Do you know Maria Howell?

Do you remember the phenomenal singer in the choir who was out sung by Shug Avery in The Color Purple?. Well her name is Maria Howell, and she has been flying under the radar as far as I am concerned.

Howell’s signature film performance as the choir soloist in the movie “The Color Purple” was quoted by one critic as being “one of the film’s most stirring moments!” Her rendition of “God Is Trying to Tell You Something” was memorable for all who saw it, but the offerings of the all-grown-up Maria are truly unforgettable, eliciting more stirring moments, one after another.

I had the pleasure of meeting Maria at my job’s Christmas party where she performed songs from her Christmas LP. When I saw Maria, I searched my brain for a connection, certain that I knew her face but I couldn’t place her until she said Color Purple. I quickly informed every one at the table of her role- as they all started to nod and agree.

I introduced myself to Maria as I was very interested in what she’d been up to over the years. She told me about various acting jobs including, Lifetime’s Drop Dead Diva, Tyler Perry’s Daddy’s Little Girls, The Blind Side, and The Vampire Diaries, just to name a few.  And as far as singing she’s been the performing at Atlanta’s Sambuca’s Jazz Cafe every Monday night. She was actually the first to tell me of Sambuca’s closing their doors for good early this year (2011).

She invited me to one of her last two performances and I graciously accepted. On Monday, December 27, 2010 her last performance at Sambuca’s Maria Howell reminded me what real singing was. She wowed me, her voice is incredible, such a small frame with huge vocals. With just a pianist and a bassist, I swayed and snapped my fingers more that night than I have in a long time.

Maria also has a nonprofit organization. Check out her website and stay tuned for more from Maria Howell.