‘STUBBORNLY INTO SOUL’
The neo-soul singer joins Mary J. Blige for a concert at the Landers Center
Anthony Hamilton coheadlines powerhouse R&B bill with Mary J. Blige at the Landers Center while preparing authentic exploration of old-school influences.
Whether he’s in Johannesburg, or his hometown of Charlotte, N.C., neo-soul singer Anthony Hamilton is a man with a sense of place.
Hamilton recently returned from a tour of South Africa, where he’s become a major star, treated like a native son. “Maybe I got some of that South African blood in me and they can smell it,” jokes Hamilton, who filmed some of his concerts in the country for an upcoming live DVD release.
This past week, however, Hamilton’s focus was closer to home, as he staged his second annual “Big Payback” — a citywide community-service effort that raises money for charities in the Charlotte area. It’s been part of Hamilton’s commitment since he moved back to the Queen City a few years ago.
“I was in New York for 15 years almost,” he says, “but Charlotte’s just home. My mom, my brothers, my older sons are all here. It just feels good to be back, it feels right. And I want to do what I can to help contribute to making it a better place for everyone.”
On Sunday, Hamilton will return to the Memphis area, pairing up with fellow R&B singer Mary J. Blige for a much-anticipated double bill at the Landers Center. In between his charity work and concert commitments, Hamilton has two recording projects lined up. First will be a Christmas album that he’ll begin work on next month. “It’s going to be a mix of traditional songs and definitely a lot of originals that feel like classics,” he says. “It’s stuff I’ve been writing over time, and some written just for this album.”
After completing his holiday CD, Hamilton will turn his attention to a proper follow-up to his Grammy-nominated 2011 effort, Back to Love. The album will be an exploration of Hamilton’s formative musical passion. “I want to head stubbornly into soul music the way it should be done,” he says. “I want to bring that aspect of my voice to the forefront. Everybody’s doing (old-school soul) records, or trying to do
“I want to head stubbornly into soul music the way it should be done,” says Anthony Hamilton, who performs Sunday at the Landers Center in Southaven.