Joe Sopala

Joseph Benedict Sopala (born 20 March 1968), known professionally by his name Joe Sopala, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, actor, and father of three. He was the idea man, co-author, co-songwriter, singer, and actor in the Musical Streetlight written for the International Performing Arts Group Gen Rosso. The message of universal brotherhood behind the story line of Streetlight still reaches thousands of troubled teens around the world from South America to mainland China and from Africa to Northern Europe. Joe Sopala's dedicated contribution to the arts has helped so many troubled youth around the world deal with serious problems such as gang related anxiety, urban violence, gang related death as well as coping with lost family members and friends. His work has inspired thousands of children to look for something better than what the streets have to offer. He also writes nice songs. The Streetlight project involves youth from juvenile detention centers inviting them to bring their talents on stage after a 3 day workshop teaching them the story of Charles Moats and how to put a production in lights. He toured with them from 1992-2002 before launching a solo career. He has included elements of rock, jazz, reggae, and worldbeat in his music. Although very familiar with the European music scene he is still quite new as a solo artist in the American music scene and is currently working on his first solo Album.
Early life
Joseph Benedict Sopala was born in Chicago Illinois, USA on March 20, 1968 the third of 7 children born to Alice Diane (Belcher), a homemaker / secretary, and Walter John Sopala, a Craftsman and inventor. He grew up in Hyde Park, Chicago’s "Southside", which made an lasting impression on him and his style of music. He helped his father deliver and install custom made cabinets since he was little and by age 12 was captivated by a tape recorder given him as a gift. He started recording songs from the radio and playing them over and over until he knew them by heart. He would start changing the lyrics to the songs and sing them to his friends as gifts and eventually started write his own for that same reason: a gift.
He attended Shoesmith Elementary School in Hyde Park, a Black public School on the southside. After Middle School at Louis Wirth he attended all white Mount Carmel High School a Catholic school for boys even further south into Chicago's ghetto. There he met Joe Williams, son of Jody Williams (jazz Guitarist) and soon started sneaking into nightclubs such as the Checkerboard Lounge where he was overwhelmed by music’s great s like Muddy Waters, TJ Hooker and Stevie Ray Vaughn. After High School he took a year off on a spiritual journey to Italy to rediscover his Christian faith. There he met Crazy Louis a Spaniard who changed the way he looked at life. Joe went back to Chicago to gather his things and moved to New York where he worked as waiter at Hoolihan’s on Wall Steet and a party animator to pay for his college education where he studied film production. After a few years he moved upstate to Hyde Park NY and got a job as a construction worker and switched his major to Science of Education to become a teacher. Before starting his teaching career he was called back to Italy where he followed his initial quest to achieve a higher spirituality by dedicating his life to the teachings of Chiara Lubich. There he was contacted by the International Performing Arts group GenRosso to sing and perform on there 1993 European Tour. Joe introduced a mix of Rock RnB and Rap to the group to appeal to a younger crowd. He eventually came up with the idea of writing a musical based on the true story of Charles Moats which is still touring today.
Musical career
1989-1992 One Shout
In August 1988 Joe moved from Brooklyn to Hyde Park New York and joined Tommy Hartmann, John Kerr, Ed Roy and Juan Martin Etcheverry to form One Shout where he was inspired to write. When it Rains, My Room and It’s Called Love.
1993-2002: GenRosso
In October 1992, Joe moved from Hyde Park NY to Florence Italy and joined Lode Cipri, Beni Enderle and Sandro Crippa to perform in Gen Rosso. From 1993 to 2002 they released 5 inspiring albums which influenced the international music scene around the world. After co-writng and performing in the hit Musical Streetlight for 3 years Joe felt that it was time for a change. “Of course it wasn’t a logical choice to leave the group when everything was going great and just going to get better. I just knew it was time to go for my own good and the good of the whole group.” Joe wrote one of the most heart touching songs, Traces along with The Trip and The Rock and Roll Song.
Humanitarian Work
2002-2015
In November 2006 Joe started teaching Voice Technique at CMM Center of Modern Music in Aosta Italy and dedicated his free time to organize benefit concerts to raise money for cancer research AIRC This project continued for 5 years.
Work Continues
2016: Solo Debut
In December 2015 Joe releases his Thringle (Three Singles) to his upcoming album Living in a Crazyspill which include his hit I Will Always Love You, Reason to Live and Come Take a Walk.

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