Born in Alton, Illinois, the eldest child of Fayez and Karen Nourallah, Nourallah was raised in El Paso, Texas, where his family moved when he
was three. With his brother Faris, Salim relocated to Denton, Texas, in 1988. The formed a band together called the Moon Festival from 1990 to
1997. The Nourallah Brothers self-titled debut was released by Western Vinyl in 2000. The album was actually recorded in 1998, and during the
wait the brothers separated. Faris continued with a solo career while Salim formed the pop-punk band the Happiness Factor. The Happiness
Factor released two albums: Self-Improvement? (Summer Break Records) in 2001 and Avoid Danger (Paisley Pop) in 2004.
