Michael John Wagner

Michael grew up on the south side of Pittsburgh with his mother, father, and two sisters. From a very young age he displayed a great interest in the performing arts. He attended the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts where he majored in theater. While in high school Michael was selected to attend the prestigious Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts where he would study every aspect of performance theater with some of the country's most renowned theater professionals and instructors. Although the stage was Michael's first passion, he began to explore and brandish his more musical faculties as well. After receiving a Presidential Scholarship to Point Park University in Pittsburgh to continue his studies in theater, Michael left the Conservatory and finished his first year at Temple University in Philadelphia before moving to Los Angeles. Since his arrival in Los Angeles he has worked extensively on recording and promoting his music as well as making appearances in film and commercials. MJ first found national acclaim when he wrote and recorded a hip-hop remix of "New York, New York" for the Justin Timerlake blockbuster, Friends With Benefits, which would go on to be twice featured on ABC's Dancing With The Stars and NBC's America's Got Talent. He'd follow that up with a remix to Neil Diamond's "Holy Holly" for the Kevin James comedy, Here Comes the Boom. He has written and performed with some of the industry's biggest, including Thirty Seconds to Mars (on The Ellen DeGenerous Show), Ruben Studdard, El DeBarge, Chali 2na, and Eddie Griffin. Most recently he headlined the Boogaloo Music Festival in California and was featured on DJ Hapa's "Feel Good Sound" on Dash Radio.