Born to Greek-American parents in Brooklyn in 1975, Constantine Maroulis grew up listening to all sorts of music in his suburban New Jersey home (his family had moved there when he was five), from Frank Sinatra to Guns N' Roses, inspired in part by older brother Athan's success in the entertainment world as a singer, publicist, and label owner. In 1999, Constantine enrolled in the Boston Conservatory of Music, receiving his degree in musical theater three years later. He soon found an apprenticeship at ~the Williamstown Theater Company, through which he gained the attention of the director for the international production of +Rent, who later cast him in the part of %Roger, during which time he was also singing lead for the band Pray for the Soul of Betty.