Soul and R&B singer Noel Gourdin emerged on the music scene with his number one hit song “The River” which stayed on the Urban AC charts at number one for 15 weeks! Noel’s childhood was not a traditional one; he was born in Brockton, MA but spent his summers with family in Pachuta, Mississippi. The result is a man who is city to the heart but southern to the soul! Noel scored a deal with Sony Music at age 24, but his first exposure to the vocal arts came in church and he was introduced to the larger audience of soul music by his father (who introduced him to the classics, such as Otis Redding) and his brother (who turned him on to the sounds of new jack swing). Noel is influenced by classic soul as well as the contemporary sounds of R&B and hip-hop. Making his music is a seamless blend of each genre. “Listening to so much music from so many different eras really helped me put my style together,” explains the gifted singer- songwriter.