Sam Fisher

In a race of endurance, it is not who runs the race the fastest but who is in the race the longest. After literally miles and miles of dedication, passion, and perseverance, Sam Fisher puts forth his latest album and breakout hit “People Living”.
To try and pinpoint just when Sam’s career as a musician began would be quite a conundrum, because, simply put, music was the world Sam was born into. Raised in Kinston, NC (birthplace of actress Jamie Pressly and the NBA’s Jerry Stackhouse), to a soul-funk trumpet player and a gospel songstress, Sam was immersed in music from day one. He began playing saxophone alongside his father at a very young age, but it wasn’t until the day his mom convinced him to sing a few lines that his true gift was discovered. From then on, there was no holding back, and no question in his heart as to what direction his life should take.
It was from this inherently musical background that his earliest and most profound influences began to evolve. One can clearly make out the stylings of such soul wonders as Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield in Sam’s smooth, liquid crooning, and his effortlessly powerful, emotive voice and vast range could easily be compared to modern icons the likes of Lenny Kravitz or Seal. Sam demonstrates great sense of craft as he treads far beyond conventional boundaries with his unique ability to blend accents of old school soul, funk, rock and pop to bring his listener a collection of melodically arresting and emotionally forthright music.
Sam’s experiences span beyond the last decade, beginning at East Carolina University with his first collaborative project, The Steel Genies, a jazz quartet in which he played guitar for a brief time. Later, he would take his first steps towards center stage as singer/guitarist for the band Curious Goods. Following graduation, Sam decided to take a stab at corporate life working as a branch manager with Wachovia Bank. It wasn’t long before that inevitable pull at his heartstrings drew him back to the world of music. In 1999, Sam accepted the job as front man for the Red Eye label’s Weekend Excursion. Before the members amicably split in 2003, Weekend Excursion sold over 30,000 units, touring the U.S., Japan, and Korea and had songs featured on Dawson’s Creek, Party of Five, and MTV’s The Real World. In November 2003, Sam embarked on a solo career with his independently released, “Live, Acoustic and other Non-chalants”. In 2004, Sam inked a deal with indie label, Namavi Records and released “The Immediate Me EP” in the spring of 2005.
His current project, “People Living”, was produced and co-written by Dan Hannon of Vintage Songs in Atlanta (Elevation, Pete Schmidt, and Aaron Shust). The album features drummer Brent Couch, formerly of Atlantic recording artists Blue Light Karma, as well as gospel bassist Steve McRae. The album also includes sessions featuring drummer Skeeto Valdez, keyboardist Terrell Taylor and strings arranged by Michael Gleason.
The first release from SBMG Records, “People Living” offers an accomplished collection of music, introspective and intimate. Sam seems to know how to translate that common story in all our hearts into song. Through his artistry and eloquent song craft, Sam touches on subjects ranging from the war in Iraq, as he does on the tune “Revolution, infidelity, with the Michael McDonald inspired “Overdressed” and poverty on title track “People Living”. Sam muses on loss and transition in the R&B, gospel inspired first single “Countin’ On Love,” a hopeful tune, reminiscent of the days of Bill Withers. The soulfully driven balladesque “I Haven’t Said Enough” takes us back to that one place in our hearts where true love still runs the show. Sam takes time to pay ode to his predecessors with the reggae inflected cover of Shuggie Otis’ “Inspiration Information”. “In the Grey” a tune about waning commitment harkens back to the day of Curtis Mayfield. The albums most emotional moment comes on the tune “Say Goodnight” a letter of peace written to his mother from the perspective of his late brother who died in a late night car crash. Sam does take time to poke fun at himself and the one-night stand gone terribly right on the bluesy “Love On The Run”.
With lyrics that delve into the emotional depths we all navigate and seek to understand, and a soulfully seductive voice that keeps you sitting in your car, just to hear that song one more time, Sam Fisher’s newest release will surely prove to be a favorite. And, when all is said and done, and the music fades and the house lights come up, Sam will still be that guy in faded jeans and a t-shirt, mingling with the crowd and signing autographs that read like postcards.