The Sound and Soul of Marc Broussard
Photo by Jeff Fasano
A local artist of international renown for over twenty years now, Marc Broussard is once again cross-pollinating his chameleon-like genre dexterity with his patented soulful sound to manifest some lasting good to the Acadiana community he still proudly calls home. As the latest entry in his now five-part S.O.S (Save Our Soul) album series, of which partial proceeds go directly to area charities, “S.O.S. V: Songs of the ’50s” has Marc excavating some of the most meaningful songs ever written and performed. The band covers iconic tracks from Ray Charles, Bobby Darin, Fats Domino and more to support Love of People, a nonprofit organization working to help individuals, families, service industry workers, musicians, artists and the elderly. While the S.O.S. series is known for its distinctive eras and genres, including a collection of lullabies for S.O.S. 3, the fifties era sound came essentially on a last-minute whim of inspiration, lending an urgency that only enhances the immediacy of each rollicking track.
“We actually had a playlist locked of seventies soul. Then, two weeks before we started recording, I realized that the fifties era holds such a special place in this country,” says Marc. “So I opened up Spotify and intuitively put together the best playlist that we could. While my manager always wants us to choose only hits, we also dug a little bit and made sure to choose some B-sides that would make the band happy.”
Marc chose “Love of People,” where he and his family have been volunteering for years. As a concierge service that is able to assist with everything from lawn care to hospice needs, Love of People has been making a difference in Acadiana.
“The Blue Monday program is a way for our aging musical legends in the community to get some work performing and through that, access to quality-of-life services,” explains Marc. “After working with that program, I began digging in and discovered just how robust and essential their mission is to people in the area — most recently, feeding 5000 people over Thanksgiving.”
As both a working musician and family man, Marc has little time to rest on laurels or accolades when there are gigs to play and albums to cut — currently, a staggering sixteen and counting. While there have certainly been several birthdays and holidays missed over the years of touring and performing, being a devoted father and husband hasn’t slowed Marc’s passion for the music; if anything, it has lit a passion that grows hotter each passing year.
“Having kids just made me hyperaware that I needed to go and work, that I had people relying on me,” says Marc. “This year will be the first time I’m home for Mardi Gras in 20 years. But their support has really just lit a fire under my butt and motivated me.”
Marc will soon bring his unique brand of Southern soul overseas for his latest European tour before returning home for a set at Jazz Fest and a rematch with the venue that just last year he feared would be his final bow. After feeling awful before taking the stage in 2025, Marc was overwhelmed with what he feared might be a heart attack, leading him to tell his drummer in all sincerity that “this might be the last song I ever sing.”
“It was extremely frightening and something I had never experienced before,” remembers Marc. “It turned out to be severe dehydration, but walking off the stage, I was sobbing uncontrollably. It was really a rough one, and I’ll certainly be hydrating a hell of a lot before Jazz Fest this year.”
As “S.O.S. V: Songs of the 50s” is set to release, it’s safe to say that Marc Broussard’s last song is far from sung. While his soul remains with his family, his sound will continue to delight music lovers around the world, with a style all his own, a charitable heart, and hopefully, plenty of electrolytes.
