Paul “Pauly D” Delvecchio

Reality TV personality Paul "DJ Pauly D" Del Vecchio made headlines for his impressive hairstyle, called "the Blowout." The Rhode Island musician and his gravity-defying coif gained mainstream prominence in late 2009 when he appeared on the reality TV hit "Jersey Shore" (MTV, 2009-12), a series that documented young Italian-Americans living together in a New Jersey beach house. "Jersey Shore" turned a handful of unknowns, none of whom were certainly afraid to be themselves in front of cameras, into celebrities. And in a house full of outrageous personalities, Del Vecchio stood out from the rest of the cast by staying true to his roots and keeping his hair in top-notch shape.

Pauly Del Vecchio was born on July 5, 1980 in Providence, Rhode Island. He began spinning records at the age of 16 and was a professional DJ by the time he turned 18. Working at various local clubs and private parties helped jumpstart his music career, which had been his lifelong dream.

In 2007, DelVecchio partnered with a fellow DJ to launch VIP-PROV, a promotional street team that worked with several nightlife hotspots. His good looks, confident charm, and youthful energy soon caught the attention of MTV producers who cast DelVecchio in their new reality series "Jersey Shore" in 2009. The show would focus on a group of single, wild, and outspoken Italian-Americans living together in Seaside Heights, NJ. The cast consisted of several over-the-top personalities - from Michael Sorrentino, an arrogant fitness club manager who nicknamed himself "The Situation," to Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, a pint-sized troublemaker who sported a towering bouffant and an in-your-face attitude.

Viewers tuned in each week to witness the drama that unfolded on "Jersey Shore." DelVecchio struck up a friendship with the series' antagonist Sorrentino and enjoyed a brief romantic fling with housemate Jenni "JWoww" Farley, yet the audience was mostly mesmerized by the reality star's "Guido" look - muscular, tanned, and over-styled hair. DelVecchio admitted he owned a tanning bed at home and spent at least 25 minutes on his hair. His "Blowout" hairstyle - short on the sides and spiked on top - often looked like the wearer had just been electrocuted.

DelVecchio's signature coif was even the highlight of a TV spot the cast filmed with Michael Cera promoting his film "Youth in Revolt" (2009). The lanky movie star was given a "Jersey Shore" makeover on camera, complete with a tutorial on getting DelVecchio's "Blowout" hair. The transformation turned Cera, who made a career out of looking like the typical awkward high school freshman, into DelVecchio's doppelganger.

While "Jersey Shore" was a hit with MTV viewers, not everyone was happy with how the cast portrayed Italian-Americans. UNICO National, a prominent Italian-American organization, boycotted the show while advertisers such as Dell, Domino's Pizza, and American Family Insurance pulled out their commercials. The network did not back down from the pressure from UNICO and major corporations.

On December 2009, MTV Programming President Tony DiSanto defended "Jersey Shore" and said the series aimed to document a specific sub-culture - a group who commonly and comfortably referred to each other as "Guidos" - rather than misrepresenting the Italian-American community. In January 2010, DelVecchio's "Jersey Shore" housemate Vinny Guadagnino confirmed MTV had renewed the series for a second season. The show ran for a total of six seasons, ending as "Jersey Shore" mania fizzled out in 2012.

Meanwhile, DelVecchio snagged his own spin-off show, "The Pauly D Project" (MTV, 2012), which followed his post-"Shore" musical endeavors. While waiting to find out if "The Pauly D Project" would continue after its first season, DelVecchio became a father out of wedlock to baby girl Amabella and entered into a custody battle with her mother, Amanda Markert.