Leona Lewis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leona Lewis
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Lewis at a charity event in 2014.
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| Born |
Leona Louise Lewis
3 April 1985 London, England
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| Alma mater | BRIT School |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2004–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Dennis Jauch
(m. 2019) |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels | |
| Signature | |
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Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British singer, songwriter, and activist. She grew up in London and went to the famous BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology.
Leona became a star in 2006 when she won the third series of the TV talent show The X Factor. Her prize was a £1 million recording contract with Syco Music. Her first single, a cover of "A Moment Like This", was a huge hit. It stayed at number one on the UK Singles Chart for four weeks. It also set a world record for being downloaded 50,000 times in just 30 minutes.
Her success grew with her first album, Spirit (2007). It became one of the best-selling albums in UK history. The album's lead single, "Bleeding Love", was the best-selling single of 2007 in Britain and a number-one hit around the world.
Over her career, Leona has released several successful albums, including Echo (2009) and the popular Christmas album, Christmas, with Love (2013). She has also acted in movies like Walking on Sunshine (2014) and on Broadway in the musical Cats.
As of 2021, Leona has sold over 35 million records worldwide. She has won many awards, including two MOBO Awards and two World Music Awards. Besides her career in entertainment, Leona is known for supporting charities, especially those for animal rights.
Contents
Early Life
Leona Louise Lewis was born on 3 April 1985, in London. Her father has Afro-Guyanese roots, and her mother has Welsh, Irish, and Italian heritage. She has two brothers, one older and one younger.
Her parents saw her love for singing early on. They sent her to special schools like the Sylvia Young Theatre School and the BRIT School. They worked hard to support her dream of becoming a singer.
Music Career
2001–2005: Early Career
When she was 17, Leona left the BRIT School to start her music career. She wrote and recorded her own songs while working jobs as a receptionist and a waitress to pay for studio time.
She recorded a demo album called Twilight, but it didn't get her a record deal. Another demo album, Best Kept Secret, was also recorded but not released at the time. Leona kept trying to get a record deal on her own but found it difficult. This experience led her to audition for The X Factor.
2006: Winning The X Factor
In 2006, Leona auditioned for the third series of The X Factor. She sang "Over the Rainbow" for the judges, including Simon Cowell, who became her mentor on the show. People often compared her powerful voice to singers like Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston.
On 16 December 2006, Leona won the competition with 60% of the final vote. After winning, she said, "I feel like my dream has come true, the dream I've been dreaming since a little girl has come true."
Her winner's single, "A Moment Like This", was released right after the show. It became the UK Christmas number-one single for 2006. It sold over 571,000 copies in its first week alone.
2007–2008: Spirit and Global Success
In 2007, Leona signed a five-album contract in the United States with Clive Davis's record label, J Records. She worked with famous producers to create her first album, Spirit.
Spirit was released in November 2007 and went straight to number one in the UK and Ireland. It became the fastest-selling first album in both countries. When it was released in the U.S. in 2008, it also hit number one on the Billboard 200 chart. This made Leona the first British artist to have a debut album start at number one in America.
Her single "Bleeding Love" was a massive hit. It was number one for seven weeks in the UK and eight weeks in Ireland. It also reached number one in many other countries, including the United States, Australia, and Germany.
In August 2008, Leona performed at the 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony in Beijing. She sang "Whole Lotta Love" with guitarist Jimmy Page from the legendary band Led Zeppelin.
2009–2010: Echo and First Tour
Leona's second album, Echo, came out in November 2009. She worked with producers like Ryan Tedder and Justin Timberlake. The album had a more guitar-focused sound and reached number one in the UK. The first single from the album was "Happy", which was a top-ten hit in several countries.
She also recorded the theme song "I See You" for the blockbuster movie Avatar. In 2010, Leona went on her first-ever tour, called The Labyrinth.
During a book signing in 2009, an unfortunate incident occurred where a man approached and hurt her. He was stopped, and Leona recovered quickly.
2011–2013: New Music and a Christmas Hit
In 2011, Leona released a dance-pop single called "Collide". Later that year, she released an EP (a short album) called Hurt: The EP.
Her third album, Glassheart, was released in 2012. It had a more electronic and experimental sound. The lead single was "Trouble".
In 2013, Leona released her first Christmas album, Christmas, with Love. The lead single, "One More Sleep", became a huge holiday hit. It reached number three in the UK, making Leona the British female solo artist with the most top-five singles in UK chart history.
2014–present: Acting and New Projects
In 2014, Leona parted ways with Syco Music and signed a new deal with Island Records UK. Her next album, I Am, was released in 2015. She went on the I Am Tour in 2016 to support it.
During this time, Leona also focused on acting. She appeared in the 2014 movie Walking on Sunshine. In 2016, she made her Broadway debut as Grizabella in the famous musical Cats.
She has collaborated with many artists, including Calum Scott on the hit song "You Are the Reason" in 2018. She has also been a judge on TV shows like The X Factor: The Band and Queen of the Universe.
In 2025, Leona announced her Las Vegas residency show called A Starry Night, which is set to run from November 2025 to January 2026.
Artistry and Influences
Leona has a powerful mezzo-soprano voice that can cover four octaves. She is known for her amazing vocal control and ability to sing high notes with ease.
Her music is a mix of R&B, pop, and soul. Her first album, Spirit, had a classic sound with a modern twist. Her later albums, like Glassheart, explored more electronic and experimental sounds.
Leona has said that her biggest influences are Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. She grew up listening to their powerful voices, which inspired her own singing style.
Charity Work and Activism
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Leona is passionate about helping others and standing up for causes she believes in. She is a strong supporter of animal rights and has been a vegan since 2012.
She famously turned down a large sum of money to open a sale at Harrods department store because they sold animal fur. She is a patron of the Hopefield Animal Sanctuary in Essex, England.
In 2013, she became a brand activist for The Body Shop and released a line of cruelty-free makeup. She has also worked with many other charities, including Save the Children, the American Red Cross, and MTV's Staying Alive Foundation, which fights against HIV/AIDS.
In 2019, she opened a vegan cafe in California called Coffee and Plants. The cafe donates to animal sanctuaries and plants a tree for every 100 cups of coffee sold.
For her services to music and charity, Leona was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2024.
Personal Life
In 2019, Leona married professional dancer and choreographer Dennis Jauch. The couple welcomed their daughter in July 2022.
Leona has been open about her health, revealing in 2017 that she has Hashimoto's disease, a condition that can cause tiredness and pain. She has said that meditation helps her manage her health and well-being.
Discography
- Spirit (2007)
- Echo (2009)
- Glassheart (2012)
- Christmas, with Love (2013)
- I Am (2015)
Tours
Headlining
- The Labyrinth (2010)
- Glassheart Tour (2013)
- I Am Tour (2016)
- Christmas with Love Tour (2023)
Residency
- A Starry Night (2025–2026)
See also
In Spanish: Leona Lewis para niños
- List of artists who reached number one in the United States
- List of awards and nominations received by Leona Lewis
