Gospel star Smokie Norful returns with 'Nothing Without You' album.

THE GOSPEL music community is eagerly awaiting the release of the new album 'Nothing Without You' by Smokie Norful. The singer/pianist's debut album has been certified gold with sales of more than 500,000. Speaking about its success Norful told Billboard, "I just believe that it was God's doing because it fit no formula. I equate chasing after what we experienced on the first album like a dog chasing its tail and never catching it. I went in with the attitude that the same God that spoke to me on the first CD, the same God that put a message for his people on the first CD, is the same God I'm calling upon and trusting to do this CD."

On 'Nothing Without You', Norful again teams with producer Antonio Dixon. He also began working with such noted producers as Tommy Sims, Percy Bady, George Duke and Cedric and Victor Caldwell, as well as newcomer Josiah Bell for the lead single, "Can't Nobody Do Me Like Jesus." Norful calls Bell "one of the greatest producers that I think gospel and Christian music will ever see. He's 17 years old and a baby genius."

The title cut is a song Norful wrote for his wedding. "I was supposed to sing it, but the musicians didn't learn it," said Norful, who lives hear Chicago. "I didn't want to leave [my wife] and go play it by myself and then come back. I regret to this day that I didn't have the opportunity to sing it to her at the wedding. But we did get it at the reception."