Samara Joy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Samara Joy
Joy in 2022
Background information
Birth name	Samara Joy McLendon
Born	(1999-11-11) November 11, 1999 (age 25) Bronx, New York, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, soul, R&B, gospel
Years active	2019–present
Labels	Verve Whirlwind
Associated acts	Emmet Cohen Pasquale Grasso

Samara Joy McLendon (born November 11, 1999) is a talented American jazz singer. She became famous for her amazing voice and won several big awards.

Her first album, Samara Joy, came out in 2021. After that, JazzTimes magazine called her the Best New Artist. Her second album, Linger Awhile (2022), even reached number one on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart!

At the 2023 Grammy Awards, Samara Joy won two very important awards: Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best New Artist. This was a huge achievement for her. In 2024, her song "Tight" also won Best Jazz Performance at the Grammy Awards.

Early Life and Learning

Samara Joy grew up in the Castle Hill area of the Bronx, New York City. She was born in 1999 into a family that loved music.

Her grandparents, Elder Goldwire and Ruth McLendon, started a gospel music group called The Savettes. Gospel music is a type of Christian music. Her grandfather was also a finalist on a TV show called Sunday Best, which is a gospel talent show.

Samara's father is a singer and bass player. He taught her about gospel music and other styles like Motown and soul music.

She went to Fordham High School for the Arts and sang in their jazz band. While in high school, she won an award for Best Vocalist at the Essentially Ellington festival. This is a big competition for high school jazz bands.

Samara really discovered jazz music when she went to SUNY's Purchase College. She studied singing in their jazz program and even received a special scholarship named after the famous jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. At college, her friends introduced her to recordings of legendary jazz singers like Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald. She also learned about great jazz musicians.

Her Music Career

In 2019, while still in college, Samara won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. This was a big step for her career.

She recorded her first album, Samara Joy, before she even graduated from college in 2021. The album was released in July 2021. Jazz Times magazine quickly recognized her as the Best New Artist for that year.

Samara also became popular online. She shared videos of her singing that went viral, meaning lots of people watched them. By 2022, she had many followers on TikTok. Because of her growing fame, she started touring in Europe and the U.S. She performed at big events like the Monterey Jazz Festival.

In 2022, she appeared on the TV show Today twice. She also performed at Carnegie Hall, a very famous music venue.

Her second album, Linger Awhile, was released in September 2022. It featured talented musicians like drummer Kenny Washington and guitarist Pasquale Grasso.

In 2023, Samara Joy won two Grammy Awards: Best Jazz Vocal Album for Linger Awhile and the highly sought-after Best New Artist award. This made her a global star in the jazz world.

Albums and Songs

Samara Joy has released several albums and singles.

Studio Albums

• Samara Joy (2021)
• Linger Awhile (2022)
• Portrait (2024)

EPs

• A Joyful Holiday (2023) - This is a shorter album, also known as an EP.

Singles

Samara Joy has also released many individual songs, called singles. Some of these include:

• "Warm in December" (2022)
• "Lush Life" (2023)
• "Tight" (2023) - This song won a Grammy Award!
• "Why I'm Here" (2024)

Awards and Honors

Samara Joy has won many awards for her amazing talent.

Images for kids

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  Joy in 2022

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See also

In Spanish: Samara Joy para niños