Paula Anne Scharf-Daily (born February 16, 1967), better known by her
stage name Apollo Smile, is a pop music singer-songwriter, voice
actress and media personality. In the 1990s, Smile billed herself as
The Live Action Anime Girl and was invited to several science fiction
conventions as a guest.Paula Scharf was born with a twisted hip
tendon, leading her mother to enroll her in physical activity at the
age of 3 to treat it. Thus from early childhood a trained dancer and
gymnast, once she graduated Guilford High School in 1985, she went to
study at the University of the Arts (Philadelphia) and then the Alvin
Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City. While introducing
herself to a college student in New York he misheard Paula as
"Apollo", and went on to say that it fit her despite being a male name
as the Greek god Apollo "represents music, dance, light, and poetry",
so she went with it. The latter part of her name came as a producer
suggested an equally different surname, exploiting Scharf's
oft-complimented smile. She legally changed her name to Apollo Smile
in 1991.An injury made Scharf opt to seek a singing career, working
with producer Freddie "Groove Commander" Richmond. After contributing
the song "Let's Rock" for A&M Records' soundtrack for the 1989 film
Lost Angels, once a Los Angeles friend of Richmond visited his studio,
she was impressed with the songs he was working with Smile, and
smuggled a tape of theirs to a Geffen Records executive. Soon the A&R
man went to New York to court Smile, and four months later she had
signed with DGC Records. In 1990, Smile's song "Thunderbox" was
featured on the soundtrack album for the Tom Cruise film Days of
Thunder, and the following year she released a self-titled album, from
which came the track . However, afterwards Smile was dropped along
with most of DGC's signees.
stage name Apollo Smile, is a pop music singer-songwriter, voice
actress and media personality. In the 1990s, Smile billed herself as
The Live Action Anime Girl and was invited to several science fiction
conventions as a guest.Paula Scharf was born with a twisted hip
tendon, leading her mother to enroll her in physical activity at the
age of 3 to treat it. Thus from early childhood a trained dancer and
gymnast, once she graduated Guilford High School in 1985, she went to
study at the University of the Arts (Philadelphia) and then the Alvin
Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City. While introducing
herself to a college student in New York he misheard Paula as
"Apollo", and went on to say that it fit her despite being a male name
as the Greek god Apollo "represents music, dance, light, and poetry",
so she went with it. The latter part of her name came as a producer
suggested an equally different surname, exploiting Scharf's
oft-complimented smile. She legally changed her name to Apollo Smile
in 1991.An injury made Scharf opt to seek a singing career, working
with producer Freddie "Groove Commander" Richmond. After contributing
the song "Let's Rock" for A&M Records' soundtrack for the 1989 film
Lost Angels, once a Los Angeles friend of Richmond visited his studio,
she was impressed with the songs he was working with Smile, and
smuggled a tape of theirs to a Geffen Records executive. Soon the A&R
man went to New York to court Smile, and four months later she had
signed with DGC Records. In 1990, Smile's song "Thunderbox" was
featured on the soundtrack album for the Tom Cruise film Days of
Thunder, and the following year she released a self-titled album, from
which came the track . However, afterwards Smile was dropped along
with most of DGC's signees.
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