Ledisi Anibade Young, better known simply as Ledisi, is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, author, and actress.
58 Facts About Ledisi
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Ledisi's name means "to bring forth" or "to come here" in Yoruba.
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In 1995, Ledisi formed a band after her middle name Anibade.
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Ledisi released her debut album Soulsinger, which featured the single "Take Time", which gained substantial airplay from San Francisco area radio stations.
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In 2002, Ledisi released her second album, Feeling Orange but Sometimes Blue, which won "Outstanding Jazz Album" at the California Music Awards in 2003.
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Ledisi released six more albums on Verve: It's Christmas, Turn Me Loose, Pieces of Me, The Truth, The Intimate Truth, and Let Love Rule.
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In 2020, Ledisi formed her own record label Listen Back Entertainment and released her album The Wild Card.
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Ledisi portrayed gospel icon Mahalia Jackson in the films Selma and Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story.
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Ledisi is starred in her first Hallmark original movie All Saints Christmas.
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Ledisi Anibade Young was born on March 28,1972, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Nyra Dynese Young, a singer-songwriter in local band Coronava, and Larry Saunders, a 1970s singer and musician.
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Saunders departed from the family when Ledisi was a baby.
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Ledisi's mother remarried to a drummer named Joseph Pierce III, who adopted Ledisi after the marriage.
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Ledisi has an older sister Shannon, and a younger sister.
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Ledisi's biological paternal grandfather, Johnny Ace, was an American blues singer who was known for his single "Pledging My Love".
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Ledisi was raised Catholic and attended local churches in New Orleans.
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Ledisi later enrolled in Skyline High School where she graduated in 1990.
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Ledisi's performance earned a Shellie Award nomination in the same year.
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Ledisi joined a cabaret production of Beach Blanket Babylon in San Francisco.
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Ledisi earned a scholarship and attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied piano and opera.
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Ledisi was briefly part of an acid jazz group called Slide Five.
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In 2000, Ledisi released her first album Soulsinger, which featured the band Anibade, on LeSun Music.
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In May 2004, Ledisi portrayed two characters, The Washing Machine and The Radio, in the Broadway production of Caroline, or Change.
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In 2006, Ledisi secured a major record deal with Verve Forecast, a subsidiary of Verve Records.
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Ledisi received positive feedback from critics for her emotional performance, which was described as a "religious experience".
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Ledisi made a cameo appearance in the comedy film Leatherheads as a blues singer who performed the pop standard "The Man I Love" in April 2008.
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In June 2011, Ledisi released her sixth album Pieces of Me.
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Ledisi headlined her first major tour called the Pieces of Me Tour, which went on to play to over twenty-two sold-out shows.
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In January 2015, Ledisi released a studio live extended play titled The Intimate Truth.
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Ledisi released her eighth studio album titled Let Love Rule on September 22,2017.
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Ledisi won a Soul Train Certified Award at the 2018 Soul Train Music Awards.
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In October 2018, Ledisi performed "As Long as You're Mine" with Adam Lambert in an NBC broadcast, A Very Wicked Halloween: Celebrating 15 Years on Broadway.
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In January 2020, Ledisi released her second book, Don't Ever Lose Your Walk: How to Embrace Your Journey.
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In June 2020, Ledisi announced the title of her ninth studio album, The Wild Card.
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On March 1,2023, Ledisi performed "River" with Herbie Hancock in honor of Joni Mitchell at the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize concert.
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On January 31,2025, Ledisi released "Love You Too"; the lead single from her forthcoming album.
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On February 9,2025, Ledisi performed the "Lift Every Voice and Sing" at Super Bowl LIX, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
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Ledisi has been described as a "vocal powerhouse" and "one of the most distinctive voices of 21st century rhythm and blues".
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Ledisi recalled going through a depression and divorce during her late twenties.
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Ledisi even contemplated suicide until hearing Simone's cover of "Trouble in Mind" on the radio, leading Ledisi to repudiate her thoughts of suicide and revived her career.
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On February 7,2020, Ledisi paid homage to Mayfield doing a tribute concert alongside Bilal and the WDR Big Band.
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Ledisi credited Diana Ross's performance as Dorothy Gale in The Wiz for giving her the "acting bug".
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On November 6,2011, Ledisi performed at the Obama 2012 Fundraiser.
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On September 4,2012, Ledisi performed at the Democratic National Convention.
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Ledisi performed the gospel song "I Feel Like Goin' On" for the church service at St John's Episcopal Church in Washington, DC on January 21,2013, at President Barack Obama's 2013 presidential pre-inauguration.
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Ledisi's song "Raise Up" from her album Pieces of Me was included on President Obama's Campaign Playlist.
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On January 19,2017, Ledisi posted a picture of Obama, thanking him for his presidential term.
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In June 2023, Ledisi was invited to perform during the Juneteenth Concert at the South Lawn.
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In September 2017, Ledisi headlined the Black AIDS Institute's Heroes Gala.
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In November 2017, Ledisi became an ambassador for the Black AIDS Institute.
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Ledisi stood in support of the Arts for Every Student Act.
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Ledisi emphasized herself as an example of the value of arts education, and called on both the public and lawmakers to support the bill.
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Ledisi has earned an array of awards, honors, and nominations.
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Ledisi has been the honorary musical receiptant of Americans for the Arts, EmpowHer, and Los Angeles Jazz Society.
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In 1999, Ledisi co-founded the independent record label LeSun Music with musician Sundra Manning.
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In January 2019, Ledisi founded another independent record label called Listen Back Entertainment.
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In 2014, Ledisi founded a production company called Ledhead Productions.
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In September 2016, Ledisi started another production company called Fig Street Films.
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Ledisi published Ledisi's second book Don't Ever Lose Your Walk: How to Embrace Your Journey, which was released in January 2020.