Ledisi
Ledisi is an accomplished American singer and actor known for her powerful voice and contributions to the soul and R&B genres. Born Ledisi Anibade Young in New Orleans, Louisiana, she began composing songs at the age of four and was heavily influenced by her musical parents. Her career began in earnest in the 1990s when she formed her own band and later produced her independent debut album, *Soulsinger: The Revival*, in 2000. Despite facing challenges in securing a major record deal initially, Ledisi's persistence paid off when she signed with Universal Music Group in 2007, releasing the critically acclaimed album *Lost & Found*. Over the years, she has earned fourteen Grammy nominations, winning a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance in 2021 for her song "Anything For You."
In addition to her music career, Ledisi has also made strides in acting, portraying Mahalia Jackson in the film *Selma* (2014) and starring in the biopic *Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story*. She continues to shape her artistic identity through her own record label and recent albums, such as *Ledisi Sings Nina* and *Good Life*. Ledisi's dedication to traditional soul music sets her apart in contemporary music, allowing her to maintain a distinct and impactful presence in the industry.
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Subject Terms
Ledisi
Singer
- Born: March 28, 1972
- Place of Birth: New Orleans, Louisiana
Contribution: Ledisi is an American singer and actor. As of 2024, she received fourteen Grammy nominations since her 2000 debut, Soulsinger: The Revival, including a win in 2021 for Best Traditional R&B Performance for her single "Anything For You."
Background
Ledisi Anibade Young was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Nyra Dynese and Larry Sanders, each of whom were accomplished singers in the genres of soul and rhythm and blues (R & B) throughout the 1970s. Ledisi began composing her own songs at age four. As a young child she took opera lessons but was chastised by teachers for an inability to control her powerful voice. Her mother was her primary musical influence, introducing her to singing greats such as Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and Dinah Washington.
Ledisi’s biological parents separated in 1982 when she was ten years old, and she and her mother moved to Oakland, California. Her mother remarried Joseph Pierce III, a drummer.
Ledisi studied gospel extensively in high school, becoming captain of her school’s gospel choir. She studied opera and piano as a member of the UC Berkeley Young Musicians program prior to her graduation from high school.
In 1992 she became a full-time cast member in San Francisco’s venerated Beach Blanket Babylon, one of the longest-running musical-theater revues in history. During this time she also helmed two successful jazz-oriented groups as lead singer. The most successful of these, Anibade, whose moniker came from Ledisi’s middle name, became one of the most popular groups in the Bay Area club circuit, mixing funk, R & B, and jazz classics with their own original music.
Career
After releasing a single with her band, Ledisi sought a deal with a major record label but was rebuffed. Not to be deterred, she began her own label in 1999 with Anibade keyboardist and co-songwriter Sundra Manning in order to release her full-length debut independently. The pair’s new label, LeSun Records, released Ledisi’s debut studio album, Soulsinger: The Revival, in January 2000.
Spurred by a successful grassroots marketing campaign, a heavy slate of live performances, and strong international sales via the internet, Soulsinger was a resounding success. In 2002 Ledisi released another independent record, Feeling Orange but Sometimes Blue, which also won praise from her burgeoning fan base and Bay Area critics.
However, the acclaim of Ledisi’s independent releases still did not draw the attention of major labels, and the singer spent much of the 2000s as a nightclub draw, performing in Beach Blanket Babylon and recording singles for feature films—notably, Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns (2008).
Ledisi’s perseverance and increasing national reputation ultimately led to a major label deal with Universal Music Group subsidiary Verve Forecast Records in 2007. Her major-label debut, Lost & Found, released in August 2007, represented the singer’s ultimate triumph after fifteen years as a professional singer. Powered by the single “Alright,” which alludes to her struggles as a professional musician, Lost & Found shot to the top of R & B critics’ lists and garnered her Grammy nominations for best new artist and best R & B album.
Following the release of a Christmas album, Ledisi captured the attention of critics again with her fourth studio album, 2009’s Turn Me Loose. The album earned Ledisi her second Grammy nod for best R & B album.
Ledisi’s 2011 album, Pieces of Me, marked her third Grammy nomination for best R & B album. The singer supported the work by embarking on a twenty-four-city North American tour, selling out each performance. The album reached higher on the Billboard charts than had any of her previous releases, and reigned as the top R & B album on iTunes after its release, solidifying Ledisi’s place as one of the genre’s most esteemed singing talents.
In 2012, she released a memoir titled Ledisi: Better than Alright. The following year, she, along with Robert Glasper, was nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Performance for the song "Gonna Be Alright (F.T.B.)."
Ledisi's 2014 album The Truth was also generally well received, reaching the fourteenth position on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Though it did not garner a Best R&B Album Grammy nod for Ledisi, its track "Like This" earned her a nomination for Best R&B Performance. She also had the opportunity to portray Mahalia Jackson on the big screen in the Ava DuVernay historical film Selma (2014). In addition to touring, three years later, she released the album Let Love Rule, which was acclaimed overall and became her fourth album to receive a Grammy nomination for Best R&B album. The songs "All the Way" and "High" off the album also earned her nods for Best Traditional R&B Performance and Best R&B Performance, respectively.
Ledisi formed her own record label, Listen Back Entertainment, in 2020 and released the album The Wild Card that same year. A single from the album, "Anything for You," earned her a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance. Ledisi released two more albums under the Listen Back label, Ledisi Sings Nina (2021) and Good Life (2024). In 2022, she ventured back into films, starring in the title role in Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story, a biopic about the legendary gospel singer and civil rights advocate. A year later, Ledisi portrayed another musical legend when she played Gladys Knight in Spinning Gold.
Impact
Ledisi’s innate talents and intense training as both a jazz and an operatic singer could have carved a stellar, albeit less prominent, career in the world of theater and stage. However, Ledisi’s drive to succeed in the arena of the soul and R & B music she was raised to love never waned, ultimately leading to international success.
Ledisi is one of a handful of contemporary singers who refuse to yield to trends in popular music, focusing instead on the kind of classic balladry and traditional song structures that have allowed soul music to prosper in popularity and artistry for decades.
Personal Life
Ledisi’s paternal grandfather was the famed American blues singer Johnny Ace, who had a string of R & B hits in the 1950s.
Bibliography
"About." Ledisiofficial website, 2024, www.ledisi.com/bio. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Boucher, Geoff. “Ledisi Is Found at Last.” Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2008, www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-feb-06-et-ledisi6-story.html. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Chinen, Nate. “Retro-Soul and Jazz, Fine, but Krautrock, Anyone?” New York Times, 16 Aug. 2009, www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/arts/music/16play.html. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Gardner, Elysa. “Who Is This Ledisi Chick?” USA Today 22 Jan. 2008, Life sec.: 3d. Print.
Kellman, Andy. " Ledisi." All Music, 11 Aug. 2022, www.allmusic.com/artist/ledisi-mn0000117356#biography. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
"Ledisi." IMDb, 2024, www.imdb.com/name/nm2958434/. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Ledisi. Ledisi: Better than Alright—Finding Peace, Love, and Power. New York: Essence, 2012. Print.
Sanders, Joshunda. “Making Her Own Music / Ledisi’s Voice Is So Big, It Works without a Deal.” SF Gate, 7 July 2002, www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Making-her-own-music-Ledisi-s-voice-is-so-big-2824192.php. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.