Rising star, Marc Broussard, O.A.R. perform Saturday
For lovers of soul and R&B with a little touch of rock, upcoming artist Marc Broussard will be performing at IUP along with O.A.R. Sunday at 8 p.m. in the Ohio Room.
Being in the spotlight for 21-year-old Broussard is nothing new. His father, Ted Broussard, put him on stage when he was only five years old, and since then Broussard developed a knack for writing and playing guitar.
"At such an early age I got a taste of what it's like to be on stage," Broussard said.
Born and raised in Carencro, La., Broussard always performed at local shows in his hometown, but in January of 2002 he picked up where he left off, getting back into the gig scene. Leah Simon of Ripley Records discovered Broussard on a curb after missing his performance.
"She missed my set. I played three songs for her outside, and she flew me to L.A.," Broussard said. Simon is one of his heroes, Broussard said.
"She believed in me when nobody else did," he said. "It sounds kind of clich�, but it's the truth."
Since then, Broussard has released his debut album, Momentary Setback. He's particularly pleased about the track "French Caf�" because it's the only song he hasn't written himself. He says it's representative of the southern Louisiana sound "without talking about crawfish and alligator pie."
"But the live show is where it all comes together," he said.
As far as musical influences go, Broussard says his biggest influence is Martin Sexton and during his childhood, he was also inspired by Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye, to name a few. Broussard has performed with musical talents such as moe., Bob Schneider, Maroon5 and Of A Revolution. When asked about other lyrics that have left a lasting impression on him, he said: "'I'm tired of calling loneliness freedom.' That's always stuck with me," he said.
Although talent may come naturally to some musicians, Broussard is a strong believer that hard work is the key to success in the music scene. "Make things happen for yourself," he said. "Don't sit back and let it fall in your lap."
With a budding music career, Broussard is enjoying the life of an artist, but he's also looking forward to spending some time at home and chowing down on some Cajun food. He plans on entering the studio again to release an album no earlier than the beginning of next year.
Melissa Turley/March 28, 2003
The Penn Variety