kids encyclopedia robot

Lilli Lewis facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Lilli Lewis
Lilli Lewis by Liv Piskadlo Jones 4x6.jpg
Background information
Born Athens, Georgia
Genres
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • Piano
Years active 2009–present

Lilli Lewis is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She plays folk and Americana music. Lilli lives in New Orleans, Louisiana. Some people call her the "Folk Rock Diva" because of her powerful voice and style.

Lilli Lewis's Music Journey

Lilli Lewis grew up in Athens, Georgia. She released her very first album, Out from Yonder, in 2008.

Starting a Band

In 2009, Lilli started a folk rock band called The Shiz with her wife, Liz Hogan. This is where she first became known as the "Folk Rock Diva."

Big Band Sound

Lilli has also made music with a big band. This group is called the Lilli Lewis Project. It includes many famous musicians from New Orleans. Their album We Belong came out in 2019 and got great reviews from jazz music fans.

Recent Albums and Recognition

In 2020, Lilli's album My American Heart got a lot of attention. One reviewer even compared her to the famous opera singer Jessye Norman.

In 2021, Lilli released her album Americana. This album was chosen by NPR Music as one of the Top 10 Albums of the week. NPR Morning Edition also talked to her about Black musicians who are making new paths in music.

A Song Controversy

Lilli's album Americana was temporarily taken off Spotify. This happened because a song called "A Healing Inside" featured an artist known as Lady A. Another band, formerly called Lady Antebellum, thought it sounded too similar to their name. After a few days, the album was put back on Spotify. Rolling Stone magazine wrote about this issue. They also picked Lilli's song "Copper John" as one of their Songs You Need to Know.

Lilli Lewis's Activism

Lilli Lewis is also a strong voice for fairness in music. She works as a Vice President at Louisiana Red Hot Records. In this role, she helps make sure that all musicians are treated equally. This includes people of different races, genders, and those who are LGBTQ.

She has spoken on panels about these topics, and her words have been shared by magazines like Rolling Stone and American Songwriter. Lilli told Nashville Scene that country and Americana music have a history of strong female artists like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. She believes everyone should have a fair chance to share their music.

Lilli Lewis's Albums

  • Out from Yonder (2008)
  • Very Small Things (2009)
  • The Promised Lands: Songs of the Sacred South (2011)
  • Orange Music (2017)
  • The Henderson Sessions (2018 - Louisiana Red Hot Records)
  • We Belong (The Lilli Lewis Project, 2019 - Louisiana Red Hot Records)
  • My American Heart + The Blue EP (2020 - Louisiana Red Hot Records)
  • Americana (2021 - Louisiana Red Hot Records)
  • All Is Forgiven (2023 - Righteous Babe Records)
kids search engine
Lilli Lewis Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.