Gospel singer Smokie Norful picked up on the piano at the mere age of two. Since then, he has become one of popular music's greatest success stories as he virtually popped out of nowhere with his debut album, I Need You Now, in early 2002, becoming an overnight success. Just a year after his debut released, he became Billboard Magazine's number one Gospel Artist of the Year and won the 2003 Stellar Awards for both Male Vocalist and Best New Artist.

Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Norful was raised in the church. His father was the Reverend W. R. Norful at an African Methodist Episcopal church, and he was nicknamed "Smokie" after a family friend. Though he picked up on music at an early age, it wasn't his focus until later on in life. He attended the University of Arkansas and majored in history with which he started teaching high school. Later he moved to Chicago to attend Garrett Theological Seminary, earning a Masters of Divinity. He remained in Chicago where he was an assistant pastor at the Rock of Ages Baptist Church and performed with several different church choirs. Norful also began writing for several different Gospel artists, including Shirley Murdock and Dottie Peoples, before he caught the attention of Joe Anne Brunson, leader of the Thompson Community Choir, who asked Norful to sing on her choir's Real album. This experience essentially launched his own singing career.

After his experiences with songwriting, Norful decided to tackle his own career and started to work on his solo album. The process would take four years, but in the end his debut Gospel album was worth the wait. It hit the Gospel and Urban Adult Contemporary charts for its familiar Gospel/Soul territory. After I Need You Now became a big hit, Norful reappeared with the live album Limited Edition. The album debuted at number one and stayed there for a month, establishing Norful as one of the leading Gospel singers of the time. Two years later he released Nothing Without You.