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by LINDSAY DIEDRICH
Intern Lifestyles Reporter
Guitar in hand, Stephon LaMar takes the stage and a smooth jazz-like sound erupts from deep within the 21-year-old acoustic soul singer from Celo.
Taking influence from artists such as Stevie Wonder, Prince and Billie Holiday, LaMar has come a long way from imitating Prince and Michael Jackson in his living room.
 Guitarist and singer Stephon LaMar from Celo performs with jazz-like sounds focusing on the message of love. LaMar performs at Legends Nov. 14. Special to The Appalachian |
“I taught myself to
sing,” LaMar said. “I watched a lot of Michael Jackson and Prince
videos when I was a kid and tried to copy what I saw them doing, be it
the crotch grabbing and screaming at the top of their lungs and what
not.”
With a
horn, sax and piano player for a father, a painter for a mother, a poet
for a sister and a writer for an aunt, LaMar always had support for his
musical dream, but the true driving force behind Lamar was his
grandmother.
“My ‘oma,’ my grandmother, she really sort of pushed me to do music,” LaMar said.
Although his grandmother offered him encouragement, he feels he had no choice in his career.
“It wasn’t really up to me, I didn’t really have an option, it wasn’t a choice for me,” LaMar said. “I was just drawn.”
LaMar first knew he wanted to be a musician when watching Boys To Men with his grandmother at age five.
When he saw how others were inspired by the music, he knew he had to be a part of the magic.
“I just
remember standing there watching them sing ‘End of the Road’ and
just...looking at these fellows; that had it for me,” LaMar said.
For LaMar, the powerful message of the music had him hooked.
“Something
that could just mean so much, like a song, just mean so much and its,
its just words, just words and music, just the fact that you can make
something so powerful,” LaMar said.
A firm believer in the saying “carpe diem,” LaMar always strives to seize the day through his musical approach.
“I try
to push myself as much as I can, don’t be afraid of what I think I can
do, really sort of push my own limits, I guess seize the moment, seize
the day,” LaMar said. “Carpe Diem, cause if not now then never, If I
don’t do it now, then when.”
The main theme that travels through his music is love.
“Love
and music pretty much tie us all together,” LaMar said. “I mean it’s an
easy topic, you’re in it, or you lost it or you’re looking for it.
LaMar believes love is waiting for everybody.
“So I
guess, more or less, there’s love in the world and it’s waiting for you
to find it,” he said. “You know what I mean, no matter how down you
feel about yourself or whatever situation your in its all about love
and it is to be found.”
LaMar has found his love, and it comes in the form of resonate sound and six strings.
“It
picks you up when you’re as low as you can be, my guitar does not let
me down ever,” LaMar said. “It’s never gonna make you cry, and when
you’re crying
its right there to play some songs and pick you right back up.”
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