Lady A (singer) facts for kids

Anita White (born July 18, 1958), known professionally as Lady A, is an American singer. She performs blues, soul, funk, and gospel music.

About Lady A's Music Journey

Anita White grew up in Seattle, Washington. She started singing at age five with her family. Her professional singing career began in the 1980s. She first sang as a backup vocalist in a band that played Motown songs.

For 18 years, she was part of a group called Lady A & the Baby Blues Funk band. After that, she started her solo career. She toured in the Pacific Northwest and Mississippi Delta areas. Lady A has released seven solo albums since 2010.

She also runs Lady A Productions. This company helps gospel and blues artists. As of 2020, she hosts two music shows online for NWCZ Radio. These shows are called Gumbo & Gospel, and Black N Blues (the B side). Lady A's songs often talk about important social issues. For example, some of her music has addressed events that sparked discussions about fairness and equality.

Understanding the Name Conflict

In June 2020, during protests for civil rights, a pop country music group called Lady Antebellum changed its name. They shortened it to "Lady A." They did this to avoid connections to the "Antebellum South." This term refers to a time in American history before the Civil War, which is linked to difficult parts of the past, including the practice of slavery.

Soon after, news spread that Anita White had been using the name Lady A for over 20 years. The band members said they didn't know anyone else was using the name. White called this "pure privilege." She explained that the band seemed to be using the name change as a quick fix. She felt they were not truly understanding the deeper issues.

A lawyer who works in the music industry noted that name conflicts like this are unusual. This is because it's usually easy to check names online.

Discussions and Lawsuit

The band members contacted Anita White the next week. They apologized for using her name without checking first. They said the Black Lives Matter movement had inspired them to work together. However, they also planned to keep using the Lady A name. White was worried that two artists using the same name would hurt her career.

At first, White was hopeful and forgiving. She said they talked about sharing the name but didn't agree on how that would work. She felt the band avoided her questions about it. Later, she received a contract draft from the band. She was shocked and felt they were trying to "erase" her. She no longer trusted them.

White then made her own offer. She suggested the band either change their name or pay her $5 million. She also asked for a $5 million donation. This money would go to charities in Seattle, a legal fund for independent artists, and the Black Lives Matter movement.

On July 8, 2020, the band filed a lawsuit against White. They rejected her offer. They stated they had the right to their own long-standing trademark of the name. The band said they were sad that their hope to work with Anita White had ended.

On September 15, 2020, White filed her own lawsuit. She claimed the Lady A trademark belonged to her under common law. She argued that two artists could not use the same name in the same industry. She asked for money for lost sales and a weaker brand. She also asked for a share of any money the band made using the name Lady A.

Impact on Other Artists

The name dispute also affected other musicians. In late October 2021, a folk musician named Lilli Lewis released her album, "Americana." Lewis had joined an online support group for Black female artists. Anita White was also a member of this group. The two artists connected and recorded a song together called "A Healing Inside." This song was on Lewis's album, with White credited as "Lady A."

Soon after the album came out, it was removed from Spotify, a popular music streaming service. It's not clear why this happened. It might have been Spotify's computer system flagging it. Or, it could have been because of the legal fight over the "Lady A" name. The album was put back on Spotify on November 15, 2021. This was about two weeks after its release.

By February 2022, Anita White and the band had settled their lawsuit. They filed a request to dismiss the case in a federal court in Tennessee. The details of their agreement were not made public.

Lady A's Music Releases

Lady A has released seven solo albums and two singles.

Albums by Lady A

• BlueZ in the Key of Me (2010)
• How Did I Get Here (2013)
• Loved, Blessed and Blues (2016)
• Doin' Fine (2018)
• Lady A: Live in New Orleans (2020)
• Satisfyin' (2021)
• Just Bein' Me (2023)

Singles by Lady A

• "The Truth is Loud" (2019)
• "My Name is All I Got" (2020)