“I have a God-given talent, and I intend to use
it every day.”
So says New Orleans native and singer, Nathaniel “Nat”
Brooks. A tall, warm, welcoming individual, Nat is part of the
soul group Real Love, along with Cornelious “CC” Celestine and
Rene Fleury. He has also been a member of the St. Peter Claver
Church Choir in New Orleans for decades. His voice, ranging
from bass-baritone to tenor, can bring audiences to tears, to their
feet, and to their knees, whether it’s at a religious ceremony, a
late-night show or even at a coffee shop in the middle of the day.
Singing has been a passion for Brooks for as long as he’s been
alive, although he didn’t think he had much of a voice growing
up and despite friends telling him repeatedly that he did. His
humility, like his talent, is totally genuine and he is happy to
bring joy to others through music.
“I wake up singing and go to bed with a song in my heart,”
says Brooks.
Known as “the cool one,” Brooks has made a successful life
for himself and his family in New Orleans and he has stayed
true to his friends. He and fellow Real Love singer, Rene Fleury,
Nathaniel
Brooks:
A God-given
Talent for
Singing
By Meaghan Clark
have been friends since childhood. Both shared a similar interest
in music and sports, particularly basketball. Despite graduating
from Southern University with a degree in Interior Design,
Brooks has been in the financial services business for most of
his life. His music is equally as important, and he is dedicated
to both.
Brooks was raised in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans
and he attended St. Augustine High School, as well as the Joseph
S. Clark School, where he enjoyed sports. It was at school that
he first saw and met his wife, the former Darnell M. Bruno. “I
knew when I saw her that I wanted to be with her for the rest of
my life,” he says.
He pursued school and married his high school sweetheart
after graduating from college. Always thrifty with money,
Brooks saved until he was able to afford a house once they were
married. He now has four adult children who are spread out
across the country. He and his wife enjoy traveling to visit their
grandchildren. However, despite having seen a great deal of the
country, Brooks will be the first to tell anyone, “There’s no place
like New Orleans.”
Gifted with a strong range, Brooks says he mostly sings the
second tenor but can sub as a baritone or bass if need be. He
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BIONCA FLOT SYKES
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