Naturally 7 is an international vocal group incorporating r&b, Christian, hip-hop, jazz, and pop music. Their unique vocal styling and a capella technique has gotten them noticed all over the world. Not only do they sing, but their voices are the instruments. With recent performances on The View, and A Very BET Christmas, these seven men took the time to answer some questions about their life while currently on tour overseas.
What are the names of the group members?
Roger Thomas – founder and 4th tenor
Rod Eldridge- Vocal DJ and 1st Tenor
Garfield Buckley – Vocal Harmonica and 2nd Tenor
Napoleon Cummings – Vocal Guitar and 3rd Tenor
Warren Thomas – Vocal Drums Dwight Stewart – Baritone
Armand “Hops” Hutton – Bass
How many of you live in Atlanta?
“The band was originally started in NYC. But as the years went on we decided to leave and 5 guys now reside in the Atlanta area, one guy lives in Nashville, and there’s one guy left in NYC.”
You all are blessed with a lot of talent, what else makes the group unique?
“This group should have its own reality show. Because we spend so much time on the road, it’s very similar to a family in that each member has a unique and very distinct personality, but when you mix it with the other 6 guys, you’re bound to see any level of craziness. A lot of joking going on and a lot of competition, but out of all of that, the one thing that might make us unique is our strong religious foundation. Most of our songs are used for inspiration and uplifting.”
What are your favorite places to tour, and why?
“There would be different answers for each guy. Personally (Hops), I love touring in the United States because there’s really no place like home. But as a band, I’m sure the collective answer would be “Switzerland” because 1) it’s such a beautiful country and 2) we’re always received extremely well there.”
You did an amazing collaboration with Ludacris and Rudy Currence for Quincy Jones’ new album Soul Bossa Nostra. How did this come about and what was it like working with the legendary Quincy Jones?
“We were invited to sing at Quincy Jones’ 75th anniversary in Montreax, Switzerland. It really was a reunion of sorts for a lot of the musicians there because most of them had worked together in making some of the classic hits all throughout Quincy’s music career. So just being there was a dream. After that performance, we made such an impact on Quincy that he wanted to work with us in some fashion and the Soul Bossa Nostra project ended up being perfect. It was nothing short of a dream come true! He has had his hand in so many aspects of music culture for decades now and the man still is going. He’s very sharp and I wouldn’t be surprised if he came out with about 50 more projects!”
Besides singing, what other interesting hobbies do you all enjoy?
“As a band, we all love to play Spades and dominoes”.
What is something you can’t live without?
“God and family. Without them, there is no music”.
What are your other most recent and upcoming projects?
“We have an album coming out entitled, VocalPlay: A word of mouth. It’ll be released via Hidden Beach and should be expected later this year."
Please visit our website: www.naturallyseven.com. Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@naturally7), and also look for us on Facebook. “We love to interact with our fans and those mediums will keep you up-to-date with all the latest details of what the band is doing and when.”
Don't forget to purchase Quincy Jones' CD Soul Bossa Nostra, featuring Naturally 7.
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