Ledisi Anibade Young (; born March 28, 1972), better known simply as Ledisi, is an American R&B and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

recording artist, songwriter, music producer, author and actress. Her name means "to bring forth" or "to come here" in

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

Ledisi Ledisi Anibade Young (; born March 28, 1972), better known simply as Ledisi, is an American R&B and jazz recording artist, songwriter, music producer, author and actress. Her name means "to bring forth" or "to come here" in Yoruba. Ledisi AllMus ...

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

In 1995, Ledisi formed a band after her middle name Anibade. After unsuccessfully trying to get signed to a major label, she formed LeSun Records with Sundra Manning. Ledisi and Sundra decided to release Ledisi's debut album entitled ''Soulsinger'' (black and white cover on the LeSun Music independent label) featuring the song "Take Time", which gained substantial airplay from San Francisco area radio stations. In 2002, Ledisi re-released her first album, titled '' Soulsinger: The Revival'' under Tommy Boy Records., featuring a bonus track with Grammy Award Winner Meshell Ndegeocello on bass. Ledisi also released her second album, '' Feeling Orange but Sometimes Blue'', which won "Outstanding Jazz Album" at the California Music Awards. In 2005, Ledisi signed a record deal with Verve Forecast and released her third album, titled '' Lost & Found'', on August 28, 2007; it sold almost 217,000 copies and earned her two Grammy nominations, including one for Best New Artist. In 2008, Ledisi released her Christmas album, '' It's Christmas''. In 2009, Ledisi released her fourth album '' Turn Me Loose'', which earned her two Grammy nominations, followed by her fifth album '' Pieces of Me'' (2011) which debuted on the US ''Billboard'' 200 album chart at number eight, becoming the first top-ten album of her career and her highest-charting album to date. It also garnered three Grammy nominations at the 54th Grammy Awards including for

Best R&B Album The Grammy Award for Best R&B Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the R&B music genre. Honors ...

. In 2013, she received a nomination for

Best R&B Performance The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guide it is designed for s ...

at the

55th Grammy Awards The 55th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 10, 2013, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. E ...

for her collaboration with fellow R&B and jazz musician

Robert Glasper Robert Andre Glasper (born April 6, 1978) is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter, and musical arranger with a career that bridges several different musical and artistic genres, mostly centered on jazz. To date, Glasper has won fou ...

for the album cut "Gonna Be Alright" from his fifth album '' Black Radio'' (2012). In 2014, she released her sixth album ''

The Truth The Truth may refer to: Film * ''The Truth'' (1920 film) starring Madge Kennedy * ''The Truth'' (1960 film) or ''La Vérité'', a French film by Henri-Georges Clouzot starring Brigitte Bardot * ''The Truth'' (1988 film), a Hong Kong trial crim ...

'' to critical acclaim and moderate sales, subsequently followed by albums '' Let Love Rule'' (2017), '' The Wild Card'' (2020) and ''Ledisi Sings Nina'' (2021), all of which have earned varying degrees of chart success and multiple

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

nominations. Since releasing her debut ''Soulsinger'' in 2000, Ledisi has released eleven studio albums and earned fourteen

nominations to date, winning her first for

Best Traditional R&B Performance The Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance is an accolade presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally named the Gramophone Awards, to performers of quality traditional R&B vocal performances. ...

for "Anything For You" in 2021. Aside from music, Leidsi has embarked a career in

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

and

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

as an actress. She portrayed

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

icon

Mahalia Jackson Mahalia Jackson ( ; born Mahala Jackson; October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972) was an American gospel singer, widely considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century. With a career spanning 40 years, Jackson was integral to t ...

in the films ''

Selma Selma may refer to: Places *Selma, Algeria *Selma, Nova Scotia, Canada *Selma, Switzerland, village in the Grisons United States: *Selma, Alabama, city in Dallas County, best known for the Selma to Montgomery marches *Selma, Arkansas *Selma, Cali ...

'' (2014) and '' Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story'' (2022). Other roles include a guest appearance as

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman. LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul". She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...

in the

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...

docudrama ''

American Soul ''American Soul'' is an American musical drama television series, created by Jonathan Prince and Devon Greggory, that premiered on February 5, 2019, on BET. The series tells the story of Don Cornelius and the creation of his legendary music and ...

'', a

cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly eit ...

as a choir member in the FX drama ''

Pose Human positions refer to the different physical configurations that the human body can take. There are several synonyms that refer to human positioning, often used interchangeably, but having specific nuances of meaning. *''Position'' is a gen ...

'' (both 2020), as well as co-starring as

Gladys Knight Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944), known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, actress and businesswoman. A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys K ...

in the upcoming film ''

Spinning Gold ''Spinning Gold'' is an upcoming American biographical drama film written and directed by Timothy Scott Bogart. It is based on the life of his father, Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart. The film is scheduled to be released in theaters on Mar ...

'' (2023). She is also set to star in her first

Hallmark A hallmark is an official mark or series of marks struck on items made of metal, mostly to certify the content of noble metals—such as platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium. In a more general sense, the term ''hallmark'' can al ...

original movie ''All Saints Christmas'' (2022).

Early life

Ledisi was born in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

and was raised in

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...

, California. Ledisi first began performing publicly at age eight with the

New Orleans Symphony Orchestra The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is an American orchestra based in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the only full-time, professional orchestra in the Gulf South. The orchestra performs at the Orpheum Theater. The Louisiana Philharmonic O ...

. Ledisi moved to

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

, where she attended McChesney Junior High School, now Edna Brewer Middle School. She was shy about her singing abilities and would sing only upon request when students in her gym class would implore her to sing

Deniece Williams Deniece Williams (born June Deniece Chandler; June 3, 1951) is an American singer. She has been described as "one of the great soul voices" by the BBC. She is best known for the songs " Free", " Silly", "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" and two ''Bill ...

's version of Black Butterfly, bringing the entire classroom audience under the spell of her very mature, melodious voice. As she sang more publicly her music career blossomed and she earned a scholarship to study opera and piano for five years at

University of California Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant univ ...

in their Young Musicians Program. Right after graduating from high school she was nominated for a Shellie award for her performance in a production of ''

The Wiz ''The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz"'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls (and others) and book by William F. Brown (writer), William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's childr ...

'' That nomination would lead her to be a long time cast member with the

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...

Beach Blanket Babylon ''Steve Silver's Beach Blanket Babylon'' was the world's longest-running musical revue. The show began its run in 1974, at the Savoy Tivoli and later moved to the larger Club Fugazi in the North Beach district of San Francisco. The show was cr ...

. While working at Beach Blanket Babylon, Ledisi worked at a record shop and waited tables part-time. It was not until she began performing regularly at local clubs like Cafe DuNord, The Elbo Room, Bruno's, Mecca, and Rasselas that she began making a name for herself in the local club scenes in the Bay Area.

Musical career

1995–1999: Career beginnings

In 1995, Ledisi formed a band called Anibade, won acclaim in the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...

with a cult-like following of die-hard fans who referred to themselves as "Ledheads" and meet her with love at every event, singing along verbatim to songs that though unrecorded at the time, were well known by their fans. During this time, Ledisi met keyboardist Sundra Manning and recorded an album "Soulsinger" and shopped it around to a many major labels, all of them turned her down.

2000–2003: ''Soulsinger'' and ''Feeling Orange but Sometimes Blue''

In January 2000, Ledisi released her first album, ''

Soulsinger ''Soulsinger: The Revival'' is a re-release of the debut album by the American singer-songwriter Ledisi, released independently as ''Soulsinger'' in 2000 by Ledisi's label, LeSun Records. The album was later distributed by Tommy Boy Records. It wa ...

'', independently on her label, LeSun Records. The album had fan favorites, "Soulsinger", "Take Time", "Get Outta My Kitchen", and "Good Lovin'". After the release of ''

'', Ledisi began performing outside of the Bay Area. In 2002, Ledisi released her second album, '' Feeling Orange but Sometimes Blue'', which was also released independently. The album featured the singles "Feeling Orange but Sometimes Blue" and "Autumn Leaves". In 2003, Ledisi won "Outstanding Jazz Album" for''Feeling Orange but Sometimes Blue'' at the California Music Awards. Also in 2002, Ledisi re-released ''Soulsinger'' as ''Soulsinger:The Revival'', on Tommy Boy Records.

2006–2008: ''Lost & Found''

In 2006, she signed with

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...

and released "Blues in the Night" which featured on the tribute album, '' We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song''. In August 2007, Ledisi's third album, '' Lost & Found'', was released. Ledisi stated that she was unsure of wanting to stay in the music industry. In response, Ledisi wrote the song "Alright" to express her life. "Alright" became the lead single and debuted at #45 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Hot R&B chart. The album's second single, "In The Morning", debuted at #49 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B chart. Other songs from the album charted but were not released as singles. "Think of You" charted at #71 on the Hot R&B charts, "Joy" charted at #103 on the Hot R&B charts and #29 on the Adult R&B Airplay. In December 2007, the album earned her two

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

nominations, including one for

Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...

. In 2008, Ledisi continued her tour to promote the album, '' Lost & Found''. By January 2009, the album had sold 216,894 copies. In September 2008, Ledisi released her Christmas album, '' It's Christmas'', which featured the singles "This Christmas" and "Children Go Where I Send Thee". In December 2008. "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and "Give Love On Christmas Day" charted on the Hot R&B charts at #113. In 2008, Ledisi performed the song " The Man I Love" as a blues singer in the movie '' Leatherheads''.

2009–2010: ''Turn Me Loose''

In 2009, Ledisi's fourth studio album was announced as '' Turn Me Loose''. The album was released on August 18, 2009. Speaking in April 2010 to noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis – Deputy Editor of the award-winning ''

Blues & Soul ''Blues & Soul'' is a British music magazine, established in 1967 by John Abbey. ''The Independent'' has noted ''Blues & Soul'' as being the equal of magazines such as ''NME'' and '' Q''. ''Billboard'' magazine has called ''Blues & Soul'' "a r ...

'' – Ledisi explained the album's title reflected its musical diversity: "The title 'Turn Me Loose' is basically me saying 'I don't wanna be boxed in! Let me be myself as a performer and singer, because I do EVERYTHING! Not just one particular style!'." She employed production from seasoned R&B songwriter-producers such as

Raphael Saadiq Raphael Saadiq (; born Charles Ray Wiggins; May 14, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He rose to fame as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! In addition to his solo and group ...

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B/pop songwriting and record production team. They have enjoyed great success since the 1980s with various artists, most ...

, James "Big Jim" Wright, and

Carvin & Ivan Carvin & Ivan are a production duo from Philadelphia consisting of Record producer, producer and songwriters Ivan "Orthodox" Barias and Carvin "Ransum" Haggins. Initially starting out as solo hip hop artists, Haggins and Barias moved into producti ...

. The first single from the album was "Goin' Thru Changes". The second single was "Higher Than This", produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and James "Big Jim" Wright. In 2010, Ledisi made her first television appearance on BET's ''Blackgirls Rock'', with Marsha Ambrosius, Kelly Price and Jill Scott.

2011–2012: ''Pieces of Me''

20111016 Ledisi at the MLK Memorial dedication concert

Ledisi toured with R&B/soul singer Kem on his North American INTIMACY Tour. On March 10, 2011, during her opening act in Atlanta, Georgia, Ledisi announced that she had finished recording her fifth studio album, '' Pieces of Me'', on March 9, 2011. It was released on June 14, 2011. It debuted at number 8 on the ''Billboard'' 200 album chart, selling 38,000 copies in its first week. The album's title track served as the album's lead single. Ledisi headlined her first tour to promote her album, ''Pieces of Me''. The Pieces of Me Tour played to 22 sold-out shows across North America. With this album, she received three nominations for the 2012 Grammy Awards, in the categories Best R&B Album, Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song, for the album and the lead single "Pieces of Me". Ledisi released her first book, ''Better Than Alright: Finding Peace, Love & Power'' on Time Home Entertainment, Inc. in 2012. The book, an innovative collaboration with ESSENCE, is filled with the singer's personal photos, quotes, lyrics, and richly detailed stories of her journey to acceptance of her beauty, talent, and power. On April 6, 2012, Ledisi announced her second headlining tour, B.G.T.Y., with

Eric Benet The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...

serving as an opening act. In December 2012,

2014-2016: ''The Truth''

In March 2014, Ledisi released her new album ''The Truth'' in partnership with Essence Magazine and now Grammy Award Winner Robert Glasper was her opening act. In April 2014, Ledisi was cast to play

in the American historical drama film, ''

'', directed by Ava DuVernay and written by Paul Webb and DuVernay. It is based on the 1965

Selma to Montgomery marches The Selma to Montgomery marches were three protest marches, held in 1965, along the 54-mile (87 km) highway from Selma, Alabama, to the state capital of Montgomery. The marches were organized by nonviolent activists to demonstrate the ...

for voting rights in Alabama, led by James Bevel, Martin Luther King Jr. and Hosea Williams. In the film and on the official film soundtrack, Ledisi sings "

Take My Hand, Precious Lord "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" (a.k.a. "Precious Lord, Take My Hand") is a gospel song. The lyrics were written by Thomas A. Dorsey, who also adapted the melody. Origin The melody is credited to Dorsey, drawn extensively from the 1844 hymn tune, " ...

". Initially slated to perform at the 57th Grammy Awards as part of a tribute to the

Selma March The Selma to Montgomery marches were three protest marches, held in 1965, along the 54-mile (87 km) highway from Selma, Alabama, to the state capital of Montgomery. The marches were organized by nonviolent activists to demonstrate the ...

alongside

Common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...

and

John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Ever ...

(who performed their

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

-winning duet " Glory") Ledisi's fan felt she was snubbed by the Recording Academy and recording artist

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

, who performed in her place. Ledisi's snubbing and Beyoncé's performance received mixed reaction from social media. In 2015, she received her ninth

nomination for

for the single "Like This" off of her seventh album ''The Truth''. She lost to Beyoncé and Jay Z for "

Drunk in Love "Drunk in Love" is a song by American singer Beyoncé featuring American rapper Jay-Z. The duo composed the song along with credited production and writing by Future, Detail, Andre Eric Proctor, Rasool Diaz, Brian Soko, Timbaland, J-Roc and ...

2017: ''Let Love Rule''

In May 2017, Ledisi released a single titled "High" produced by Darhyl "Hey DJ" Camper and Rex Rideout. Her eighth studio album called ''Let Love Rule'' was released on September 22, 2017. In November 2017, she received three more nominations at the

60th Grammy Awards The 60th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 28, 2018. The CBS network broadcast the show live from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The show was moved to January to avoid coinciding with the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongch ...

in January 2018 including

and

. Ledisi won a Soul Train Award 'Soul Certified Award' for the album. Ledisi helped the BET Awards pay tribute to Anita Baker, the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient of the night on June 24, with a rendition of the singer's 1986 ode "Sweet Love". Ledisi was then a part of the Aretha Franklin Tribute that was put together by the annual award ceremony known as Black Girls Rock. Ledisi delivered a rendition of the hit "Ain't No Way". In October 2018, Ledisi performed with

Adam Lambert Adam Mitchel Lambert (born January 29, 1982) is an American singer and songwriter. Since 2009, he has sold over 3 million albums and 5 million singles worldwide. Lambert is known for his dynamic vocal performances that fuse his theatrical tra ...

in an NBC broadcast, '' A Very ''Wicked'' Halloween: Celebrating 15 Years on Broadway'', before a live studio audience at the

Marquis Theatre The Marquis Theatre is a Broadway theater on the third floor of the New York Marriott Marquis hotel in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1986, it is operated by the Nederlander Organization. There are about ...

in New York, singing "As Long as You're Mine" from ''

Wicked Wicked may refer to: Books * Wicked, a minor character in the ''X-Men'' universe * '' Wicked'', a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name * ''Wicked'', the fifth novel in Sara Shepard's ''Pretty Little Liars'' s ...

''.

2020–present: Listen Back Entertainment/BMG Recordings ''The Wild Card'' ''Ledisi Live at The Troubadour'' and ''Ledisi Sings Nina''

Ledisi released her second book, ''Don't Ever Lose your Walk:How to embrace your journey'' on Chinweya Publishing, Inc on January 3, 2020. This book is part memoir and part self help. Ledisi explains how to navigated through rejection, depression and life while still being graceful with whatever is thrown your way. Ledisi self-published this book with the publishing company she formed with her family. In June 2020, Ledisi announced the title of her ninth studio album, '' The Wild Card''. The album was released on August 28, 2020, exactly 13 years after her major label debut, ''Lost & Found''. The Wild Card is Ledisi's first release under her independent label Listen Back Entertainment /BMG. On April 30, 2021, Ledisi released her tenth album and first live recording under her label Listen Back Entertainment, '' Ledisi Live at The Troubadour''. This was the second album Ledisi released with her new label. Having previously appeared live on August 21, 2019, at the BBC Prom 45 ''Mississippi Goddam (A Homage to Nina Simone)'', on July 23, 2021, Ledisi released, '' Ledisi Sings Nina''. This project is a tribute to

Nina Simone Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, ...

. Ledisi is supported by the Metropole Orkest conducted by Jules Buckley, and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, conducted by Adonis Rose. This album also features Grammy Award winner Lisa Fisher,

Lizz Wright Elizabeth LaCharla Wright (born January 22, 1980) is an American jazz and gospel singer. Life and career Wright was born in the small town of Hahira, Georgia, one of three children and the daughter of a minister and the musical director of t ...

and

Alice Smith Alice Smith (born 30 November 1977) is an American singer and songwriter, her style anchored in rock, R&B, blues, jazz and soul. Life and career Raised between Washington, D.C. and a farm in Georgia, she sang in ''Moomtez'' and ''Black Roc ...

. This project was Ledisi's third project released on her label in almost a year, and her 11th studio recording.

Discography

Studio albums *''

'' (2000) *'' Feeling Orange but Sometimes Blue'' (2002) *'' Lost & Found'' (2007) *'' Turn Me Loose'' (2009) *'' Pieces of Me'' (2011) *''

'' (2014) *'' Let Love Rule'' (2017) *'' The Wild Card'' (2020) *'' Ledisi Sings Nina'' (2021)

Tours

*Pieces of Me Tour (2011) *B.G.T.Y. Tour (2012) *The Truth Tour (2014) *The Intimate Truth Tour (2015) *The Rebel The Soul The Saint Tour with Kirk Franklin, PJ Morton and MAJOR (2017) *Let Love Rule Tour (2018) *Ledisi Live UK Tour (2019) * Nina and Me Tour (2019) *The Wild Card Tour (2021) *Soul 2 Soul Tour (2023)

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

Ledisi has been nominated for fourteen career

s, winning her first in the

category for "Anything for You" in 2021. , - , rowspan="2",

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, Ledisi ,

, , - , ''Lost & Found'' , rowspan="2",

, , - , rowspan="2",

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

, ''Turn Me Loose'' , , - , "Goin' Thru Changes" ,

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (previously called Best Rhythm and Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female) was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards ...

, , - , rowspan="3",

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

, rowspan="2", "Pieces of Me" ,

, , - ,

Best R&B Song The Grammy Award for Best R&B Song (sometimes known as the R&B Songwriter's Award) has been awarded since 1969. From 1969 to 2000, it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Song. Beyoncé has won it a record four times, while Bab ...

, , - , ''Pieces of Me'' , Best R&B Album , , - ,

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

, "Gonna Be Alright (F.T.B.)" (with

) , rowspan="3",

, , - ,

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

, "Like This" , , - , rowspan="3",

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

, "High" , , - , "All the Way" ,

, , - , ''Let Love Rule'' , Best R&B Album , , - ,

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

, "Anything For You" , Best Traditional R&B Performance , , - ,

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

, ''Ledisi Sings Nina'' ,

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album is an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories are presented ...

, , -

BET Awards The BET Awards is an American award show that was established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports and philanthropy. The awards, which are presented annua ...

*2008, BET J Cool Like Dat Award (Nominated) *2018, Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award - If You Don't Mind feat.

Kirk Franklin Kirk Dewayne Franklin (born January 26, 1970) is an American songwriter, choir director, gospel singer, and rapper. He is best known for leading urban contemporary gospel ensembles such as The Family, God's Property, and One Nation Crew (1NC) a ...

(Nominated)

BETJ Virtual Awards

**2008, Female Artist of the Year (Nominated)

California Music Awards

**2003, Outstanding Jazz Album BAY Area Music Awards, ''Feeling Orange But Sometimes Blue'' ''(Won)''

Soul Train Music Awards The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of ''Soul Train'', the pro ...

**2011, Centric Award (nominated) **2009, Best R&B/Soul Female Artist (nominated) **2014, Best R&B/Soul Female Artist (Nominated) **2017 Best R&B/Soul Female Artist (Nominated) ***2017 Soul Certified Award (won) ***2018 Soul Certified Award (won) ***2020 Soul Certified Award (nominated)

NAACP Awards

**2012 Best Female Artist (Nominated) **2014 Best Female Artist (Nominated) **2015 Best Female Artist (Nominated) **2018 Best Female Artist (Nominated) **2018 Best Traditional song - High (Nominated) **2018 Best Visual - High (Nominated) **2021 Outstanding Female Artist (Nominated) **2021 Outstanding Music Video- Anything For You (Nominated) **2021 Outstanding Album- The Wild Card (Nominated) **2021 Outstanding Soul R&B Song- Anything For You (Nominated) **2021 Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration- Ledisi & PJ Morton Anything For You (Nominated) **2022 Best Jazz Vocal Album - Ledisi Sings Nina (Nominated)

Honors/special awards

**2016, NAACP Awards Theatre - Spirit Award Honouree **2016, America For The Arts - Music Honouree **2020, EmpowerHER - Music Honouree **2022, LA Jazz Society - Jazz Vocalist Honouree

References

External links

Official website
* https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2958434/ {{Authority control 1972 births Living people American film actresses African-American women singer-songwriters Grammy Award winners Actresses from Louisiana Singer-songwriters from Louisiana American neo soul singers African-American actresses 21st-century American actresses University of California, Berkeley alumni American mezzo-sopranos American gospel singers American women jazz singers American jazz singers American contemporary R&B singers Ballad musicians Jazz musicians from Louisiana African-American Catholics Verve Records artists Bertelsmann Music Group artists 21st-century African-American women singers