Noel Gourdin

Since he made his mid-2000s debut, Noel Gourdin has been one of many artists you could cite in response to the complaint that post-millennial R&B artists lack soul. The singer and songwriter is known most for the nostalgic and enduring 2008 hit ballad "The River," a Billboard Adult R&B chart topper. Born and raised in Brockton, Massachusetts, the singer and songwriter was brought up in the church and heard vintage and contemporary R&B sounds in his household, which enabled him to develop an appreciation for <a href="spotify:artist:60df5JBRRPcnSpsIMxxwQm">Otis Redding</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4OGuNAnRFWZOgOA2d51taz">Johnnie Taylor</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2IBPIcSkvQZyoaVfoyZKE8">Guy</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:1eNkUXHPaXyuyC8NAgzykK">Jodeci</a>. Summers spent in Pachuta, Mississippi with his grandparents deepened his connection to Southern soul and traditional gospel. As a youngster, he started writing, as well as performing, in shows for the local Boys & Girls Clubs. By the time Gourdin graduated high school, he also had some studio recording experience under his belt, and eventually had a manager in family friend Larry "Lucky" Fernandes.

In a sequence of events set off by Fernandes, Gourdin was put in touch with Balewa Muhammad, Tommy Oliveira, and <a href="spotify:artist:4Otx4bRLSfpah5kX8hdgDC">Naughty by Nature</a>'s Keir "Kay Gee" Gist, all three of whom had worked together with <a href="spotify:artist:4sbB4Yy6Qig51pKCIKSLw3">Jaheim</a>. With Gist as producer, Gourdin debuted on the soundtrack for the 2004 film The Cookout with "Family Reunion." A deal with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Sony%22">Sony</a>-distributed <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Columbia%22">Columbia</a> was signed the following year, but progress was stalled by staffing shake-ups and a move to the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Epic%22">Epic</a> roster. Gourdin was finally let out of the gate in 2008 with "The River," a <a href="spotify:artist:27XI002zivG9xuzrZ9dIb1">Millie Jackson</a>-sampling number he co-wrote with the likes of Muhammad, Gist, and Marcellus Dawson. It debuted that March on Billboard's Adult R&B chart and after a few months of incremental gains spent two weeks on top. During the song's long chart stay of 40 weeks, Gourdin also issued his first full-length, After My Time, which added the likes of <a href="spotify:artist:6g0Wah2YFtb1rFgKhUktlo">Raphael Saadiq</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0rlS0SzVFk8BoiAW0fGBbN">Salaam Remi</a>, and Dre & Vidal to his list of collaborators. The album peaked at number 36 on the Billboard 200.

Despite the triumphs, Gourdin's time within the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Sony%22">Sony</a> system was marked by deep frustration. The singer's subsequent independent material nonetheless continued to appeal to the urban adult contemporary radio format with feel-good material that incorporated elements of vintage hip-hop, disco-funk, and classic soul balladry. Fresh: The Definition, arrived in 2011 on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Mass+Appeal%22">Mass Appeal</a>. Produced by label CEO Marcus Siskind, the album was highlighted by "Beautiful," a chivalrous midtempo single that reached number 13 on the Adult R&B chart. After he appeared on <a href="spotify:artist:4WQ8grqJHB2Y0IDjpro1FE">Brian Culbertson</a>'s Dreams, Gourdin settled into another label home, Shanachie, for his third album, City Heart, Southern Soul. Most of the 2014 set was co-written with early partner Marcellus Dawson. The reunion resulted in another charting single, "Heaven Knows," while "Patience" was pressed on 7" via <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Soulside+Productions%22">Soulside Productions</a>. Featured appearances on songs by <a href="spotify:artist:5IOg2zhYQVmRePBypo7cUk">Latrese Bush</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:6r3rY1KFB5MJR3RTN7EDWf">K. Avett</a> followed through 2018. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi