Singer Regina Belle is faring well with her first album of gospel material, Love Forever Shines. The project's first single, "God Is Good," has risen to Number Three on the national gospel airplay chart.
Belle established her career over two decades ago, when fans heard her jazzy R&B stylings on tunes like "So Many Tears" and "Make It Like It Was." Now the musical director for an Atlanta church ministry, Belle grew up on gospel music and plans to continue making inspirational music.
After 20 years of performing, Belle jokes about how her voice has changed over the years: "I listen to 'Make It Like It Was' now and I said, 'Wow, she's t12 years old!' (laughs) I'm like, 'who is -- wow!' So I think the timbre of my voice has certainly changed. I mean, there was a time when I actually could sing soprano just as well as I could sing alto, but now I am straight, stone-cold alto. I might use soprano for color, but a sister ain't trying to live up there."
While her range has shifted, she adds that her interpretive abilities are stronger: "Those things have changed but by the same token I think I'm able to project more of my experience into what I do now as opposed to back then, because you know I hadn't really lived life. Now I've lived some life. Even being 44 years old, there's a lot of things I've seen and done because I've been halfway across the world, and a lot of people have just read about things I've seen and places I've been. That helps to mature you."
Belle recently wrapped up her national church tour to promote Love Forever Shines.
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