The gospel artist Smokie Norful was born Willie Ray Norful, Jr. in Oklahoma in
1975. As a teenager he developed an interest in theological studies and trained
as a minister in Illinois before eventually achieving a Masters in Divinity. He
became a licensed preacher in 1997 and has been an active and respected member
of the Christian community for most of his adult life.
He began his recording career in 2002 with the release of his debut album 'I
Need You Now', the album topped Billboard's Gospel Album charts and eventually
spent 104 weeks in the charts and established Norful a...