Rooted in gospel and classic rock and soul, genre-hopping singer and songwriter Charles Perry didn't grow up in the church -- he grew up in several churches. While still young, he appeared on-stage in a production of Mama I Want to Sing and performed background vocals for a lengthy list of high-profile gospel and R&B artists, including Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, and Whitney Houston. In 2010, Perry offered his debut solo album, the independently released The Genesis of Soul, on which he mixed throwback soul, synth funk, and contemporary ballads. In February 2015, the thumping folk-dance hybrid "Stranger to Love" was released as a single, and was remixed separately by Tiësto and RAC, ahead of an album. ~ Andy Kellman