How, you may ask, does an artist like Geoff McBride achieve extraordinary status? To begin with, as a singer, countless members of music industry royalty – including the infamous Clive Davis – consider Geoff as having “…a pure vocal ability that soars well beyond the range of most recording artists.” The incredibly talented, North Carolina-born artist was first thrust into the national spotlight with a 1990 Arista recording contract where he found himself heralded as the next big R&B powerhouse under the tutelage of the previously mentioned Arista icon, Clive Davis. Following a cluster of hit records, that included No Sweeter Love and Gotta Good Thing – both of which enjoyed considerable national and international airplay – Geoff spent the next several years on a musical mission exploring and experimenting with more pop, rock and jazz-leaning genres`. “Looking back on these early career experimentations,” McBride mused, “I was probably more interested in finding myself, than the type of music I would eventually claim as my own.” “Although I didn’t understand it at the time,” he added, “those years of personal and professional discovery were a necessary part of my growth as an artist that, only now, I find paying off in this season of my career.” EXTRAORDINARY PERFORMER In the event anyone should question Geoff’s performing skills, they need nothing more than to ask any of the 10+ million viewers who repeatedly tuned-in and turned-in rave-reviews after his emotionally-charged performances on last year hit TV show,NBC’s “The Voice”. Quickly establishing himself as a fan-favorite in his first appearance, Geoff took the stage and the show by storm with a tear-the-roof-off performance of Stevie Wonder’s Higher Ground that prompted Voice-judge Christina Aguilera to assert, “the very first note you hit blew me away!” The pop diva further heaped praise on McBride’s first televised outing by emphasizing her amazement at his “amazing level of energy” that never wavered throughout an entire performance that brought (and kept) the audience on its feet. Fellow judges Cee Lo Green (who wrestled, albeit unsuccessfully, with Aguilera for Geoff’s “coaching” designee), country crooner Blake Shelton and Maroon 5 frontman, Adam Levine time-after-time echoed Aguilera’s admiration for Geoff’s artistic prowess throughout multiple appearances. Perhaps the highest on-camera compliment Geoff received during his internationally televised Voice journey, came from world-renown singer/songwriter/producer Lionel Richie who was initially blown away at McBride’s incredible vocal abilities. “When Geoff walked in……BOOM!” Richie exclaimed excitedly, “his delivery is unbelievable!…it was not coming out of a microphone…there is no speaker…I love it! Always humbly accepted, it is not uncommon for Geoff to receive admiring remarks from not only other recording artists, but other celebrities as well. When asked to weigh-in on Geoff’s artistic abilities, here’s how his friend (and admittedly, biggest fan) Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman’s described it “…Geoff is a remarkable teller of intimate musical stories whose voice can bring tears to your eyes, wipe them dry, and leave you smiling…all in the course a three-minute song.” Since his early days at Arista where – in addition to his solo pursuits, he had an invaluable opportunity to work with Aretha Franklin, Teddy Pendergrass, Whitney Houston and Ray Charles, among other musical giants – Geoff has crafted a trademark style and repertoire often characterized as a cool blend of contemporary & classic Rhythm & Blues. Like the musical royalty under whom he studied, he has become a master at illustrating each song with a soulful palette of human emotions arising from both the heartache and happiness of his personal experiences. Equally, he is a master at illuminating his songs – in a manner reminiscent of R&B romance gods Luther Vandross, Marvin Gaye, and Al Green – with memorable moments of inimitable subtlety and sweeping vocal brilliance. At a time when, seemingly, popular singers offer listeners with little more than an exercise in vocal gymnastics, Geoff McBride treats his fans to melodic masterpieces that can best be described as extraordinarily positive musical celebrations of life, love and the human spirit. At first listen, his soon-to-be-released album project – Journey To The Soul – will more than live up to his fans’ expectations of nothing less than 10 amazing examples of musical perfection. From the awe-inspiring Wipe Away Your Tears, by Grammy-winning songwriter Jerry Peters, to the Peter Gabriel-esque groove behind My Angel – penned by hit-writer Sam Mizell – Journey To The Soul represents music that speaks – both powerfully and subtly – to the very heart of love and relationships…as influenced by the life journey of one extraordinary storyteller – Geoff McBride. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.