Singer-songwriter Gary Souza writes music with a love-filled passion for life. Through joyous and tragic times, he has an unmatched ability to be his raw and authentic self within his music.

Gary was born in Sacramento, California, to his father, a Native of Oakland, California, and his mother, a Mexican Immigrant from Jalisco who swam to the Rio Grand.

Gary's first house was not a house but a printshop his dad saved up for on Main Street of Del Paso Heights, an unsafe neighborhood in Sacramento. Gary recalls hearing the presses sounding off like a metronome, a timekeeper of sorts. He remembers hearing his father cranking up the tunes while his father ran the presses, joyously expressing his love for music even while Gary would join him in his deliveries.

"That's what started it all; my dad showed me his taste in music. He made it seem so real and fun, like it was the coolest thing in the world, and to me, it was."

That is where he truly began his love affair with music.

At age six, Gary and his family moved from the big city to a small town in the golden foothills of California. Gary's life was dramatically affected by the loss of his older brother, who lost his life due to gang violence.

" I remember getting dressed for my brother's funeral on the morning of 9/11; I heard the news reporters cry out in disbelief as two airplanes collided with the Twin Towers. At that moment, I felt my innocence as a child fade away; I couldn't wrap my head around why people would want to hurt one another. It didn't make sense then, nor does it make sense to me now."

These moments impacted and shaped him into the man he is today. It didn't help that Gary had trouble fitting in his small town and new school, where most students were predominantly white. Being a minority of Mexican descent, he dealt with racism, sexual assault, physical violence, and hazing. He realized that the world was darker than it seemed. Music was his only escape, a muse that helped him cope and made him feel that people cared.

" If John Lennon could write the lyrics to Imagine and believe in a better world, then so can I. "

Though Gary faced many troubles, his strong, loving heart gave him hope and a vision that his music could change the world.

"Call me naive or simple, but deep down, I genuinely believe that music could do a lot of good for this world; I mean, God knows all the people in the world need something in their lives that they can cope with and relate to and dance to. That's why I fell in love with music. The thought of writing a song that could be a mirror image, a snapshot, or a tailored soundtrack made for your life is what drives me. Afer all, a song is like a bookmark for all the memories from a lifetime. And to be a part of my fan's life always begins after they hit play. "

Growing up in Calaveras County, the local school system embraced Gary's love and interest in music. He was introduced to music classes in second grade. Gary started learning the Recorder in fourth grade and how to read and play the Alto Sax in the symphonic band in fifth grade. By the time sixth grade came around, he got his first electric guitar. He even started his first band with some students winning a talent show with a cover of Green Day's Brain Stew.

" That was the first time I performed. I sang and played guitar, and it felt amazing; I was hooked. "

Gary took music classes throughout school growing up. He excelled in guitar class, even teaching students and helping out the guitar teacher. He graduated in his last year of high school with three music classes, a first for Calaveras High School.

" I just knew what I wanted and worked hard to get the credits I needed to graduate early. This way, I could free up classes for music classes. It was well worth it. Being Voted most likely to become a rockstar by my class of 2012. Carrying my guitar everywhere I went showed my dedication to my classmates.""

After graduating and going through all the ups and downs of becoming a young adult and a growing musician, Gary went straight to L.A. for an audition for the hit TV show The Voice, which he had done before. Still, the outcome was different this time. Being rejected by other auditions and TV shows made him more comfortable on stage.

" Every time I was told no, I wanted it more, and I learned from every audition I found myself in, and with every experience, it was life-changing. "

The executive producers loved Gary's performance and audition. They gave him a callback ticket to go back to L.A. for another round of auditions. He had been let go many times before but was so close to being on the show that he could taste it. Three months later, he was at an American Idol Audition at the Giants Stadium in San Fransico, California. Amongst 20 thousand people, he was the last to audition in the stadium. He stood before three judges and sang his heart out for a Golden ticket.

" I was so nervous watching a stadium full of people get in line for an audition that could change their lives; the energy was thick and exciting. Being last in the stadium to audition didn't help with the nerves"

Gary remembers that most Idol workers came rushing in excitedly during his audition. They heard his voice and thought they were witnessing history; they were wowed, and the judges gave him the Golden Ticket. They told him that the American Idol Camera Crew would be coming to Gary's house to shoot promo shots and bio for the upcoming season the very next day.

" I knew they were serious, and my life could change. My face was on billboards across the country and worldwide; I was even on city buses and commercials across social media and TV worldwide. I was everywhere. It felt so good; all the hard work and love for music was paying off. All I had to do was audition three more times, and if I was good enough, I could audition in front of Harry Connick Jr, Keith Urban, and Jennifer Lopez and receive another Golden Ticket."

After the smoke and lights dissipated, Gary reached the top 40 in America. He got to know the judges and the host, Ryan Seacrest. He even jammed with Keith Urban a few times.

" It was all life-changing and a great learning experience; it validated that music would be my future and way of life from then on."

Gary has worked with producers such as Ira Walker, who wrote Eddie Money's " I Wanna Go Back", a platinum-selling song; he was also the bassist for Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship. Gary also plays in two different countries, the U.S and Mexico. Gary is currently recording and producing artists he meets along the way.

" Music means the world to me. The Gary Souza Band is touring around the tri-county area and has begun recording their first album. We hope to see all of you out in the crowd, maybe even at the 2024 San Joaquin Asparagus Festival or your backyard or wedding. If you're interested, book us, and we'll be there."

Gary is excited about the future of his career and wants to deliver the best music to the world, so listen, follow the band, buy those tickets, and be a part of Gary's life.