Ledisi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ledisi
Ledisi in 2024
Background information
Birth name	Ledisi Anibade Young
Born	(1972-03-28) March 28, 1972 (age 53) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres	R&B jazz neo soul
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter actress author
Instruments	Vocals, piano
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Listen Back Entertainment BMG Verve LeSun Music
Associated acts	Robert Glasper

Ledisi Anibade Young (/ˈlɛdɪsiː/; born March 28, 1972), better known simply as Ledisi, is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, author, and actress. Her name means "to bring forth" or "to come here" in Yoruba.

In 1995, Ledisi formed a band after her middle name Anibade. After unsuccessfully trying to get signed to a major label, she formed LeSun Music with musician Sundra Manning. She released her debut album Soulsinger (2000), which featured the single "Take Time", which gained substantial airplay from San Francisco area radio stations. In 2002, Ledisi released her second album, Feeling Orange but Sometimes Blue, which won "Outstanding Jazz Album" at the California Music Awards in 2003. In 2006, Ledisi signed a record deal with Verve Forecast and released her third album, titled Lost & Found (2007). The album earned her two Grammy nominations, including one for Best New Artist. She released six more albums on Verve: It's Christmas (2008), Turn Me Loose (2009), Pieces of Me (2011), The Truth (2014), The Intimate Truth (2015), and Let Love Rule (2017).

In 2020, Ledisi formed her own record label Listen Back Entertainment and released her album The Wild Card. The album's single "Anything for You" won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. She released three more albums on her label including Ledisi Live at The Troubadour (2021), Ledisi Sings Nina (2021), and Good Life (2024).

Aside from music, Ledisi has embarked a career in film and television as an actress. She portrayed gospel icon Mahalia Jackson in the films Selma (2014) and Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story (2022). Other roles include a guest appearance as Patti LaBelle in the BET docudrama American Soul, a cameo appearance as a choir member in the FX drama Pose (both 2020), as well as co-starring as Gladys Knight in the film Spinning Gold (2023). She is also starred in her first Hallmark original movie All Saints Christmas (2022).

Early life

Ledisi was born in New Orleans and was raised in Oakland, California. Ledisi first began performing publicly at age eight with the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra. Ledisi moved to Oakland, California, where she attended McChesney Junior High School, now Edna Brewer Middle School.

She was shy about her singing abilities and would sing only upon request when students in her gym class would implore her to sing Deniece Williams's version of Black Butterfly, bringing the entire classroom audience under the spell of her very mature, melodious voice. As she sang more publicly her music career blossomed and she earned a scholarship to study opera and piano for five years at University of California Berkeley in their Young Musicians Program. Right after graduating from high school she was nominated for a Shellie award for her performance in a production of The Wiz That nomination would lead her to be a long time cast member with the San Francisco cabaret, Beach Blanket Babylon.

While working at Beach Blanket Babylon, Ledisi worked at a record shop and waited tables part-time. It was not until she began performing regularly at local clubs like Cafe DuNord, The Elbo Room, Bruno's, Mecca, and Rasselas that she began making a name for herself in the local club scenes in the Bay Area.

Career

1990–1999: Career beginnings

In 1990, she starred as the lead character Dorothy in a Antioch Community Theater production of The Wiz in Antioch, California. Her performance earned a Shellie Award nomination in the same year. She also joined a cabaret production of Beach Blanket Babylon in San Francisco. She earned a scholarship and attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied piano and opera. Ledisi formed her own funk band called Anibade. The band performed around the San Francisco Bay Area, building notoriety in the area. After the group failed to secure a record deal, Ledisi and keyboardist Sundra Manning formed their own label LeSun Music.

2000–2004: Soulsinger and Feeling Orange but Sometimes Blue

In 2000, Ledisi released her first album Soulsinger, which featured the band Anibade, on LeSun Records. The album featured the single "Take Time" and received positive reviews. In 2002, she released her second album Feeling Orange but Sometimes Blue. The album featured jazz standards "'Round Midnight", "In a Sentimental Mood", and "Autumn Leaves (Les feuilles mortes)". The album won "Outstanding Jazz Album" at the California Music Awards in 2003.

In August 2003, Ledisi and Anibade performed at the San Jose Jazz Festival. She also released a 4-track extended play titled Ledisi & Anibade - "Live" The Bootleg Recordings Vol. 1. In the same year, she reissued her first album under the title Soulsinger: The Revival, distributed by Tommy Boy Records. In May 2004, Ledisi portrayed two characters, The Washing Machine and The Radio, in the Broadway production of Caroline, or Change.

2007–2010: Lost & Found and Verve Records

In 2006, Ledisi secured a major record deal with Verve Forecast, a subsidiary of Verve Records. Ledisi had been recording her third album Lost & Found prior to her record deal. The album was released on August 28, 2007. Lost & Found peaked at number 10 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart and sold over 237,000 copies in the United States. The album's lead single "Alright" peaked at number 11 on the Adult R&B Songs chart.

During her tour in February 2008, she performed at the Highline Ballroom in New York City. She received positive feedback from critics for her emotional performance, which was described as a "religious experience". In March 2008, "In the Morning" was released as the second single and peaked at number fifteen on the Adult R&B Songs chart. The album earned Ledisi two nominations at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, for Best R&B Album and Best New Artist. She made a cameo appearance in the comedy film Leatherheads as a blues singer who performed the pop standard "The Man I Love" in April 2008. In September 2008, she released her Christmas album titled It's Christmas.

Her fifth album Turn Me Loose was released in August 2009, peaking atop of the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. To promote the album, she joined with multi-cultural cosmetic brand Carol's Daughter, with whom she ran an advertising promotion that included a brand sampler. The album's first single "Goin' Thru Changes" peaked at number forty-three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number fifteen on the Adult R&B Songs chart. The follow-up single "Higher Than This" peaked at number twenty-two on the Adult R&B Songs chart. The album earned two nominations at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, for Best R&B Album and "Goin' Thru Changes" earning a nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

2011–2019: Pieces of Me and subsequent releases

Ledisi performing at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial dedication concert (October 2011)

In June 2011, Ledisi released her sixth album Pieces of Me. The album debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200 and peaked at number two on the Billboard's R&B Albums. The album's lead single "Pieces of Me" became one of her most successful songs on the Billboard chart, peaking at number two on the Adult R&B Songs and number nineteen on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. She headlined her first major tour called The Pieces of Me Tour, which went on to play to over twenty-two sold-out shows. The success of the album earned three nominations at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, including Best R&B Album, Best R&B Song (for the song "Pieces of Me"), and Best R&B Performance (for the song "Pieces of Me"). In April 2012, she headlined her second tour called B.G.T.Y. Tour. In June 2012, Ledisi released her first book titled Better Than Alright: Finding Peace, Love & Power, on Time Home Entertainment, Inc.

Her seventh album The Truth was released in March 2014. The album spawned the top-ten Billboard Adult R&B Songs "I Blame You" and "Like This". The song "Like This" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance in 2015. In April 2014, Ledisi portrayed American singer Mahalia Jackson in the American historical drama film, Selma. It is based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches for voting rights in Alabama, led by James Bevel, Martin Luther King Jr., and Hosea Williams. In the film and on the film's soundtrack, Ledisi performed "Take My Hand, Precious Lord". In January 2015, Ledisi released a studio live extended play titled The Intimate Truth.

In May 2017, Ledisi released a single titled "High". She released her eighth studio album titled Let Love Rule on September 22, 2017. Let Love Rule received three nominations at the 60th Grammy Awards in January 2018 including Best R&B Album, Best R&B Performance and Best Traditional R&B Performance. She won a Soul Train Certified Award at the 2018 Soul Train Music Awards. In June 2018, she performed "Sweet Love" in tribute to Anita Baker. In the same year, she performed "Ain't No Way" in tribute to Aretha Franklin at Black Girls Rock!. In October 2018, Ledisi performed "As Long as You're Mine" with Adam Lambert in an NBC broadcast, A Very Wicked Halloween: Celebrating 15 Years on Broadway. In 2019, she portrayed the Ancestor in the Off-Broadway theatre production of Witness Uganda. In the same year, she co-wrote and co-produced her one-woman show titled The Legend of Little Girl Blue, which sold out in nineteen different cities.

2020–present: The Wild Card and Good Life

In January 2020, Ledisi released her second book, Don't Ever Lose Your Walk: How to Embrace Your Journey. In June 2020, Ledisi announced the title of her ninth studio album, The Wild Card. The album was released on August 28, 2020, exactly thirteen years after her major label debut, Lost & Found. The Wild Card was the first album to be released on Ledisi's independent label Listen Back Entertainment, distributed by BMG. The album's lead single "Anything for You" became Ledisi's first number-one song on Billboard's Adult R&B Songs chart, remaining in the top position for two weeks. The song also won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance in 2021, marking her first Grammy Award win. On April 30, 2021, Ledisi released a live album, Ledisi Live at The Troubadour.

..... On March 1, 2023, Ledisi performed "River" with Herbie Hancock in honor of Joni Mitchell at the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize concert. In March 2024, she released her eleventh studio album Good Life. The album's first single "I Need to Know" became her second number-one on the US Adult R&B Songs chart.

Artistry

Voice and musical style

Ledisi's voice is classified as a four-octave mezzo-soprano. She has been described as a "vocal powerhouse" and "one of the most distinctive voices of 21st century rhythm and blues". Music critic Salamishah Tillet of The New York Times praised her voice for its "diversity and breathtaking range". Fellow musician John Legend commented "As a contemporary vocalist, there’s almost no one I can think of in the world that sings as skillfully as she does. In terms of her range, dexterity, clarity, versatility, she can do anything she wants. She’s one of the great singers in the world, period". She is also known for scatting.

Her music includes various styles of musical genres such as contemporary R&B, jazz, funk, pop, and soul. Her debut album Soulsinger (2000) followed a contemporary R&B sound, while her second album Feeling Orange but Sometimes Blue featured a jazz sound. In an interview with DownBeat, Ledisi expressed wanting to be viewed as more than a R&B singer after the release of her album Ledisi Sings Nina (2021). "I’m not your boxed R&B singer. I’m more than that. I studied classical. It just so happens that I’m loved for R&B, but my home base goes over into all these other worlds".

Influences

Ledisi's major influences include Nina Simone (left) and Curtis Mayfield (right).

Ledisi names Nina Simone as her major musical influence. Ledisi recalled going through a depression and divorce during her late twenties. ..... In July 2021, she released a tribute album titled Ledisi Sings Nina, which features popular songs written or covered by Simone. Ledisi was also heavily influenced by Curtis Mayfield. On February 7, 2020, Ledisi paid homage to Mayfield doing a tribute concert alongside Bilal and the WDR Big Band.

Her musical influences also include Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Deniece Williams, Leontyne Price, Dinah Washington, Aretha Franklin, Patsy Cline, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, and Stevie Wonder. Ledisi credited Diana Ross's performance as Dorothy Gale in The Wiz for giving her the "acting bug". In an interview with People magazine, Ledisi cited Prince as a musical influence and that he encouraged her to leave her record label.

Personal life

Marriage

Ledisi performing at the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Washington, D.C. in 2023

In the early 2000s, Ledisi was married to a man whose name was not publicly disclosed. They divorced in 2003. In 2018, she married director and actor Ronald T. Young. The couple appeared on the docu-series Black Love.

Politics

On November 6, 2011, Ledisi performed at the Obama 2012 Fundraiser. In March 2012, she was invited to the White House by First Lady Michelle Obama for the Women's History Month Mentoring Series. On September 4, 2012, Ledisi performed at the Democratic National Convention. She performed the gospel song "I Feel Like Goin' On" for the church service at St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. on January 21, 2013, at President Barack Obama's 2013 presidential pre-inauguration. Her song "Raise Up" from her album Pieces of Me was included on President Obama's Campaign Playlist. On January 19, 2017, Ledisi posted a picture of Obama, thanking him for his presidential term. In June 2023, Ledisi was invited to perform during the Juneteenth Concert at the South Lawn.

Activism

In September 2017, Ledisi headlined the Black AIDS Institute's Heroes Gala. In November 2017, Ledisi became an ambassador for the Black AIDS Institute. She stated, "I want to work with everybody that's involved that are dealing with AIDS and HIV and AIDS/HIV prevention, anything just to spread the word about that and stop all the stigmas. I'm hoping through my voice and my platform to educate people." She also met with the Black Treatment Advocates Network (BTAN) and the Detroit Health Department to express concern about the disparate number of African American women with HIV compared to other demographics.

In August 2018, Ledisi spoke out about the importance of music education. She stood in support of the Arts for Every Student Act. The legislation bill establishes an incentive grant program for school districts to expand access to visual and performing arts instruction, including music, dance, theatre, media arts and visual arts. She also emphasized herself as an example of the value of arts education, and called on both the public and lawmakers to support the bill. The legislation was signed by Senator Ben Allen.

In 2021, she was elected president of the Los Angeles Chapter. In 2022, Ledisi became a professor and first artist-in-residence at Berklee College of Music, starting at the academic year of 2022–2023. Under Berklee's Jazz and Gender Justice Program, she educated academic students and created workshops.

Awards and achievements

Ledisi has earned an array of awards, honors, and nominations. These include one Grammy Award and two Soul Train Music Awards. She has been the honorary musical receiptant of Americans for the Arts, EmpowHer, and Los Angeles Jazz Society. In December 2018, she was honored by the Black AIDS Institute for her work and advocacy. In August 2021, she became an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. In May 2024, she received an honorary doctorate degree from the Berklee College of Music.

Business and ventures

LeSun Music and Listen Back Entertainment

In 1999, Ledisi co-founded the independent record label LeSun Music with musician Sundra Manning. The name is derived from the first names of Ledisi and Sundra. The record label distributed a total of three albums: Soulsinger (2000), Feeling Orange but Sometimes Blue, Ledisi and Anibade Live Recordings Vol. 1 (2003), and reissue edition titled Soulsinger: The Revival (2003). The label became defunct in 2006. In January 2019, Ledisi founded another independent record label called Listen Back Entertainment. The label's distributor is BMG Rights Management. The company has distributed Ledisi's albums including The Wild Card (2020), Ledisi Live at the Troubadour (2021), Ledisi Sings Nina (2021), and Good Life (2024).

Production companies

In 2014, Ledisi founded a production company called Ledhead Productions. In September 2016, Ledisi started another production company called Fig Street Films. In 2019, the company produced Ledisi: The Legend of Little Girl Blue, a stage production about the lives of Ledisi and Nina Simone. On November 28, 2020, Fig Street Films produced live concert special titled Ledisi Live: A Tribute to Nina Simone, which aired on American television network PBS. In 2020, Ledisi co-founded Chinweya Publishing Company. The company published Ledisi's second book Don't Ever Lose Your Walk: How to Embrace Your Journey, which was released in January 2020.

Discography

Studio albums

• Soulsinger (2000)
• Feeling Orange but Sometimes Blue (2002)
• Lost & Found (2007)
• It's Christmas (2008)
• Turn Me Loose (2009)
• Pieces of Me (2011)
• The Truth (2014)
• Let Love Rule (2017)
• The Wild Card (2020)
• Ledisi Sings Nina (2021)
• Good Life (2024)

Tours

Filmography

Film

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2008	Leatherheads	Blues Singer
2011	Leave It on the Floor	Princess' Mother
2014	Selma	Mahalia Jackson
2016	The Tale Of Four	Aunt Sara	Short
2021	Twice Bitten	Jessica
	B-Boy Blues	Ann Walker
2022	Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story	Mahalia Jackson
2023	Spinning Gold	Gladys Knight
TBA	Verona	Vesante	Post-production

Television

Theatre and musical