Do you remember the song “Let Me Love You” by R&B singer Mario? If you don’t, let’s jog your memory with these lyrics: “You should let me love you, Let me be the one to give you everything you want and need…” Sounds familiar now, right? Well, the man behind that hit was recently on The Jennifer Hudson Show, where he took us on a trip down memory lane and shared some heartwarming stories about how music and his mom shaped his career.

Mario shared how music played a vital role in his childhood, helping him bond with his mom and building his confidence, saying:

My mother got me started, she was the one who instilled the confidence in me at a very young age, she got me a mic that tuned into the radio which she probably hated later, because I was four/five years old and every chance I could get, I was using it to sing like some of my favourite songs on the radio but I didn’t know the lyrics, I just knew the melody, but I was singing Whitney Houston songs and Babyface.

He also opened up about the inspiration behind his latest album, “Glad You Came.” For Mario, this album is not just about the music, it’s a tribute to the fans who have been with him through the years.

I called it “Glad You Came“ because I wanted to invite my fans on this new journey with me. When I go to shows and I’m touring and I’m seeing fans that I’ve seen over the years and some of them have families, some of them, you know, have new businesses. We’ve grown together, you know, some fans go through personal things and you’re there to like be a soundtrack of their life, so, you know, album for me is kind of like it’s just as much yours as it is mine.”

Watch the full conversation below: