Gospel singer Smokie Norful is bringing his live performance to your house.
His fourth album Smokie Norful Live is set to drop on April 7. The CD was recorded at during a concert at the Cannon Center in Memphis, Tennessee and a DVD of the performance will be released along with the LP.
The album’s first single “Justified,” has been well received since it hit the airwaves last week. The CD also features his remake of “Jesus is Love” featuring Heather Headly.
Smokie Norful Live shows fans that this Grammy Award winning singer is definitely at home on stage.
“I’m really just a church kid who loves gospel music, loves God, and loves the Word of God,” Smokie explained in a statement. “Where I have a natural tendency to excel is in a live setting. …I’m giving [the audience] some Sunday-morning material.”
While we’re on the topic of Sunday morning, you can find Smokie preaching in the pulpit every week. The singer/songwriter is the senior pastor at the Victory Cathedral Worship Center just outside of Chicago.
Smokie’s album may leave you feeling like you’re at one of his services. “If you catch me on Sunday morning I sound just like this,” he said. “I sing the same. I preach the same—the Word you get in between songs is the same as you get at church.” It doesn’t hurt that members of his church’s choir and band also had a hand in creating Smokie Norful Live.
– Sonya Eskridge
