Russ Scalzo is a Christian novelist and musician. In the 1960s and '70s, Russ was the frontman for The Hallmarks, a band popular along the Jersey Shore. At age 17, he wrote Soul Shakin' Psychedelic Sally and signed a record contract with Mercury Records. They debuted the song on Dick Clark's American Bandstand on October 7, 1967. Russ and the band's future were suddenly and dramatically changed when mentor, friend, and record producer Tommy Falcone tragically passed away at 39 in February 1970.

Russ wrote 12 songs for a new album that, unfortunately, never saw the light of day. After a dramatic life-changing experience with Jesus Christ, Russ went from performing in bars and clubs in the early '70s to ministering in churches and touring the U.S. and Canada with his Christian band, Saved By Grace. He has written too many songs to count, including music for six original full length musicals that are currently being transformed into graphic novels.

In a fantastic twist of events, nearly 50 years later, the Numero Group record company released the 1969 10 song recording of Paper Sky on August 17, 2018.

Russ is the co-founder and president of Lighthouse Productions, a non-profit Christian publishing and media company based in New Jersey. An elder in his church, Russ, has served as a worship leader, bible teacher, and counselor for over forty years. Many of his personal experiences inspired his new 9 part series, Hidden Thrones. Russ firmly believes understanding the spiritual world around us is vital to our success as followers of Christ. 

Russ and Stevie Mamchak united their expertise and talents to write the final two books of the series, hitting at the essence of our lives now and a time that may soon be upon us. Russ is a frequent lecturer in Biblical Prophecy and brings a lifetime of technical expertise to a story he believes may well be the substance of tomorrow's headlines. His podcast "Chronicles of the End Times" can be heard weekly on iTunes, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and many other podcast channels.

Russ currently lives with his wife, Gail, of fifty years. He has three beautiful daughters and is a grandfather of five.