Marcus Mosely is a singer, songwriter, actor, and former missionary. Born in Ralls, Texas, he moved to Vancouver in 1985, and has called it home ever since. In 2008, he made it official, and became a Canadian citizen.
He has had a long and diverse career since arriving in Canada, beginning with stage productions of Ain’t Misbehavin, Gold Revue, and Show Boat, which were all performed in Vancouver. He has also done some voice work by appearing in the Holiday Heart as the singing voice for Ving Rhames, and as the singing voice for the character Fluttershy in an episode of My Little Pony. His love of music and identity was shown when he created and directed It’s Time to Sing, a narrative of African-American gospel music from slavery to Carnegie Hall.
He is best known for his band The Soujourners, a Vancouver-based gospel band composed of himself, Will Sanders, and Khari McClelland, who released their first album in 2007. The group advocated for values of social justice and freedom.
In more recent years, Marcus has been focusing on his own projects. From 2011-2022, he served as the artistic director of the Marcus Mosely Chorale, and recorded an album with them back in 2017. As of today, he has been giving back to the community by leading gospel workshops across Canada and directing the Marcus Mosely Ensemble. Every year since its birth in 2012, he has hosted the concert Songs of Freedom in Vancouver, which is a celebration of Black culture through music, put on during Black History Month. He has also continued his endeavours of communicating the values he holds through his own solo career; sharing love, humanity, and empathy through his music.
Awards
- 2024 BC Achievement Foundation’s Community Award
- 2020 Legacy Award for Music from the National Congress of Black Women Foundation
- 2016 Induction into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame