In 1984, Jacky Lee Man, Michael Jurischk and Franky Miller founded the Berlin newcomer’s band COUNTDOWN which merged with Number 1 metal band of the GDR, REGENBOGEN, in 1985. One was searching for a more modern way in music and optics and so PHARAO was founded in 1986 with Jacky Lee Man(voc), Michael Jurischk (git), Franky Miller (dr) and Christian Dallmann (bg).

Quickly, the band gained the sympathy of the East German hardrock fans. The first radio successes weren’t long in coming. In early 1987, a PHARAO concert in Berlin has been recorded and aired by the youth radio station DT64, what was a new experience in the GDR.

There always were problems with the meaning of the lyrics and so the band decided to produce only English songs which brought them fastly on the index. The highlight undoubtely was a show on the East Berlin Seelenbinder-Sporthalle with URIAH HEEP and KRUIZ in front of 12.000 fans in February 1988. The permanent live presence made the band more popular and more successful.

In the middle of 1989, Jacky fled to the Federal Republic, arranged a record deal for he band and brought the rest of the band. So the CD “BAD BOYS FROM EAST” arose in 1990. Due to financial and legal problems with the record company, the band split in 1991 after a little tour through Germany (with e.g. PINK CREAM and more) with a goodbye-concert.

In 1998, Jackie again searched for musicians to realise his modern musical ideas in regard of PHARAO. On December 25th, 1999 PHARAO played a much-noticed gig with the veterans of Formel 1 in the HOF 23 in Berlin with 500 fans. Unfortunately, the project had to be stopped due to severe illness of Jackie for a year and a half and the band split again. In summer 2003, Jacky decided to bring the band back to life and with T.R.Yorg (git), Steven “P” Floyd (bass) he engaged two first class musicians from Berlin.

The band resolved upon writing new songs and coming back in 2006 when the band’s 20th jubilee was, because Jacky wanted to have his focus on his producer engagement (for e.g. Saxon, Doro, Wacken DVD 2004/2005).

On the Wacken Open Air 2006, PHARAO made a surprising comeback and played a much-noticed live showcase for the assembled international metal press and published a pre-release CD of their three new songs. In summer 2007, PHARAO played as a co-headliner on the Berliner Metal Rumble, a show at Wacken, a support show for Saxon in Elmshorn as well as in December on Saxon’s Europe tour.

In 2008, the band spend time writing new songs but also played at the Wacken Open Air and began to record the new album “Road To Nowhere” in December, which will be released in fall of 2010 via SAOL / H'Art / Zebralution.