Leona Kristina Naess was born on 31 July 1974 and is an English singer and songwriter.
29 Facts About Leona Naess
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Leona Naess released her debut album, Comatised, in March 2000, which produced the single "Charm Attack".
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Leona Naess attended the Purcell School in Hertfordshire, studying music composition, and later graduated from New York University with a degree in anthropology.
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Leona Naess began her music career performing in New York City venues and released her first album, Comatised, in 2000.
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Leona Naess has two children and maintains a close relationship with her ex-stepmother, Diana Ross, and her former stepsisters.
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Leona Naess has two full siblings; an older brother, Christoffer, and a sister, Katinka, from that marriage.
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Leona Naess was 7 years old when her parents divorced in 1982.
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Leona Naess attended school in London's Chelsea area while growing up, and later attended the Purcell School in Hertfordshire, where she studied music composition.
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Leona Naess's father married African-American entertainer and global music sensation Diana Ross in 1986 and had two boys, her half-brothers Ross Naess and Evan Ross.
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Leona Naess received her first guitar at the age of 14, a gift from her mother.
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Leona Naess soon found inspiration in the contemporary singer-songwriters Tracy Chapman, Sinead O'Connor, and Edie Brickell, as well as in Joni Mitchell and Carole King.
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At the age of 18, Leona Naess moved to New York City to study music at New York University, she later switched her major, receiving a degree in anthropology.
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Leona Naess appeared on a reality TV show on Channel 4 in 1993 called The Next Big Thing.
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Leona Naess signed with producer Scott Litt's record label, Outpost Records, at the age of 22, shortly after graduating from NYU.
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Leona Naess began work on her first album in 1998, which was completed in June 1999.
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Leona Naess continued to develop as a performer during the delays.
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Leona Naess appeared as a model for Calvin Klein prior to the release of the album.
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Leona Naess soon released her second album, I Tried to Rock You But You Only Roll, produced by Swedish producer Martin Terefe.
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In 2002, Leona Naess recorded backing vocals on Counting Crows album Hard Candy, primarily on the song "Black and Blue".
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Leona Naess signed with Geffen Records and released her third album, Leona Naess, produced by Ethan Johns.
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In January 2004, Leona Naess' father died in a climbing accident in South Africa.
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Leona Naess was dropped from her record label, split with her manager, and considered going back to school.
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Leona Naess has toured with Eagle-Eye Cherry, David Gray, Travis, Ryan Adams, Emm Gryner, Hem, Josh Rouse, Ben Lee, Badly Drawn Boy, and appeared as part of the 1999 Lilith Fair.
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Leona Naess returned to the stage, performing at New York's Rockwood Music Hall in October 2016, her first show in over seven years.
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Leona Naess is planning a new album and extensive live shows in 2017.
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Leona Naess was engaged to singer-songwriter Ryan Adams, but the engagement ended in 2003.
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Leona Naess wrote on her MySpace blog in January 2010 that she was pregnant, taking a break from music, and had "never been happier".
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Leona Naess is the sister-in-law of actress Christa Miller, paternal half-sister of actor and musician Evan Ross, and the ex-stepdaughter of musician Diana Ross; with whom she remains close.
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Leona Naess is the former stepsister of actress Tracee Ellis Ross and singer-songwriter Rhonda Ross Kendrick, with whom she remains close.