Russell Craig Mael (born October 5, 1948)[1] is an American singer best known as the lead singer for the band Sparks, which he formed in 1971 with his elder brother Ron Mael. Mael is known for his wide vocal range, in particular his far-reaching falsetto. He has a flamboyant and hyperactive stage presence which contrasts sharply with Ron Mael's inexpressive demeanour. The band released an album with British rock band Franz Ferdinand, as the supergroup FFS, titled FFS, released in 2015. The Mael brothers are the founders of Lil' Beethoven Records.
Early life
Russell Craig Mael was born on October 5, 1948, in Los Angeles, California. The Mael brothers grew up in Pacific Palisades – a relatively affluent beach neighbourhood of Los Angeles – with their father Meyer, who was a graphic designer and caricaturist for the Hollywood Citizen-News, and their mother, Miriam (née Moskowitz), a librarian.[1] Both Meyer and Miriam were the children of Jewish immigrants, Meyer of Austrian and Russian descent and Miriam Polish;[2][3] despite this, a source affiliated with the brothers' 2021 documentary stated that they "weren't raised, nor do they identify as Jewish", and the documentary does not mention their Jewish heritage.[4] Even though he played soccer and lacrosse all throughout high school, much of his inspiration came from his father taking him to the cinema as a child, where he developed an interest in film, visual arts and narrative. Meyer died when Mael was 8.[5]
After graduating from Palisades High School, both brothers enrolled at UCLA;[6] Ron began a course in cinema and graphic arts in 1963 while Russell studied theatre arts and filmmaking during 1966–1968.
Mael is known for his wide vocal range, and his most notable vocal trait is a far-reaching falsetto. An NME review described Russell's vocal range as a "stratospheric blend of Marc Bolan and Tiny Tim".[7]
The pair appeared as themselves in the 1977 disaster film Rollercoaster, performing live. They also appeared in episode 22 of season 6 of Gilmore Girls. Mael appeared in a cameo as a gallows singer in the 2018 Western Damsel, and both he and Ron appear as themselves in Annette, a musical film directed by Leos Carax that they wrote and composed.
Since the late 1980s Sparks have almost exclusively recorded in Russell's home studio, to escape the limitations of expensive studio time and maintain creative independence.[14] He mixes and engineers their work, and the brothers co-produce.[15]
Personal life
In 2017, a reviewer noted that while the brothers' biographies recount a Los Angeles childhood in which they surfed and were both models for mail order catalogues, their private lives are otherwise almost entirely unknown. "Well, we're in good company with Bob Dylan", was their reported response. "We feel the less you do know, it keeps the mythology and the image in a better position." Even to the question of whether they have partners or spouses, they refused to give an indication, insisting that "the vagueness is more interesting than the reality."[16]
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