Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a safe and joyful Holiday Season and an exciting New Year's Eve.  My New Year's Eve definitely had it's share of excitement - I performed along with my band and dancers at the 2012 Peach Drop in Underground Atlanta!  We performed at the Kenny's Alley stage in front of a packed crowd - the energy was intense!  The band and dancers gave it their all and KILLED it.  Shout out to all of the new friends I met and took pictures with after the show!

2012 is off to an incredible start!  The Peach Drop was the perfect venue to top off an adventure-packed 2011…..

GRAMMY's

2011 started off with a BANG when my manager Jayne and I went to the GRAMMY's.  We saw performances by the best of the best, attended the killer after party, and had a TV interview via Skype the next day.  AND I got to wear Versace and walk the red carpet for the first time.  It's an experience I will never forget!

ST. PATRICKS DAY PARADE

In March we were invited to be a part of the Atlanta St. Patricks Day Parade for the second year in a row, and we had an incredible time!  I performed my new single in the back of a BMW convertible (courtesy of United BMW Atlanta) and we made lots of new fans and friends.

LIVE @ LOEWS

In April I was a featured peformer in the "LIVE @ LOEWS" concert series at the Loews hotel in Atlanta.  The band and I turned that lobby into a dance club!

NEW SONGS WITH BRAD COX

In May I started recording with Atlanta based producer/songwriter Brad Cox.  Working alongside legendary producer Mike Clink (Guns N Roses, Metallica), Cox has worked with writers such as Andreas Carlsson (Katy Perry, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears), Billy Falcon (Bon Jovi, Faith Hill), Kendrick Dean (Chris Brown, Usher, Monica) and the list goes on.  Over the Summer, we recorded and dropped 4 singles - "On Top of the World", "Contagious", "Broken", and "For the Record".  Take a listen and download them for FREE below!

COVER OF OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

One of the biggest "Firsts" for me in 2011 was landing my first magazine cover!  Gwinnett's "Our Town" Magazine put me on the cover of their June 2011 issue and interviewed me for their cover story.  Click the cover below to read the full interview...

DULUTH CELEBRATES AMERICA

The "Duluth Celebrates America Festival" (on July 3rd) marked a turning point in my stage show - we added dancers!  Apollo (the choreographer), Jamie, Jacci, and Victoria all braved the July heat to join me on the stage for a kick-ass, high-energy show that also debuted two of my new singles - "On Top of the World", and "Contagious".  The crowd really got into it, and we all felt On Top of the World!

LOS ANGELES

July marked my 2nd of 3 trips to Los Angeles last year.  Jayne and I were joined by her daughters Sara and Shauna for a week of fun and networking.  We survied Carmageddon our first weekend there, and had a great time exploring the city, going to the beach, and visiting Malibu for the first time.  I had a voice lesson with my vocal coach Lis Lewis, and we bumped into RedFoo from LMFAO at a Thai restaruant on Hollywood Blvd (their song "Party Rock" was #1 on the Top 40 that week)!

EMMY's

Just 6 short weeks later, Jayne and I were back in Los Angeles to perform at two Pre-EMMY Parties on the rooftop of the Peterson Automotive Museum!  I was joined on stage by 2 talented LA dancers, Jamie and Laia, and we brought the party to the next level!  We gave out over 150 CDs in the gift bags for the celebrities, and had a few celebrity sightings...

NAMASTE

In September I began working with Nick Chawala and the rest of the Swarm Logic team at Namaste Studios in Atlanta.  Nick and his team received a Grammy nomination for Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" that was up for Album of the Year in 2011.  Chahwala is also responsible for putting down the music work on Mariah Carey's "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" which has sold over 400,000 copies.  Namaste Studios resident engineers and producers have been recognized for working on the top albums of today with an impressive client roster that also includes Justin Bieber, Tricky Stewart, Jessica Simpson, Elton John and The Dream just to name a few.  

We cranked out 3 NEW hit songs ("Gravity", "Record Spinner", and "Speechless") that we officially released on New Year's Day!  Check out the songs below and download them for FREE!  And if you leave a comment saying what you think of the new songs on the Guestbook, you'll be entered to win an iTunes Gift Card (drawing this Friday, 1/13/12).  Good luck!

SPECIAL THANKS

I want to take this opportunity to thank the people in my life who have made this past year possible for me.

First, I would like to thank my fans - without you guys, I wouldn't be here!  Your support means everything to me, and I can't wait to bring you even bigger songs and performances in 2012!

I would like to thank my INCREDIBLE manager Jayne for all of her hard work, dedication, and endless support.  She has not only been an amazing manager to me these past several years, but also my closest friend.  Her generosity, compassion, and support know no bounds, and she inspires me to be a better person every single day!  I could never do this without her, nor would I ever want to try.  Thank you Jayne for everything!  2012 is going to be the most wonderful year for us!

Thanks to my parents for their continued support!  You guys have always encouraged me to follow my dreams and never give up.  You guys have been my cheerleaders my whole life, and I thank you for that.  I hope 2012 brings you great opportunities and happiness! 

I'd like to give a huge THANK YOU to Brad Cox - he gave me 4 awesome songs that have taken my career to the next level this past year.  Working with him is always a pleasure - he can write and produce a hell of a song, and he can always make me laugh in the booth :)  Shout out to his lovely wife Eva, and congrats on their recent marriage.  I wish you both much happiness in 2012!

BIG thanks to Nick Chawhala, Charles Malone, and the entire Namaste Studios team for creating such AMAZING songs and for being a great part of the team.  You guys are not only incredible people in the studio, but outside of it as well!  Working with you on these 3 new songs has been an unforgettable experience that has changed my life - I've learned a lot from you guys and have had an awesome time jamming with you!  I can feel that 2012 has great things in store for you guys :)

Thank you to Lis Lewis for continuing to help me develop and expand my voice.  Through helping me build my "vocal bridge" you have brought my voice to new heights, and I thank you for that!  I hope you have a happy and successful 2012!

Thanks to Renee Grant-Williams for also helping me sing my best!  Thanks to you, I'll always remember that "it's the support, stupid!"  I hope to see you, Elaine, and Coco and Axel very soon.  Happy New Year!

Shout out to my choreographer Apollo Levine, and  to all of the dancers I've had the pleasure of working with this past year - Jacci, Jamie, Victoria, Adrianna, Rashad, Jason, and Jamie and Laia in LA!  Thank you all SO much for your hard work….there were many long nights of rehearsals, but you guys stuck in there and made it happen, even when you had to be up early the next day, and I greatly appreciate that.  Best of luck to you all in 2012!

Special thanks to my band for performing with me at the Peach Drop (Brandon, Tracy, Q, and Teja) - you guys rock!  It's always great to work with professional, talented people, and you guys were just that!  You tore the stage up on New Year's Eve, and I look forward to working with all of you again soon.

I'd also like to thank one of the newest members of the Norwood team, my personal trainer Rich!  Working out with you is always great, even though you kick my ass…haha!  Thanks for helping me reach my fitness goals so I can give my best performance on stage!

So tell me - who are YOU thankful for this year?  What are your New Year's Resolutions?  Leave a comment below - I wanna hear from you!

Best wishes to all of you in 2012!  Let's make this year great…

Peace,
Norwood