Marc Martel

Long before his YouTube videos went viral, spawning an appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and a performance with the surviving members of Queen on “American Idol,” Marc Martel spent 13 years recording and touring the globe with Canadian rockers Downhere. Not only did the rock band visit all 50 American States, but also toured throughout Europe and even Northern Africa, collecting worldwide acclaim and four Juno Awards in their native land.
 
After paying their dues for more than a decade in a fifteen passenger van and finally graduating to a full-fledged bus, Martel received an email from an industry pal with a link to a contest spearheaded by the actual members of Queen. At first, the front man almost passed on the opportunity, but with some prodding from his wife and additional friends, he casually cut a version of “Somebody To Love” in 2011, and now 30 million cumulative YouTube and Facebook views later, bolstered by the aforementioned “Ellen” appearance, Martel was declared the victor. Even legendary Queen drummer Roger Taylor remarked to the Daily Record: “That voice. You listen, close your eyes and you think it’s Freddie. It’s really uncanny.” For the last 6 years and over 160+ shows Marc has fronted Queen’s official tribute show, The Queen Extravaganza.
 
But even with the overwhelming demand behind Martel’s Queen-themed projects, he’s cultivated an increasingly visible solo career defined by a relentless creativity, unpredictably and practically super human abilities to simultaneously craft his own identity while flawlessly stepping into the shoes of others. In 2016, he continued a Downhere tradition by releasing the EP The Silent Night which brought him back onto the Christian radio charts with his Billboard AC Monitored Top 10 single, “What Child Is This?” featuring Ron Block of Alison Krauss and Union Station.
 
Marc has also gone back to Christian radio with his version of “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” featuring Plumb, which is the debut single from his EP, The First Noel.
 
“I grew up believing a lie that I had to have one sound as a singer, but after I put that false belief aside, I realized I can have as many sides as I want,” sums up Martel. “I’m having the best time of my life as a professional musician right now where I’m involved with so many different things it’s impossible to get bored. Between anything Queen-related, my own recordings and these fun little side projects, I’m more diverse and happier as an artist than I’ve ever been!”