Andra Day

It's not everyday that a young, up-and-coming singer gets a call from a legendary idol. But that's exactly what happened to Andra Day, who got a call from idol Stevie Wonder after his then-wife saw a video of Day singing in a strip mall. Wonder would go on to become Day's mentor and help the soulful singer earn two Grammy nominations. Day was inspired and fascinated by Billie Holiday since she discovered the iconic singer at 12 years old. She even modeled her stage name after the "Strange Fruit" singer's nickname, Lady Day. However, when Day was first approached to star in Lee Daniels' biopic, "The United States vs. Billie Holiday," she was terrified to fill the shoes of Diana Ross and Audra McDonald, who previously played the role, for her acting debut. "I was dead scared. I'm not an actor, and I felt totally out of my depth. I'm such a fan of hers, and the last thing I wanted to do is mess up the story of this woman I love. What convinced me was the idea that the movie would tell the truth of her story, which is that she was a great godmother of civil rights," she confessed to Shape. The San Diego native's dynamic performance reclaimed the power, humanity and impact of Billie Holiday for a new generation. Day won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama and was nominated for an Academy Award. Next up, Day will dazzle us next with an upcoming album and her own screenplay.