Melinda Doolittle at the Alerus: The Bright New Voice of Soul

Take time out from the busyness of the holiday season and reach out for some serenity and inspiration by seeing Melinda Doolittle live at the Alerus this Sunday. Part of Christian Contemporary artist Michael W. Smith’s “It’s A Wonderful Christmas” Tour, Melinda will grace audiences with her soulful voice. As some of you may know, Melinda was finalist on American Idol during its sixth season, wowing even acerbic Simon Cowel.

This is a remarkable feat for a young woman who was tone deaf all through elementary school and was singled out to solo but warned to just mouth the words and never sing! It wasn’t until she was in seventh grade that she began to carry a melody without going flat. She eventually studied music at
Belmont University in Nashville and soon became a back-up singer for a number of stars, including Aaron Neville, Michael McDonald, CeCe Winans, and the Gospel group Anointed. She has said of that time: “I watched these artists and they instilled in me what to do in front of a live audience and taught me so much about what it takes to be a singer. I look back on all of this as preparation for where I’m at now.”

With new fans from her Idol exposure, she was selected to tour with Michael W. Smith as a special guest on his eagerly received “It’s A Wonderful Christmas” Tour. This year’s dates mark Melinda’s second tour with Smith. Sunday’s performance at the Alerus will feature a full orchestra backing both Melinda and Smith.  Part of Melinda’s set will feature gospel and holiday music, along with some songs from her brand new album, Coming Back to You, that will be released on February 3, 2009. This album features the electricity of old-school R&B and soul singers such as Tina Turner as well as the slick production of what some are calling today’s “pop-soul renaissance.”

Only Melinda’s extraordinary voice could redress these timeless offerings in shiny new couture without forgetting the gutsy roots from which they were stitched. There’s the classic “It’s Your Love” that practically scintillates and the smoky Sarah Vaughn hit, “Wonder Why.” But what shows Melinda’s versatility are her funk-and-blues renderings of Robert Johnson’s “Dust My Broom” and “Walkin’ Blues.” However, Melinda’s stand out favorite is the Johnny Mathis’ classic, “The Best of Everything.”

With material like this to draw from, Melinda Doolittle will give concert goers this Sunday a most precious Christmas gift that they will be talking about for Christmases to come.