Marsha McWilson

Artist Information:
Label: self-released
Genre: Blues/Gospel
Hometown: Niagara Falls, NY
Influences: Tina Turner, Gladys Knight
Sounds Like: Etta James, Aretha Franklin

Biography:

Salon Owner, Recording Artist, TV Actress, Motivational Speaker

Marsha is the baby of 12 children-- her parents were happily married for 56 years before they passed away. Her father was a carpenter and electrician. Her mother served on the Human Rights Commission.

Marsha is a wife and mother to two miracle sons. In life, Marsha has known much pain, dealing with the death of 4 of her brothers, a sister, nephew and parents all in a short span of time. Despite many tragedies, Marsha has persevered through it all, clinging to her faith in God. She knows the struggle of barriers holding her back. Obesity almost stopped her from living her dreams. She jumped over her obstacles, though, and transformed her life. Now she's standing on stages she never thought she'd be on because of her size. As a musical minister, Marsha is the kind of artist who walks into a room radiating light, love and laughter. You don't just hear her sing-- you experience her. She'll tell you, "I work for the waymaker." 

Even at a young age, Marsha lived life with gusto, being listed in the Who’s Who In America book in 1984. After graduating from the MarJon School of Beauty Culture in 1994, Marsha opened her own salon called McWilson House of Beauty. She has done hair, makeup and clothing for many beautiful women over the years, including Gospel legend Shirley Caesar. In addition to owning and running her own business, Marsha has made a name for herself as an accomplished singer, appearing on the Bobby Jones Gospel TV show and singing in concert with greats like David & Tamela Mann, Yolanda Adams, Kim Burrell, Donnie McClurkin, Michael Buble and many others. Marsha has met several fellow entertainers like Tyler Perry, Bobby Brown, Chaka Khan, Vanessa Williams, comedian Luenell, the cast of Menopause: The Musical, and CeCe Peniston. She has lead a Gospel choir down the runway at Fashion Week in Toronto. You might have heard her as a radio host on WUFO-Buffalo, which plays her song "Balance". Having trained under Les Brown, Marsha is also a motivational speaker, talking to young people about making good choices in life. She regularly visits Niagara Falls elementary schools offering "Mrs. Marsha's Life Lessons." Her giving spirit garnered her a Humanitarian Award from the City of Niagara Falls in 2002. Recently, she won an acting contest on the Tom Joyner Cruise which lead to an appearance in Tyler Perry’s TV show, If Loving You Is Wrong. Lately she has been paying tribute to Etta James with standing-room-only concerts in places like Lewiston, NY, along with recording her Blue Sky Blues CD, a follow-up to her hit song on iTunes entitled “Balance.” She also played the role of "Athena" in "The Odyssey" at Artpark during the summer of 2018 and sang during the Lewiston Jazz Fest at What's The Point Ministries. Married to Howard McWilson for more than two decades, and the proud mother of two sons, Marsha has even found time to coordinate LEWAC cancer awareness/prevention events for several years in a row. She is an evangelist at Zion Dominion Global Ministries, serving under Bishop Roderick L. Hennings. 

While Marsha calls Niagara Falls, New York, home, she could see herself living and working in Las Vegas or California. 

Recent Press:

AMBuffalo, Niagara Gazette, WIVB, WBBZ and more

Social Media:

Facebook, Instagram

 

Etta James tribute artist Marsha McWilson
as heard on the Tom Joyner Morning Show

Marsha McWilson is a professional recording artist, songwriter, actress,
motivational speaker, & TV/radio host
"She's a mover and shaker in a world where most people sit down!" 

Blues Singer:

“Amazingly talented!”

— Sherri Shepherd, talk show host and actress

Jazz Singer:

“Marsha is a fabulous singer. I loved her performance. I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot more from her.”

— Janice Mitchell, Jazz & Blues vocalist

Gospel Singer:

“That was beautiful!! She has a great voice and it was perfect for that song!”

— Sharon Cantillon, Buffalo News photographer

Career Highlights:

* won an acting contest on the Tom Joyner Celebrity Cruise
* appeared in Tyler Perry's TV series "If Loving You Is Wrong"
* shared stages with crooner Michael Buble, Johnny Gill and blues singer Claudette King (B.B. King's daughter)
* led a Gospel choir down the runway at Fashion Week in Toronto
* appeared multiple times on TV, including TCT's "Celebrate" and WKBW's "AM Buffalo"
* motivational speaker trained by Les Brown , the world's leading motivational speaker
* started her own tribute act impersonating Etta James with songs like the married couples' favorite "At Last"
* booked 15 groups for an entire day of programming at the Niagara Falls Blues Fest where she also performed
* performed on stage with a white rock band singing The Beatles' "Come Together" at the Hard Rock Cafe Niagara Falls
* met several famous performers including Bobby Brown, Shirley Caesar, and Chaka Khan
*acted in The Odyssey as the goddess Athena at Artpark in Lewiston, NY

If it's one thing Marsha is, it's versatile. From blues to jazz, rock to Gospel, singing to acting and then some, the dynamic Marsha McWilson has the charisma, energy and personality to endear herself to a wide variety of audiences. In general, her core audience is black and white women ages 35-64.

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