Vel Omarr

Vel Omarr was born on a small farm in the Mississippi Delta. His mother found that living in the south and working the cotton fields could not be all that life had to offer. Like many before her, she packed her bags and took the "next train smoking" to Chicago in search of better things.

Vel remained in Mississippi with his grandparents. He attended church on Sundays and recalls traveling to neighboring towns participating in or sometimes observing the "Gospel Fests."

At the age of eight, Vel moved to Chicago and reunited with his mother. This was pure culture shock! "From the sticks to the bricks," says Vel. The first song he heard on the radio as the train pulled into the station was "You Send Me" sung by Sam Cooke. "The song eased my longing to be back home in Mississippi", Vel remembers. Vel discovered his love for singing at the age of 14, and upon graduating, he decided to entertain the idea of singing as a way of life. In the early 1970's, Vel boarded a plane bound for Los Angeles to reposition himself, focus, and to pursue his dream as an entertainer.

Vel joined the legendary R&B / DooWop group, the Robins, as their second tenor lead singer, for a reunion tour in 1991. He remained with H.B. Barnum and The Robins until 1995, and then began touring with Brenton Wood as the opening act for Brenton Wood's Sweet Old School Revue. In 2003 he joined The Olympics as one of their lead singers and has performed along side other legendary artists like, Little Anthony and the Imperials, The Penquins, The Coasters, Gene Chandler, The Flamingos, Zola Taylors of the Platters, and many more.

As a singer in Brenton Wood's Sweet Old School Revue, Vel has also opened for and appeared with such legendary greats as James Brown, Etta James, Little Richard, Al Wilson, Barbara Lynn, Brenda Holloway, Rosie, of Rosie and The Originals and many other legendary R&B/Doo Wop artists.

As a solo artist he released an independently-released CD in 2001 called "Vel Omarr Sings Sam Cooke & More", which was inevitable since nobody can sound like Sam Cooke as well as Omarr. In 2008 he self-released the fantastic LP "How Can I Make You Mine?". Two tracks, "Lover's Deja Vu" & "Stay Where You Are" feature the legendary Olympics who he is also lead singer of

New music is expected from him in 2011/2012 courtesy of CDS Records' sister label Special Soul Music. Though he sings like Sam Cooke and credits him as his influence Omarr is set to establish himself as individual artist who just happens to bring back the spirit of Cooke.


Album Discography

"Rhythms & The Blues" (SW Label Group 2000)

1 Back To The Rhythm and the Blues
2. I'm Your Lover
3. If I Should Get To Heaven
4. When You're Here
5. Feels Like Love
6. It's Got To Be Love
7. A Family Thing
8. Start Loving Me
9. That's All That Matters
10. That's Alright With Me
11. Dance With Me, Honey
12. Morality
13. You're All That

"Vel Omarr Sings Sam Cooke & More" (VOS Music 2001)

1. A Change Is Gonna To Come
2. Pride And Joy
3. Chain Gang
4. Harry Hippie
5. Under The Boardwalk
6. My Girl
7. Nothing Can Change This Love
8. Sugar Dumpling
9. Frankie And Johnny
10.You Send Me
11.Cupid
12.Twistin' The Night Away
13.If I Should Get To Heaven (Bonus Track on 2008 Reissue)

"How Can I Make You Mine" (VOS Music 2008)

1. How Can I Make You Mine
2. Hurry Back Home
3. Feels Like Love
4. Rome Wasn't Built In A Day
5. Trouble Blues
6. That's All That Matters To Me
7. Baby Please Come Home
8. Lover's Deja Vu
9. Stay Where You Are
10. Al's Sugar Shack
11. I Believe I'm Falling In Love

"The Greatest Song I Ever Sang" (Special Soul Music 2012)

1. Everybody's Dancin'
2. Still My Love Grows
3. Happy People
4. I'll Be There For Ya
5. The Greatest Song I Ever Sang
6. I Love You
7. Don't Give More Than You Feel
8. Give Me Your Love
9. Joanna
10.Lonesome Joe
11.A Woman's Love Is Greater
12.Everybody Needs Somebody Sometime

"Cookin' With Vel Omarr" (Special Soul Music 2013)

1 Intro
2 Twisting the Night Away
3 Rome Wasn't Built In a Day
4 How Can I Make You Mine
5 Frankie & Johnny
6 If I Should Get To Heaven
7 Ain't That Good News
8 Still My Love Grows
9 Trouble Blues
10 Bring It Back Home
11 A Change is Gonna Come
12 Nothing Can Change This Love
13 Lover's Deju Vu feat: The Olympics
14 Christmas and the Single Mom feat: The Olympics
15 I'll Be There for Ya [Remix]

"Ain't No Telling" (Double Beat 2014)

1 Ain't No Telling
2 My Telephone Keeps On Ringing
3 Living In The Ghetto
4 It's My Pleasure
5 Big Leg Baby
6 Al's Sugar Shack
7 That's All That Matters To Me
8 The Power Of Your Love
9 Soulful Christmas

*** This album was released as if the producer and label "Ain't No Telling" anyone it even exists. Omarr himself had to put the word and tried to get them to promote it and make the CD available. Omarr is known for his Sam Cookely voice (search for his "How Can I Make You Mine?" and "The Greatest Song I Ever Sang" albums). The title cut is a rugged, midtempo Funk Blues replete with a good dose of harmonica while "My Telephone Keeps Ringing" is kept alfoat by organ, soft-tappin' drums and Jazzy guitar. Neither really let Omarr flex his vocal wings. The slippery Funk Blues "Livin' Ine The Ghetto" and the midpaced lump de lump "Big Leg baby" are more like it. Looking at the tracklist we really have but an EP's worth of new songs. "Al's Sugar Shack" and "That's All That Matters To Me" already appeared on "How Can I Make You Mine?", "Soulful Christmas" on an independent collection with The Olympics and the Cooke-pastiche "The Power Of Your Love" was a 2013 single.

"Blues Beat" (VOS Music 2018)

Trouble Blues (2007)
Ain't No Telling (2013)
Baby, Won't You Please Come Home (2007)
Al's Sugar Shack (2007)
My Telephone Keeps On Ringing (2013)
The Power Of Your Love (2013)
I'm Coming Home Soon (2017)
That's All That Matters(TO ME) (2007)
It's My Pleasure (2013)
Big Leg Baby (2013)
I'm Your Lover (1998)
If I Should Get To Heaven (1998)
I'm A Free Man (2017)