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 R&B soul gospel
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
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 released her first album in 2021. JazzTimes magazine then named her the Best New Artist. Her second album, Linger Awhile (2022), quickly became number one on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. Samara Joy has won five Grammy Awards. These include Best New Artist in 2023. She also won Best Jazz Vocal Album twice (in 2023 and 2025). She won Best Jazz Performance twice as well (in 2024 and 2025).

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Samara Joy was born in 1999 in the Castle Hill area of the Bronx, New York City. She grew up in a family full of music. Her grandparents, Elder Goldwire and Ruth McLendon, started a gospel music group called The Savettes. Her grandfather was also a finalist on a TV show called Sunday Best.

Family's Musical Influence

Samara's father is a singer and bass player. He toured with famous gospel musician Andraé Crouch. He introduced Samara to many great gospel artists like The Clark Sisters. He also shared soul and Motown music with her. This early exposure to different music styles helped shape her love for singing.

High School and Jazz Discovery

Samara attended Fordham High School for the Arts. She sang in the school's jazz band. During this time, she won the Best Vocalist award at the Essentially Ellington festival. This is a big competition for high school jazz bands. It is held by Jazz at Lincoln Center.

She truly discovered jazz music when she went to SUNY's Purchase College. She studied voice in their jazz program. She was even named an Ella Fitzgerald Scholar. Friends at college introduced her to recordings by amazing jazz singers like Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald. She also learned about great jazz musicians such as Kenny Washington and Jon Faddis.

Samara Joy's Music Career

In 2019, Samara McLendon won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. This was a big step in her career. She worked with producer Matt Pierson to record her first album. She was still in college when she made it.

Debut Album and Early Success

Samara graduated with honors in 2021. Her first album, Samara Joy, was released on July 9, 2021. It was released by Whirlwind Recordings. Jazz Times magazine quickly recognized her talent. They named her the Best New Artist for 2021. In February 2021, she was part of a music video for "Summertime". This song is from the opera Porgy and Bess. Film director Regina King praised Samara. She said Samara seemed to have the spirits of Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald within her.

Viral Videos and Touring

Samara Joy became very popular online. She released several videos of her performances that went viral. One video had over 1.5 million views by October 2020. By November 2022, these videos helped her gain 200,000 followers on TikTok. Because of this online success, she started touring in Europe. She had many sold-out concerts in Italy and Austria. In 2021 and 2022, she toured across the U.S. She performed at major events like the 2022 Monterey Jazz Festival. She also sang at Lincoln Center and Winter Jazzfest.

Television Appearances and Second Album

On February 15, 2022, Samara performed on the Today show with guitarist Pasquale Grasso. She returned to Today in September 2022. On June 15, 2022, she was featured at Carnegie Hall. She also appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival. She was featured on jazz pianist Julius Rodriguez's 2022 album, Let Sound Tell All.

On September 16, 2022, she released her second album, Linger Awhile. This album was released by Verve Records. It featured talented musicians like drummer Kenny Washington and guitarist Pasquale Grasso. For the winter of 2022, she sang with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

Grammy Award Wins

Samara Joy was nominated for two awards at the 2023 Grammy Awards. She won both! She received the Best Jazz Vocal Album for Linger Awhile. She also won the highly desired Best New Artist award. Her success continued with more Grammy wins in 2024 and 2025.

Discography

Studio Albums

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

Awards and Honors

See also

In Spanish: Samara Joy para niños