BY: Melissa Bessey

Deborah Cox’s soulful sound has kept fans satisfied for more than a decade. Singing since the age of 12, the Toronto-born artist got her start as a back-up singer for Celine Dion.

Now, with nine Billboard-charting hits under her belt, she is recognized as Canada’s Queen of Soul. Sway caught up with Cox last year while she was promoting her album The Promise.

Describe your inspiration for The Promise.
This album was inspired by my love of old-school soul music. I recorded it over a three year period, so the final product and release of the album was a long time coming. During the last few years, there were a lot of different R&B vibes happening and I really didn’t want to get locked into one of the sounds you were hearing on the radio. So I took my time.

In 2007, you released a jazz album Destination Moon. How did that come about?
I’ve always loved jazz and wanted to put together a project like that for a long time. The process came together by hanging out with friends in the studio. The first jazz concert I saw was Miles Davis and it was a real turning point because it opened me up to what jazz was all about.

Throughout the past decade you have started a family and grown a lot as a person. How have you matured as an artist?
I know a lot more about the business now. Today I’m not afraid to do what I love, including switching genres and styles of music. The fear of needing to be one particular type of artist is just not there anymore so I don’t hold back.

What advice would you offer to up-and-coming musicians and youth wanting to get into the biz?
There are way more resources out there now than there were when I was starting out. So the best advise I can offer is to take advantage of these outlets as much as you can. The internet is such a great resource; you can put out an entire album online and have it be incredibly successful, without a huge budget.

Do you have any new projects in the works?
I’m involved with a not-for-profit project based in South Africa called Broadway that works with artists like myself to bring art and music to the underprivileged, school-aged children of South Africa.

The Promise is available at all major music vendors. Fans should anticipate a North American tour in 2009. For more info, visit: deborahcox.com.