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MARCEL SMITH –\u00a0EVERYBODY NEEDS LOVE<\/h1>\n
Marcel \u00a0Smith<\/strong>‘s \u00a0debut \u00a0solo \u00a0album, \u00a0Everybody \u00a0Needs \u00a0Love<\/strong><\/em>, \u00a0marks \u00a0the \u00a0belated \u00a0emergence \u00a0of \u00a0a \u00a0commanding, \u00a0massively \u00a0talented \u00a0vocalist \u00a0who\u2019s \u00a0been \u00a0honing \u00a0his \u00a0skills \u00a0on \u00a0the \u00a0gospel \u00a0circuit \u00a0for \u00a0decades. \u00a0Everybody \u00a0Needs \u00a0Loveshowcases \u00a0a \u00a0persuasively \u00a0soulful \u00a0voice \u00a0that’s \u00a0been \u00a0burnished \u00a0through \u00a0years \u00a0of \u00a0high-energy \u00a0performances.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Everything \u00a0about \u00a0Smith \u00a0shouts \u00a0church, \u00a0from \u00a0his \u00a0thrilling \u00a0vocals \u00a0and \u00a0mastery \u00a0of \u00a0the \u00a0stage, \u00a0to \u00a0his \u00a0dignified-beyond-his-years \u00a0offstage \u00a0demeanor. \u00a0Marcel \u00a0grew \u00a0up \u00a0studying \u00a0the \u00a0work \u00a0of \u00a0such \u00a0gospel \u00a0quartet \u00a0legends \u00a0as \u00a0
Joe \u00a0Ligon<\/strong>\u00a0 of \u00a0the \u00a0Mighty \u00a0Clouds \u00a0of \u00a0Joy<\/strong>, \u00a0Clarence \u00a0Fountain<\/strong>\u00a0 of \u00a0the \u00a0Blind \u00a0Boys<\/strong>, \u00a0Willie \u00a0Rogers<\/strong>\u00a0 and \u00a0Martin \u00a0Jacox<\/strong>\u00a0 of \u00a0the \u00a0Soul \u00a0Stirrers<\/strong>, \u00a0and \u00a0Ira \u00a0Tucker<\/strong>\u00a0 of \u00a0the \u00a0Dixie \u00a0Hummingbirds<\/strong>. \u00a0When \u00a0he \u00a0was \u00a0just \u00a015, \u00a0quartet \u00a0gospel \u00a0veteran \u00a0Willie \u00a0Washington<\/strong>\u00a0 heard \u00a0Marcel \u00a0do \u00a0a \u00a0featured \u00a0solo \u00a0in \u00a0his \u00a0local \u00a0church. \u00a0Impressed, \u00a0Washington \u00a0offered \u00a0him \u00a0a \u00a0spot \u00a0in \u00a0his \u00a0new \u00a0quartet, \u00a0the \u00a0WD \u00a0Gospel \u00a0Singers<\/strong>. \u00a0So, \u00a0at \u00a016, \u00a0Marcel \u00a0began \u00a0singing \u00a0and \u00a0playing \u00a0with \u00a0a \u00a0group \u00a0of \u00a0gospel \u00a0veterans. \u00a0Working \u00a0with \u00a0the \u00a0WDs \u00a0gave \u00a0Marcel \u00a0the \u00a0opportunity \u00a0to \u00a0hone \u00a0his \u00a0house-wrecking \u00a0vocal \u00a0chops. \u00a0He \u00a0found \u00a0himself \u00a0performing \u00a0on \u00a0programs \u00a0with \u00a0many \u00a0of \u00a0the \u00a0genre’s \u00a0greatest \u00a0artists, \u00a0allowing \u00a0him \u00a0to \u00a0soak \u00a0up \u00a0the \u00a0spirit \u00a0and \u00a0craft \u00a0of \u00a0these \u00a0gospel \u00a0giants.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Marcel \u00a0Smith\u2019s \u00a0impeccable \u00a0sense \u00a0of \u00a0history \u00a0is \u00a0reflected \u00a0in \u00a0some \u00a0of \u00a0his \u00a0more \u00a0inventive \u00a0choices \u00a0of \u00a0material \u00a0on \u00a0Everybody \u00a0Needs \u00a0Love, \u00a0e.g. \u00a0the Sam Cooke<\/strong> chestnut “Keep Moving On,” the timelessly relevant “Poor Man’s Struggle,” the Bobby Womack<\/strong> classic “Harry Hippie” and the gospel standard “This Little Light of Mine.” Smith doesn’t consider Everybody Needs Love a gospel album so much as he regards it as “inspirational music.” Whatever one calls it, the long-overdue solo debut is a stylistically adventurous collection that showcases Marcel Smith\u2019s transcendent talent, boundless passion, and deep soul fervor.”I record songs that make people think,” the artist comments. “I want people to be inspired by the songs. These songs are to encourage people that even when things are bad, it\u2019s gonna be alright and not always going to be bad. We are in it together, we have each other to draw from and support. This is the nature of the album, to allow listeners to reflect on their own lives and see their own center.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>