Mervin Mayo is a Soul Man, like the one who “got what I got the hard way” in the 1967 Sam & Dave song of the same name. His dad was in prison most of his youth and he was raised in a rough Richmond, VA neighborhood where gunfire was a daily soundtrack.
Wanting to rise above his circumstances and become a beacon to the troubled youth in his hood, he became a policeman. Mayo’s other passion was music. He grew up singing in church and later with a male R&B group, CHARM, just for fun. Then, a 2020 video of him performing Marvin Sapp’s “Never Would Have Made It” at a church service transformed him into an overnight sensation on social media, leading to Mayo being signed by the iconic gospel music label Tyscot Records.
Mervin Mayo is a Soul Man, like the one who “got what I got the hard way” in the 1967 Sam & Dave song of the same name. His dad was in prison most of his youth and he was raised in a rough Richmond, VA neighborhood where gunfire was a daily soundtrack.
Wanting to rise above his circumstances and become a beacon to the troubled youth in his hood, he became a policeman. Mayo’s other passion was music. He grew up singing in church and later with a male R&B group, CHARM, just for fun. Then, a 2020 video of him performing Marvin Sapp’s “Never Would Have Made It” at a church service transformed him into an overnight sensation on social media, leading to Mayo being signed by the iconic gospel music label Tyscot Records.
His first single is, “The Best Friend,” via Tyscot, the label that broke the careers of gospel legends such as John P. Kee, Deitrick Haddon and the sensational Anthony Brown & group therAPy just to name a few.
This simple ballad about Jesus being the best friend that Mervin has ever had is primarily framed around acoustic piano with all other instrumentation serving as secondary coloring. It’s the perfect showcase for Mayo’s intense, raw old school soul vocals which slide from husky baritone growls to sweet falsetto sighs.
“The Best Friend” is our Song of the Month for April. Check it out below and get ready to be wowed by Mervin Mayo.
Song of the Month
Mervin Mayo – “The Best Friend”