A decade and a half ago, Marc Broussard was a member of a Christian Rock band. But after its quick demise, the son of Louisiana Hall of Fame guitar legend Ted Broussard went the solo route with his debut album, 2002’s Momentary Setback. Broussard’s finely chiseled good looks and infectious blend of Soul, Pop, R&B, Funk, Blues and Southern Rock — evident in his cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Back in Your Arms” on 2003’s Light of Day tribute compilation — attracted the major labels, resulting in an Island contract and his 2004 acclaimed sophomore release, Carencro. The album — titled in honor of Broussard’s hometown, where he still lives with his wife and four children — featured his father as both guitarist and co-writer, and a murderer’s row of musical guests, including Sonny Landreth, Lenny Castro and Julian Coryell.
After the 2005 devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Broussard established the Momentary Setback Fund to help rebuild his home state, releasing the Bootleg EP as a fundraising benefit. He signed with Vanguard for 2007’s S.O.S.: Save Our Soul, which notched significant chart success, cracking the Top 100 of Billboard’s album chart. Perhaps drawn by his vocal similarity to Otis Redding, Atlantic Records signed Broussard for 2008’s Keep Coming Back and his eponymous 2011 release, but his return to Vanguard for 2014’s A Life Worth Living resulted in the highest chart position of his career.
Broussard had established his G-Man label to release his 2013 concert album, Live at Full Sail University, which was followed up with his first Christmas album, last year’s Magnolias & Mistletoe.
His imminent new release, S.O.S. 2: Soul on a Mission, is another example of his philanthropic generosity; the nearly all-covers album, comprised primarily of ’50s and ’60s Soul/R&B tunes from Solomon Burke, Etta James, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke and many others, will benefit the poverty-relief agency City of Refuge and will stand as the first in a series of fundraising releases for nonprofit organizations through Broussard’s new Save Our Soul Foundation.
For nearly half his life, Marc Broussard has been doing heaven’s work with God-given talent and a hellacious passion.
This article appears in Aug 31 – Sep 7, 2016.
