Biografia
Ledisi, a 2021 Grammy winner and thirteen-time Grammy nominee, is a powerhouse vocalist with a career spanning nearly two decades. She has earned three Soul Train Music Awards, an NAACP Theater Award, and nine NAACP Image Award nominations. Recently, Ledisi received two LA Alliance Ovation Award nominations, including one for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.
Born in New Orleans and raised in Oakland, CA, Ledisi has captivated audiences with her exceptional vocals since her debut. She has firmly established herself among the greatest singers of her generation. A favorite of The Obamas and icons such as the late Prince, Patti LaBelle, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, and Chaka Khan, Ledisi has headlined six sold-out national tours and performed alongside artists like Dave Matthews, Kelly Clarkson, Vince Gill, Maxwell, as well as jazz legends Herbie Hancock and Patti Austin.
In film and television, Ledisi made her feature debut singing in George Clooney’s film Leatherheads. In 2015, she portrayed the legendary Mahalia Jackson in the Oscar-nominated film Selma and delivered a notable performance in Gabourney Sidibe’s Shatterbox Anthology film, "The Tale Of Four." She earned her first major TV role as Patti LaBelle on BET’s American Soul and appeared on the FX series POSE.
Ledisi has also made strides in theater, debuting on Broadway as an understudy in Tony Kushner’s Caroline or Change, directed by George C. Wolfe. She contributed to the workshop of the Tony Award-winning musical The Color Purple before launching her recording career with Verve/Universal Music Group. In 2019, she returned to theater as The Ancestor in the critically acclaimed off-Broadway musical Witness Uganda, earning an LA Alliance Ovation Award nomination. That same year, she co-wrote and co-produced her one-woman show, "The Legend of Little Girl Blue," with her husband Ron T. Young. The show premiered at the Wallis Theatre in Beverly Hills to rave reviews, selling out 19 performances. Ledisi and Ron also produced her first PBS special, "Ledisi Sings Nina," through their film company Figstreet Films.
A passionate advocate for the arts, Ledisi supports young musicians and fights to protect creative rights. She is an author, having released Better Than Alright: Finding Peace, Love and Power, a collaboration with Essence Magazine. Her latest book, Don't Ever Lose Your Walk: How to Embrace Your Journey, was published through her own Chinweya Publishing Company.
With her diverse talents as a singer-songwriter, music producer, author, playwright, film producer, and CEO of her record label Listen Back Entertainment/BMG, Ledisi is preparing to launch several exciting projects. As a prominent figure in entertainment, she is emerging as a vital voice. "I am finally realizing my limitless potential as a creative and also now as a businesswoman," she says.
