Del Morin loves to sing and thankfully shares his talent with many. He has participated in the
Arts Council Menifee's Showcase for the past three years and Menifee's Got Talent. He has
donated his time and talent to many local events, including the Carnes MaryChrismess holiday house. Because of his talent and generous spirit, Del Morin has been chosen as ACM's Artist of
the Month for March.

“I love supporting the arts in this beautiful city and participating in community events that enrich our everyday experiences,” Morin said. “Menifee has many talented individuals with many different skills that add to the ‘spice of life’ in this ever-blossoming city.”

Morin was born in Michigan and lived there until he was 15 years old, when his family relocated
to Joshua Tree. He has been a resident of Menifee for more than five years. He and his wife of 26
years, Jeannette Morin, have eight children, ages 5 to 25.

By day, he is a retail clerk, employed by Stater Bros. markets for nearly 34 years. In his spare
time, he loves to sing and entertain. After his retirement in two years, he plans to pursue his
music full time.

Morin didn’t have any formal singing lessons but had a passion for music and made listening to
some of the great singers such as Tommy Edwards, Andy Williams and Johnny Mathis a favorite pastime. That is what led him to become a crooner himself.

“I believe that I inspired myself and taught myself to sing at the age of 10 after the loss of my
father,” said Morin, 51. “I vividly recall sitting under my dad’s record table listening to my dad’s
old records repeatedly and singing along imitating intonations of various singing artists. I spent more time singing than anything else,” he said. “It brought me comfort, a sense of closeness to my late father, happiness and an escape from the real world, if just for that
moment.”

As a youngster he participated in many singing events at school, including Christmas
productions. He was a member of choir in seventh grade and took part in Joshua Tree Playhouse Guild plays and chorale during his high school years.

“I also loved to go caroling in our neighborhood every Christmas season with my siblings and
school friends,” he said.

Morin has sung with bands as well as performing as a solo artist. He was a member of three
different local singing groups in the high desert of Yucca Valley. He was part of the Tumbleweeds, the Del-Rantes and the AnnDels. His solo act is called “Sounds of Del.”

Morin has a regular gig in Palm Springs with his friend Pete Astorino, a Jimmy Durante tribute
artist. They perform for the Sons of Italy at a venue once owned by Frank Sinatra.

His family is very supportive of his musical career and attend many of his performances. His
wish is to continue his love of music forever – touching people’s lives through song. He has sung for weddings, nonprofit organizations, private parties, church functions and other special events.

Often his oldest son, Johnny, performs with him as a duo. “He has been on stage with me since
the young age of three,” Del Morin said.
It seems likely that Morin’s musical influence and talent rubbed off on his two oldest sons, who
are professional musicians. Johnny Morin is a pianist/electronic artist, singer and composer
specializing in jazz fusion; and Morin's 18 year old son, Stephen, is a guitarist specializing in jazz and nu-metal.

Del Morin’s son, Michael, a student at Menifee Valley Middle School, likes to sing and has
participated in many choir events. His younger children are beginning to express an interest in
the arts and Del Morin is a proud father indeed.

“I often tell my children to just keep singing,” he said. “First and foremost, I mean it metaphorically, as I am implying to my children to keep a good outlook in life and never give up. Think positive, follow your dreams and as my wife always says: ‘Reach for that star!’”

If he could sing only one song for the rest of his career, Morin would choose Andy Williams’
rendition of “It’s Impossible.”

“I love the true meaning which seems so everlasting. It is always a song that I feel draws the
audience into maybe a heartfelt moment of life experiences or a cherished memory of something they hold dear,” he said.

He recalled singing at a retirement home in Banning and there was a particular lady that caught
his attention. After he finished singing “It’s Impossible,” the woman’s daughter approached him
in tears to express gratitude for singing that song.

“She explained to me that her elderly mother had progressive Alzheimer’s disease and when I
sang that song, her mother smiled for the first time in many years. The daughter couldn’t believe
the happiness that she saw on her mother’s face. She said it made her day and was a true miracle.
This is that ‘heartfelt moment’ that I was talking about,” Morin said. “I just felt that I had touched this woman’s life through a song.”

To reach Del Morin and the Sounds of Del, please call 951-672-9497, 760-401-0519 or email
him at morinmemoirs2005@aol.com.