Judith Hill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Judith Hill
Hill performing at the 2011 International Women of Courage ceremony
Background information
Birth name	Judith Glory Hill
Born	(1984-05-06) May 6, 1984 (age 41) Los Angeles, California
Genres	Pop, soul, Contemporary R&B, neo-soul, funk, jazz
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, musician, composer
Instruments	Vocals, piano, guitar, bass
Years active	2007–present
Labels	Sony Music NPG
Associated acts	Michael Jackson, Josh Groban, Prince

Judith Glory Hill (born May 6, 1984) is an American singer and songwriter from Los Angeles, California. She is known for her powerful voice and for singing backup for many famous artists. These include Michael Jackson, Prince, and Josh Groban.

In 2009, Judith was chosen to sing a duet with Michael Jackson for his This Is It concert rehearsals. After Jackson's death, she sang "Heal the World" at his memorial service. This performance brought her global attention. Her journey as a backup singer is shown in the documentary film 20 Feet from Stardom. This movie tells the stories of singers who support some of the biggest music stars. Judith also won a Grammy Award for Best Music Film for her part in this film.

Judith's original songs, like "Desperation," were featured in the 2012 Spike Lee film Red Hook Summer. In 2013, she became a contestant on the TV show The Voice. She also toured with Josh Groban and John Legend. Her first album, Back in Time, was co-produced by Prince and released in 2015.

About Judith Hill

Judith Hill's mother, Michiko Hill, is a pianist from Tokyo, Japan. Her father, Robert Lee "Pee Wee" Hill, was a funk musician. Judith's mother is Japanese, and her father is African-American. Judith can speak and sing in both English and Japanese. She also speaks French and Spanish.

After studying music composition at Biola University, Judith went to France in 2007. There, she performed with French singer Michel Polnareff. When she returned to the United States, she started her career as a singer-songwriter. Experts describe her voice as unique, soulful, and earthy. She can sing in many styles, including R&B, funk, hip-hop, jazz, and gospel.

Judith has sung backing vocals for many artists. These include Gregg Allman, Josh Groban, Carole King, Rod Stewart, and Robbie Williams. She has also been a featured singer on albums by George Benson and Steve Tyrell. Her voice can also be heard on movie soundtracks like Dr. Seuss' The Lorax and Happy Feet Two.

In 2013, Judith signed a record deal with Sony Music. She continues to perform and release new music. In 2020, she was a featured singer on Gerard Way's song "Here Comes the End." In 2023, she sang on Eric Clapton's single "How Could We Know." In 2024, she was a special guest vocalist with The Revolution, celebrating 40 years of Prince's album Purple Rain.

Her Solo Music

Judith Hill's first solo album, Back In Time, came out in 2015. She wrote all 11 songs on the album. Prince produced the album. It was offered as a free download and was downloaded 50,000 times on its first day.

Her 2021 album, Baby, I'm Hollywood!, received good reviews. On September 15, 2023, she released "Runaway Train." This was the first song from her album Letters from a Black Widow, which came out on April 26, 2024.

Working with Michael Jackson

In 2009, Judith Hill was chosen to sing duets with Michael Jackson for his This Is It concerts. She practiced with him for months. Sadly, Michael Jackson passed away on June 25, 2009, and the concerts were canceled.

On July 7, 2009, Judith performed at Jackson's memorial service. This event took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. She sang the lead on the song "Heal the World." This was a very emotional moment of the service and brought her worldwide attention.

Judith also released a song called "I Will Always Be Missing You." This song was a tribute to Michael Jackson. It was named after her duet with him, "I Just Can't Stop Loving You." She offered it as a free download and later released it on iTunes. All the money from the iTunes sales went to Childhelp US, a charity for children.

Her Time on The Voice

Judith Hill auditioned for the fourth season of The Voice in 2013. In her audition, she sang "What a Girl Wants" by Christina Aguilera. All four judges, Adam Levine, Shakira, Usher, and Blake Shelton, wanted her on their team. She chose to join Team Adam. Adam Levine believed she would become a Grammy-winning superstar.

During the show, Judith had many memorable performances. She sang "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" in the battle rounds and "Feeling Good" in the live playoffs. She was considered a favorite to win the competition. However, she was eliminated after her Top 8 performance on May 28, 2013. Her elimination surprised many viewers and critics.

Performances on The Voice:

     – Studio version of performance reached the top 10 on iTunes

20 Feet from Stardom Documentary

Judith Hill and several other backup singers are featured in the documentary film 20 Feet from Stardom. This movie first showed at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and was released in theaters in June 2013. The film won an Oscar and a Critics Choice Award for best documentary in 2014. Judith also won a Black Reel Award for her original song "Desperation" from the film. In 2015, 20 Feet from Stardom also won a Grammy Award for Best Music Film.

Collaborations with Other Artists

Josh Groban

Judith Hill sang backing vocals on three songs for Josh Groban's album All That Echoes. She also opened for him during his All That Echoes World Tour in North America in Fall 2013. They performed two duets together: "The Prayer" and "Remember When It Rained." The song "Remember When It Rained" was later released as a single. Judith also appears in Josh Groban's music video for his song "Brave."

John Legend

Judith Hill was the opening act for John Legend on his #AllOfMe Tour in the UK in the autumn of 2014.

Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band

Judith is the featured singer on her song "Party Rockers." This song is on Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band's album Life in the Bubble. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals in 2015.

Prince

On March 22, 2015, Prince invited media to hear Judith Hill's first album at his studio, Paisley Park. Six songs were played from Back in Time. Judith recorded this album in just a few weeks with Prince as the producer. Prince learned about Judith when he saw her in an interview where she mentioned wanting to work with him. He then decided to produce her debut album.

Discography

Studio albums

• 2015: Back in Time
• 2018: Golden Child
• 2019: Studio Live Session
• 2021: Baby, I'm Hollywood!
• 2024: Letters from a Black Widow

Singles

• 2009: "I Will Always Be Missing You"
• 2013: "Desperation"
• 2014: "Remember When It Rained" Duet with Josh Groban
• 2014: "Party Rockers" on Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band's album Life in the Bubble
• 2015: "Cry Cry Cry" from the Back in Time album
• 2018: "Abracadabra"
• 2019: "Upside"
• 2020: "Here Comes the End" with Gerard Way
• 2023: "Runaway Train"
• 2024: "Flame"
• 2024: "Dame De La Lumière"
• 2024: "Black Widow"

Soundtracks

• 2012: Red Hook Summer (Songs from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Filmography

Awards

• 2014 Black Reel Award – Outstanding Original Song, "Desperation", Twenty Feet from Stardom
• 2015 57th Annual Grammy Awards – Grammy Award for Best Music Film
• 2016 Nominated for NAACP Award Outstanding New Artist