Sasha Allen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sasha Sierra Allen
Allen performing with The Rolling Stones at Hyde Park in 2022
Background information
Birth name	Sasha Sierra Allen
Born	(1982-06-04) June 4, 1982 (age 43) New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres	R&B rock soul pop
Occupation(s)	Singer actress
Years active	1997–present
Associated acts	Hair Babyface Alicia Keys Leona Lewis Christina Aguilera John Legend Shakira Rolling Stones The Pussycat Dolls

Sasha Sierra Allen (born June 4, 1982) is an American singer and actress. She grew up in Harlem, New York. Sasha started her career singing backup for famous artists like Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Leona Lewis, and Usher. In January 2016, she joined The Rolling Stones' touring band. In May 2020, she also joined The Pussycat Dolls' touring band.

Allen played the character Dionne in the 2009 Broadway show Hair. She also performed in the 2010 London revival of the musical. In 2013, she became a semi-finalist on the TV singing competition The Voice.

Sasha Allen's Early Life and Career

Growing Up and Starting Out

Sasha Allen's grandmother, from Bermuda, was one of the first Black students to attend the Juilliard School of Music. Sasha's grandfathers and father were African American. Sasha is the older of two children. She went to LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts in New York City.

When she was 14, Sasha starred in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Whistle Down the Wind. While still in high school, she appeared in commercials and print ads. This included advertisements in TIME magazine for AT&T.

At 17, she signed with Elektra Records. She worked with producers like Warryn Campbell and J. Moss. Later, she signed with Arista Records when LA Reid was in charge. However, her album was never released. Sasha said that the music business was changing a lot at that time. This made her sad because singing came so naturally to her. Because of this, Sasha started looking into other ways to perform, like acting.

Performing in the 2000s

Sasha Allen was cast in the movie Camp (2003), where she played a character named "Dee." She was also featured on VH1's Born to Diva. This was a TV show that highlighted talented singers before American Idol became popular.

Sasha has performed on world tours and platinum-selling albums for many artists. These include Christina Aguilera's Back to Basics Tour and the DVD Back to Basics: Live and Down Under. She also sang on John Legend's album Once Again. She worked on Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds' album Playlist. Sasha was also the main singer on Babyface's "Playlist" World Tour. She sang classic songs that he wrote for stars like Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, and Madonna.

Sasha has toured with Alicia Keys, Leona Lewis, and John Legend. She has also performed with Usher and David Bowie. She recorded music with Celine Dion. Sasha has also sung on TV shows with musical director Rickey Minor. This led to performances with Jessica Simpson, Patti LaBelle, Yolanda Adams, Fantasia, and Clint Black.

Allen performing at Joe's Pub in NYC, 2011.

Sasha Allen's own music shows her love for rock, soul, and R&B. Her first song, "Let's Fly Away", came out on July 4, 2008. Her next song was a cover of Joan Osborne's "One Of Us", released in September 2008. A remixed version of "Let's Fly Away" became popular on dance music charts.

The Voice and Beyond (2012-Present)

Sasha returned to reality TV when she joined the fourth season of The Voice in the US. She sang "Not Ready to Make Nice" by The Dixie Chicks for her audition. All four coaches turned their chairs, meaning they wanted her on their team. Sasha chose to join Adam Levine's team.

In the battle round, she competed against Judith Hill. Adam chose Judith, but Sasha was "stolen" by another coach. Both Usher and Shakira wanted her. Sasha decided to join Team Shakira. She became the last singer left on Team Shakira. She was also the first contestant ever stolen on The Voice to make it to the semifinals.

Between September 2014 and July 2015, Sasha toured the US. She played the "Leading Player" in a new version of the Broadway musical Pippin.

In 2016, Sasha Allen joined The Rolling Stones on their América Latina Olé Tour 2016. She became a backing vocalist, taking over the role that Lisa Fischer had held since 1989. This role included singing a duet with Mick Jagger on the song "Gimme Shelter".

Her songs "Oh! Darling" and "I Will Always Love You" were popular on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Songs charts.

Sasha Allen's The Voice Journey

     – Studio version of performance reached the top 10 on iTunes

See also

In Spanish: Sasha Allen para niños