but in his personality, his commitment to other people. It was the information that the young man revealed when he first met with MakeShift to make a recording.

Annecharico talked about his passions in life, including wanting to help those with muscular dystrophy. Two of his cousins died because of the illness and he promised he would try to raise awareness in their memory.
"Things clicked in our minds," Bottomly said. "He's not going to start and stop. He has character."

Music and passion
Formal training: None. "I've just listened to different styles and taken something from each one."
His musical start: Annecharico credits Christ the King Lutheran Church members for giving him a lot of support in his musical pursuits. "I've done a lot of singing behind the pulpit and helped my church do a contemporary worship service," songs that are more popular in sound as opposed to traditional songs found in hymnals.
His musical style: Difference, his first independently produced CD, was what he calls "hard core Christian" music. Mirrors doesn't carry the specific stamp of being a Christian album, he added.
His hope for Mirrors: He hopes all listeners will be able to take something personal from his new recording. "This album is about how you perceive yourself."
Giving back: Annecharico insisted that $1 from CD proceeds go to fight muscular dystrophy. "I just want to share what's been given to me and make sure it's used for good."

Song sampler
What: Singer/writer Matt Annecharico shares some of his favorite songs on his new CD and explains its theme.
Mirrors title: "It looks at how you perceive yourself as opposed to how others see you. For me it was a journey to really accept and love myself for who I was."

Daylight: (Written by guitarist Jeff Gilbert and Heath Michael Bottomly, co-owner of MakeShift Records.) "The beauty about this song is that it can be about anybody, whether your best friend or parent, brother or sister. It's about who brings who brings light into your life.

Honestly: (Written by Annecharico and Bottomly.) "I got so tired of people seeing this perfect image of who they thought I was. This song is about celebrating the fact I'm not perfect and that's OK."

Wonder Why: (Written by Annecharico and Bottomly.) "I was sitting at Desert Ridge (shopping center) and was watching kids play in the fountain. It was so beautiful. They didn't have a care in the world. I don't understand why we lose that."

- The Arizona Republic

At first take, Matt Annecharico seems like another musician on the cusp of hitting it big. First leaning on his background in theater, independent film, and television, Matt’s success has branched out to include music. His musical tangent developed into a sincere enthusiasm, one which eventually landed his song “Never Believed In Angels (Till God Sent Me You)” on K-Love national radio station. 

With such an impressive background and his silky smooth vocals, his upcoming “Mirrors” album with MakeShift Records seems destined for great things. At first take, one may be tempted to think of him that some people have all the luck. 


But an honest conversation or two with Matt quickly reveals that all has not been smooth sailing for Matt. The path that has brought him to where he is today reveals not only the obstacles he has overcome but also why it is that he works to make his music about more than just himself.

As a kid, Matt watched as Muscular Dystrophy ravaged his two cousins, who were also his very close friends. Trevor and Tyler were brothers who loved life and fought hard to overcome the rigors of a disease that claims the lives of most affected children by the age of ten. 

Right before Trevor died at the age of twelve, he bid his younger brother Tyler to make a promise to stay alive until Tyler turned fifteen. During this time, Matt and Tyler became best friends. Matt watched Tyler struggle and become a beacon of hope as a state ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.


Tyler indeed kept his promise to his older brother and lived just past his fifteenth birthday. When Matt watched his cousin and best friend also pass away from this disease, he knew he had to carry on Tyler’s fight. 

So, he made a promise to use his art to make a tangible difference to others who suffer from Muscular Dystrophy, no matter the sacrifices involved. Matt has witnessed directly the impact that MDA, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, has on those with the disease. Matt is scheduled to perform and spend time at their annual summer camp, which gives affected kids a chance to meet others with their condition. 

These kids get to feel normal as they interact with those who face the same difficulties and participate in specialized recreational activities which would normally be impossible for their handicapped bodies. 

But Matt is paying more than lip service to MDA. He has fought hard to bring his lawyers and record label on-board with agreeing to donate one dollar of every album sold to MDA. His goal is to raise one thousand dollars by the 43rd MDA telethon this Labor Day.

For Matt Annecharico, music is about so much more than radio time and fame. That wouldn’t have been enough to keep him going. Music is a tough industry, and what has kept him in the game is the chance to make life better for someone through his art form. 


Music is a powerful agent of connection and change as it is, but he’s taking it one step further to link it directly up to tangible needs in our community. When I asked him what hopes he has for his music, Matt replied: 

"As far as doing something good with music.... Ya know, music has gotten me through some of the hardest times in my life and even some of the happiest times. I just hope that, with the music I make, someone out there will be able to connect with it the same I have. As far as this record goes, I really have no idea where it's going to take me. But what I do know is, I may never have another chance like this again so I wanted to do some good with the opportunity I'd been given. 

"Muscular Dystrophy was such an obvious choice for me. My cousin and I had such a connection that I don't think either of us had ever had before, so I wanted to continue his fight in finding a cure. MDA is an organization that is so near and dear to my heart. I just love meeting the kids and the families."

- Wrecked For The Ordinary

Matt Annecharico
Posted by Duncan Moore On April - 15 - 2009

Name: Matt Annecharico
Label: MakeShift Records
Site: myspace.com/annecharico

How did your band get started and where?
I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and had always done a ton of acting. I did my first singing in
church and I’ll never forget it because all the kids laughed at me! But I wanted to be good at
it so I worked really hard and kept at it. A couple years later when I’d sang in church, all
those same kids were shocked!

How would you describe your sound?
I’m influenced by so many different genre’s and I’d hate to be the stereotypical artist who
doesn’t like to be categorized so I would say “Pop” is my general sound. As in, the music I
make will evolve as time evolves and people’s taste in music changes. That is, after all,
why music is “POPular” at any particular time.

Walk us through how the band comes up with songs.
Ya know, I carry a journal with me at all times and I can be just driving down the road and
suddenly think of lyrics and I’ll write it down. I have a couple journals full of just random
lines. The beauty about music is inspiration can come from anything, anyone and at any time. I
try to be prepared.

Who are your musical influences?
I love so many types of music and grew up listening to everything. I love John Mayer’s music.
His words are so powerful. Marc Broussard,is another one. He has so much soul.

What aspect of making music excites you the most right now?
I really enjoy all of it. Ya know, the whole process from thinking of a random line and
turning that into a song and then watching that song be produced and put on a record as
part of a compilation of songs - it’s all so fascinating to me. I think, most of all, what I
love is performing the songs and seeing people’s reaction. It’s a beautiful
connection you can make with the audience.

What are you up to right now, music-wise?
Well I’ve begun writing for the next project but I’m really working on promoting the
“Mirrors” album. I’ll give you some insider information though….I was just called by
Al Bowman who told me I was nominated for Male Singer/Songwriter Of The Year for the
Los Angeles Music Awards!

In what ways does the place where you live (or places where you have lived), affect
the music you create, or your taste in music?
My surroundings certainly affect my music. Every life experience inspires a song in my mind.
Your environment affects your mood and even your outlook on life. On the “Mirrors” album,
some of the songs were written from my cousin’s perspective as he was going through life in a
wheel chair because he had Muscular Dystrophy and couldn’t really be a “normal” kid, if
there is even such a thing. After we recorded them I realized “wow, I have felt that
way too” so I think everyone can identify with those same feelings in some way.

When was the last time you wrote a song? What can you tell us about it?
I wrote a song recently about moving on in life. Its unique because each chorus is a little
different as the person in the song progresses and moves on in the only way they know how.

Name a band or musician, past or present, who you flat-out LOVE and think more
people should be listening to. What’s one of your all-time favorite recordings by
this band/musician?
I have to go with Marc Broussard on that one. His music is just amazing. He has that New Orleans
blues/rock kind of sound to his voice and music that I just LOVE. My favorite recording by him is
“Let The Music Get Down In Your Soul” from his “S.O.S” album. Amazing. The man is genius.

What is your absolute favorite song?
I have to say, “Defying Gravity” from the Broadway show “Wicked” is amazing. I saw the original
cast on Broadway in New York City and Idina Menzel is genius. She gave me chills during that song.

Every band has a song that they wish got more credit. What’s yours?
“Wonder Why”. It’s such a beautiful song with a ton of meaning behind it. Musically its really
simple and I think that adds to it’s beauty. I love this song! - www.freshmusicexpress.com

The day after Michael Jackson died, Phoenix resident and pop singer Matt Annecharico was in West Hollywood, getting ready to go on stage. It was June 26, 2009.

In honor of Jackson, Annecharico's manager suggested he perform a Jackson song.


"My reaction was, 'No way, am I going to do a Michael Jackson song.' He had just died and I wasn't sure if that would be a good thing," Annecharico, 23, said.

The manager suggested he perform "You Are Not Alone," a song written by R&B singer R. Kelly that Jackson helped produce and recorded on his 1995 "HIStory" album.

Annecharico thought it was a fitting song, so 90 minutes before they went on, he and his band practiced. "I had to write some of the lyrics on my hand," he said. The song went well, he said, and the crowd responded with a standing ovation.

"Celine Dion's engineer was the sound man that evening, and he said I needed to record that song," he said.

Annecharico didn't know it at the time, but deciding to go on and get the license to record it would prove eventful. It led to an invitation. He'll sing the song again Friday at the one-year memorial to the King of Pop being held in Jackson's hometown of Gary, Ind.

"My manager got the call the other day from Keith Jackson, who is Michael Jackson's first cousin," Annecharico said. "He's out in Chicago and he was helping put together the entertainment for the event and he had been sent the track of my recording and he was impressed that I sang it in Michael's honor."

That led to the invitation to perform Friday.

"It was the biggest surprise. It's such an honor," Annecharico said.

The past year has been good for Annecharico. In 2009, he won "Pop Single of the Year" at the Phoenix Music Awards and "Pop Artist of the Year" at the Charlotte Music Awards. He also was nominated for "Pop Album of the Year" for his second CD, "Mirrors," at the Los Angeles Music Awards.

"Mirrors" has done well, he said, adding that he's thrilled to hear from people across the world.

It's more than just music for Annecharico. He is passionate about raising money to help those with muscular dystrophy. Two of his cousins died from the illness and he promised he would try to raise awareness in their memory. He's donating $1 from every sale of "Mirrors" to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (find his music at: http://officialmatt.com).

"Mirrors" was chosen for the title, Annecharico said, because it "looks at how you perceive yourself as opposed to how others see you. For me, it was a journey to really accept and love myself for who I was." - The Arizona Republic

In this industry all sorts of personalities will
cross your path…from bright new talents to
celebrities, from child stars to legends and
every type in between. But in my experience rarely
do you ?nd someone who’s such a calming spirit
like Matt Annecharico.
Matt is that guy you always wanted to be your
best friend. He’s the one who’s always walked to
the beat of a di?erent drummer, but kept in step
with his surroundings. He brings a smile to your
face just by walking in the room, but when he sings he brings a joy to your heart....(read more at the link provided) - Entertainment Insight