24 Facts About Paul Pena

Paul Pena was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist.

Paul Pena is probably best known for writing the song "Jet Airliner," a major 1977 hit for the Steve Miller Band and a staple of classic rock radio; and for appearing in the 1999 documentary film Genghis Blues, wherein he displayed his abilities in the field of Tuvan throat singing.

Paul Pena was born in Hyannis, Massachusetts, to Jack and Virginia Paul Pena.

Paul Pena was born with congenital glaucoma, and was almost completely blind since birth.

Paul Pena attended the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, from the age of 5, and graduated in 1967.

In February 1969, Paul Pena's band played for a week at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, opening twice for both Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention and the Grateful Dead.

Paul Pena performed in the Contemporary Composer's Workshop at the Newport Folk Festival the same year.

Paul Pena played in the T-Bone Walker Blues Band during the early 1970s, including an appearance in the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1972.

Paul Pena played bass guitar and provided backup vocals on Bonnie Raitt's 1971 debut album.

Paul Pena opened for Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders at the Keystone in Berkeley and other area clubs many times over the course of the next three years.

Pena's debut album was the self-titled Paul Pena, recorded with guitarist Jeff Baxter, drummer Juma Santos, and former Perkins classmate Ellis Hall on backing vocals, and released by Capitol Records in 1972.

Paul Pena remained contractually obligated to Grossman, and was unable to record for another label.

Paul Pena's primary source of income in his later years were royalties from that single, which was a song about Paul Pena's airplane trip from Boston to Montreal to play the first-ever date with T-Bone Walker's band.

Paul Pena temporarily suspended his musical career to care for his wife Babe, who was experiencing kidney failure.

In 2001 Paul Pena conducted his last tour, playing a number of dates in support of the album.

Paul Pena was a presenter at the 22nd annual W C Handy Awards in May Paul Pena then appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on June 8,2001, and played "Jet Airliner".

Paul Pena used a device called an Optacon to scan the pages and convert the printed words into tactile sensations he could read with his finger.

Paul Pena attended a performance of Tuvan throat singing at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco on February 6,1993.

Paul Pena performed an impromptu Tuvan song in the kargyraa style, which impressed famous Tuvan throatsinger Kongar-ol Ondar.

Ondar invited Paul Pena to sing in the second international Khoomei Symposium in 1995 in Kyzyl, Tuva.

Paul Pena travelled to Tuva and was the first westerner to compete in the Symposium.

Paul Pena placed first in the Kargyraa contest and won the "audience favorite" category.

Paul Pena was in poor health in the years leading up to his death.

Paul Pena died in his San Francisco, California, apartment of complications from diabetes and pancreatitis on October 1,2005.