It seems that a lot of famous bands nowadays are formed by family units. Currently, for example, we have the Jonas Brothers, Kings of Leon and Southern Raised. If we go further back, the Jacksons, Oasis, the Corrs and the BeeGees. We also need to add Boyce Avenue to this list.
Connie Talbot was one of the first-ever contestants on the UK based talent series Britain’s Got Talent. When these two musical talents combined to perform an acoustic version of “Endless Love”, magic happened.
Learn more about Connie Talbot by clicking here. Boyce Avenue hails from Sarasota, Florida, and comprises brothers Daniel, Fabian, and Alejandro Manzano. The band was formed in 2000 when Fabian, then sixteen years old and Alejandro, fourteen, began to play the guitar. They loved to play music, and within three months, they roped in their big brother Daniel and began performing in public.
Alejandro is multi-instrumental and plays guitar and piano, and sings vocals. Fabian also sings and plays the guitar. Daniel may have been drawn in by his brothers, but he has plenty of musical chops of his own. He plays bass, percussion, and sings in the band. Their first performance was at Pine View High School, the school they all attended.
Once Daniel and Fabian, the older brothers, had graduated, the band took a back seat as they pursued their own interests at university. Fabian studied Architecture at the University of Florida, and Daniel attended the prestigious Harvard Law School. But, even with challenging timetables, the boys met up as often as possible to work on their music.
Daniel graduated in 2004 and returned home to Florida. He re-joined his brothers as the band's bassist, and Alejandro, who was now eighteen, set about writing the band's first original track titled Find Me. They initially performed in Sarasota, and Alejandro even won the Mr Pine View competition at his school, which garnered press attention. Following his graduation, the band stayed in Florida but moved to Gainesville. Alejandro enrolled in the University of Florida with his brother.
The band started to refine their sound and recorded their first singles in 2006. They began entering songwriting competitions and were semi-finalists in the 2007 International Songwriting Competition, winner of one of twelve Lennon Award winners in the 2007 John Lennon Songwriting Contest and a finalist in the 2008 International Songwriting Competition.
The band took a break from public appearances at this time, preferring to work on their debut album as well as the competitions. They released All You're Meant To Be in March 2008. They uploaded some of the songs from this album as well as covers onto YouTube around this time. Interest in the band was growing, and in 2009 they performed in New York City, selling out the Mercury Lounge. They achieved even more recognition when their song Hear Me Now was used during a WWE tribute to Eddie Guerrero.
The band spent much of 2010 and 2011 touring in the US and the Philippines. They were also signed by Universal Rebuplic records, who launched their second album, All We Have Left. They released several singles and music videos, including Find Me and Every Breath, before leaving Universal Republic to form their own label, 3 Peace. They released a live album, No Limits and a studio album, Road Less Traveled, on their label.
In recent years the band has become one of the biggest acts on YouTube, with 15.8 million subscribers and a combined video viewing figure of 6.12 billion views! No wonder their net worth is estimated at between five and six million dollars.
Boyce Avenue is a family bank, and that family has expanded over the years. Daniel is married to Shelley, and they have four children called Miciel, Kian, Luca, and Oceana. Fabian is also married. He began dating his now-wife Jessica when they were sixteen! The childhood sweethearts married in 2008 and have a son, Nicolai. Alejandro dated a couple of girls before he found "the one" and is now married to Northern-Irish artist Rachel. Now we need to wait and see if the next generation has the musical talent of their parents or chooses to go another way.
If you want to see more from Boyce Avenue, you can subscribe to their YouTube channel or follow them on Facebook or Instagram. You can also visit their official website for more information on upcoming tours and shows.