COMMENTARY
Young crooner ready to spread wings
By STEVE PENN
The Kansas City Star
From a gig at the Beaumont Club a few years ago to “The View” on ABC last year. Now he’s on to a recording contract with a Grammy-winning hip-hop artist.
It’s not the path of, say, a Clay Aiken or a Kelly Clarkson of “American Idol” fame. But for Von Lee Smith, it’s a career path that seems promising nonetheless.
Smith is the Lee’s Summit crooner who became an overnight sensation when someone posted a clip of him singing Jennifer Hudson’s “And I’m Telling You” on YouTube. The performance got so many hits (it still does) that it landed him a TV singing debut on “The View.”
Now Smith has landed a recording contract with hip-hop singer Akon. In fact, Smith is moving to Atlanta next month to complete a CD he’s been working on with Akon. So far, 15 songs have been recorded.
A single is due out this summer, and the full CD is scheduled for release around December.
But before Smith moves to Atlanta, he plans to perform several final concerts.
The big one is “Songs for Mama,” which will be at 7:30 p.m. May 4 at the Penn Valley Community College Theater. The event, which comes right before Mother’s Day, is a tribute to Smith’s mother, Val Smith, a former singer who taught her son to croon. He also is performing at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Chalk Walk Festival for Mosaic Brain, a nonprofit arts organization.
After those gigs, Smith will be ready to spread his wings. He’s now in the creative hands of Akon, with whom he started working late last year.
When Akon first met with Smith, he told the young singer that he was talented, and Akon said he wanted to back him and work with him.
“But he told me that I had to know what my sound was and what I wanted,” Smith said. “I told him that as a child, I was in love with the songs of Ray Charles and Al Green. That’s what got me into it.”
As a result of that conversation, Smith said, the CD will have a Motown flavor. Most of the artists produced by Akon, he explained, are mainstream pop vocalists. Smith thinks he stands out.
“I’m one of the only big vocalists on his label,” Smith said. “I think he’s got something a little different in mind for me. You can expect some Supremes and Temptations songs, some James Brown-like screamers and some Aretha Franklin ballads. They say what you start with is what you grow into.”
Smith has certainly grown up to be quite a performer. His mother deserves much of the credit for preparing him. The inspiration for the upcoming concert came from a home recording he made for her. The desire to hear the songs on the CD led to the idea of a concert featuring them.
The concert will cost $15 for mothers and $20 for anyone else.
“My mom is important to me,” Von Smith said. “When I was little, she would always ask me, ‘How much do you love me?’ My mom is a big part of my musical taste. And it kind of coincides with Mother’s Day.”
His mother is flattered that her son would hold a concert for her.
“I’m very honored,” Val Smith said. “He’s going to make me cry. And I’m thrilled for him. This is his dream. His music is good stuff.”
Von Smith’s musical quest didn’t include having to face the wrath of Simon, Randy and Paula. And his career isn’t garnering near the level of publicity that “American Idol” generates.
But even though his singing career isn’t being played out for millions to see each week, that shouldn’t diminish the pride, the interest or the fun we should have in following the career of a local singer like Smith. The “American Idol” finalist always seems to have interesting personal stories.
Well, the story of a white, home-schooled young man from Lee’s Summit who becomes an overnight Internet sensation before recording a CD with Akon isn’t half bad, either.
To reach Steve Penn, call 816-234-4417 or send e-mail to spenn@kcstar.com.
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