Nakia Madry-Smith performing with The Fuzz Band
Nakia Madry-Smith, director of the Old à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã University Peninsula Center, joined Pharrell Williams on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night. Madry-Smith, an ODU alum, is part of the Voices of Fire choir, which is backing Williams as he performs his song, "Letter to My Godfather."
Singing since the age of 5, Madry-Smith also performs with two local groups, The Fuzz Band and Rocky 7. Their repertoire ranges from funk and progressive soul to '70s R&B and jazz fusion.
The Fuzz Band performed at one of former President Obama's inaugural parties and three USO tours. Locally, the bands appear at everything from corporate events and festivals to weddings. April to August is her busy season. She had three gigs one day this past summer.
The Peninsula Center is one of three ODU Regional Higher Education Centers which serve as gateways to the University, providing accessible, high-quality education in convenient locations within Greater Hampton Roads. Madry-Smith has led the center in Hampton since 2015. She previously worked at Old à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã's Career Development Services for six years.
"Everyone at ODU has been super-supportive of my outside interests," she said.
