Smokie Norful

Grammy Award-winning contemporary gospel singer Smokie Norful has released five No. 1 albums, received multiple industry awards, and performed at the White House. ∙ His first LPs, 2002’s I Need You Now and 2004’s Nothing Without You, were No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart, where each spent more than 100 weeks. ∙ At President George W. Bush’s invitation, Norful performed at the White House to celebrate Black Music Month in 2005. ∙ After the acclaim of his first live album, Smokie Norful (Live), he was awarded both Male Vocalist of the Year and Contemporary Male Vocalist of the Year at the 2010 Stellar Awards. ∙ Actress/singer Sharon Leal (Dreamgirls) sang Norful’s “I Need You Now” in the 2014 film Freedom. ∙ At the 2014 Grammys Awards, he won Best Gospel Performance/Song (“No Greater Love”) and was nominated for Best Gospel Album (Forever Yours). ∙ In 2020, Norful contributed vocals to Jermaine Dupri’s collaborative charity single, “Change,” featuring Common, Kirk Franklin, and Wanya Morris (Boyz II Men).