Without a doubt, one of the best voices in contemporary soul and R &B music is the infamously cool Anthony Hamilton.  With seven GRAMMY nominations to his credit, Hamilton’s recent Grammy for “Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance” solidifies his status as a forceful and noteworthy weight within the R&B genre.

Anthony Hamilton brings his Grammy Award-winning style and sound to The Desoto Civic Center on Saturday at 8 p.m. (Courtesy photo)

In the midst of preparing for the up in coming Playin’ it Cool Tour, which arrives in Memphis for one night only on May 30 at the Desoto Civic Center, Hamilton managed to squeeze some time out of his very busy schedule for an interview.

This  Charlotte, N.C. native has had a bumpy road in the industry, with his share of struggles and bruises along the way.   He found fame after 12 long years with the “Point of it All” — hence the title track from his current single and third studio album.

For his new album, this husband and father of three takes the same emotional flow and southern drawl that earned him high reviews and even movie roles and laces ‘The Point of It All’ with finger snapping, feel-good music. The sound of Hamilton’s voice on the new album is warm and deep.  Over the phone, I spoke with a very sleepy Hamilton. I was more than excited to speak to him. However, after realizing how sleepy he was, I set my stack of jokes to the side and settled for asking less humorous questions.

As the excitement builds for the up and coming show, I wondered what the audience could expect at an Anthony Hamilton concert.

“Expect me to be definitely, to be live and direct. I am going old school, and all of that comes with it. Memphis get ready! hey, I might even go into the audience! Just imagine Cirque du Soleil, but you can call it Soul Du’ Leil’!” said Hamilton.

Excitement, humor, and wooing the ladies is certainly something Anthony Hamilton does best with his love songs. Sounds like you can expect the same with his live performances.

Hamilton first discovered his talent at age 10 while singing in his church’s choir. He recently landed a big win at the 2009 Grammys with the American gospel and soul music singer Memphis local Al Green for “You’ve got the love I Need.”

We both laughed as Hamilton jokingly said, “Go down the street and ask him (Al Green) can you borrow a stick of butter! Tell him I sent you!”

Hamilton’s new feeling is happy. He wants people to know it and when they listen to the radio banger “Cool,” his first single from the album, Hamilton sings, “We don’t have to worry about no money, to have us a real good time.” Hamilton is freeing audience members who once listened to him mourn in heartbreak on his hit-single “Charlene,” an abrupt departure from the voice of the melancholy crooner on his first studio album, “Comin’ from Where I’m From” (2003).

“Times are already hard; and I am just glad to give the people what they need. However, that is my old single; my new single is “Point of it all.” Call the radio and request that, if Memphis is not playing that one!” said Hamilton.

Hamilton has won other awards such as the BET J “Cool Like That” Award in 2006 and when asked about the recent 2009 Grammy win unexpectedly he said

 “I know I won, well I guess I won…. I don’t have the trophy!  It certainly is not at my house yet.”

Oftentimes, with a lot of artists, you never get to hear what they do behind the scenes. Hamilton spoke briefly about his current organization called the TASTE Foundation.

“Since I came from the south I know we tend to not think much about our health. So I created TASTE, which stands for “Take a Step to Elevate” — basically, take people from where they are now to the next level. When it comes to eating, there’s a whole variety of options you have when it comes to food and dietary things. The urban communities should know about the alternatives to pork and beef. My job is to learn as much as I can and put somebody up on that.” Hamilton said.

Like any woman, I had to ask Hamilton to sing for me; and knowing his love for freestyle, I asked him to freestyle his last experience in Memphis. He laughed and said, “You caught me at a bad time. I just woke up, but I owe you one when I get to Memphis!”

The “Playin’ it Cool” Tour will also include the well-known Neo-Soul & R&B artist Musiq Soulchild. Musiq’s unique style blends soul, funk, hip-hop, and rock.  Musiq has had two platinum albums, two gold albums and seven hit singles.  He has received awards from Billboard, BET and “Soul Train.”  Musiq has also earned award nominations from MTV, American Music Awards, NAACP, and nine Grammy nominations, including two for his 2007 album “Luvanmusiq.”  

Be sure to catch this night to remember with Anthony Hamilton, Musiq Soulchild, and Chrisette Michelle at the Desoto County Civic Center in Southaven on Saturday, May 30, at 8 p.m. For Ticket info check out www.ticketmaster.com

(For more information on Anthony Hamilton, visit his official Web site: www.anthonyhamilton.com. For updates on Anthony Hamilton’s TASTE Foundation, visit: www.broadtexter.com/antham)

(E-Mail “All Over Town” Nyah Nile for Questions or Comments or if you just want her at your next Big Event @ nyah@tri-statedefender.com)