At some point you’ve heard Arnold McCuller’s rich distinctive vocals that have captured the hearts and ears of many well-respected musicians and fans alike. Long time featured vocalist with James Taylor and Phil Collins, in addition to recording with numerous A-list musicians. Arnold has also had a rather successful acting career as well with a number of film and TV appearances.
After a national tour of the musical Hair, Arnold joined the quartet Revelation from 1974-1979 and recorded one album plus a series of singles. In 1979, Arnold kicked off his solo career with a remake of “Nowhere to Run” that was featured in the cult hit movie The Warriors. Almost 40 years later, this song still averages over 12k streams per month on Spotify. This would be the first of many movie soundtracks to feature Arnold including Duets and Patriot Games.
Since 1990. Arnold has released seven studio and two live solo albums that run the range of smooth jazz to latin-pop to blues showcasing Arnold’s diverse vocal abilities. Many of Arnold’s talented friends have lent him a hand over the years including: Bonnie Raitt, Dave Koz, David Benoit, Brad Cole, Lamont Van Hook, Jon Gilutin and more.
His latest album, Witness, features fellow touring bandmates Michael Landau, Jimmy Johnson and Luis Conte. Witness also features Matt Cusson, two time winner of the John Lennon Songwriters Award, on a variety of instruments, producer and co-writer of two tracks.
Since 1977, Arnold has recorded and toured the world with James Taylor. His solo section during “Shower the People” is considered to be one of the fan highlights of James’ concerts. So much that James had Arnold accompany him for his acoustic performance of “Shower the People” at the National Mall for President Obama’s inauguration. This was the first of several performances Arnold would do for the Obama White House with James and Lyle Lovett.
In 1990, Phil Collins recruited Arnold into his touring band. Over the years, Phil has let Arnold take the lead on “Separate Lives” and “Easy Lover”. Arnold continues to tour with Phil and will be on the road with him as well as James Taylor in 2018 and 2019.
Since retiring from touring in 2022, Arnold has also taken the time to record and make special appearances at select shows for James Taylor, Lyle Lovett, and Bonnie Raitt. In 2023, he was invited to record a new rendition of “How Sweet It Is” for the series finale of “A Million Little Things.” Additionally, Arnold released an EP featuring songs by Johnny Mathis and covered “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive,” “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve,” and an original track “Ode to David (Old Eight Mile)” dedicated to his lifelong friend, David Lasley.
Most importantly, Arnold has pursued his passion for helping others by becoming a certified recovery specialist, offering support to those struggling with addiction.
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