The Evolution of Ledisi: 2024 Root 100 Headliner

“Lost & Found,” the third studio album by Ledisi was the first of the singer’s work to debut on the Billboard 200 list and reach the Top 10 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Its hit singles include: “Alright,” “In the Morning,” and “Joy.” In 2008, the album was nominated for Best R&B Album while Ledisi herself was up for Best New Artist at the 50th annual Grammys.

Produced by legendary music icons like Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and Raphael Saadiq, Ledisi’s fifth studio album “Turn Me Loose,” was met with a similar fate as “Lost & Found.” At the 2010 Grammys, it earned nominations for Best R&B Album and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for its lead single “Goin’ Thru Changes.”

After taking a creative hiatus, Ledisi’s 2011 album, “Pieces of Me,” garnered three Grammy nominations for it’s eponymous hit single for: Best R&B Album, Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song. The album also debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200 chart and peaked at number two on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart. The song also earned her a gold certification from the RIAA.

In 2012, Ledisi penned her first book, “Better Than Alright: Finding Peace, Love and Power” and embarked on second tour—the “B.G.T.Y.Tour” which stood for “Be Good To Yourself.” The 27-city tour began in Hampton, VA at the Hampton Jazz Festival in late June before concluding in Atlanta in the top of August.

In March 2014, Ledisi released her seventh studio album “The Truth,” which garnered a spot in the Top 10 list on Billboard’s Adult R&B Songs list. Her hit singles include “I Blame You” and “Like This,” the latter of which earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance in 2015.

In the critically acclaimed Ava DuVernay-directed film “Selma,” Ledisi portrayed gospel music great Mahalia Jackson, starring alongside David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo and Andre Holland. She also sang “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” for the film’s official soundtrack.

In September 2017, Ledisi released her eighth studio album “Let Love Rule.” The album would go on to receive three nominations at the 60th Grammy Awards the following year for: Best R&B Album, Best R&B Performance and Best Traditional R&B Performance. Later that same year, she would go on to receive the Soul Train Certified Award at the Soul Train Music Awards.

In a tribute to Aretha Franklin at the 2018 Black Girls Rock! Awards, Ledisi along with Jazmine Sullivan, Cynthia Erivo, Yolanda Adams and Stephani Mills all lent their vocal gifts to pay homage to the soul legend that passed the same year.

At the 2018 BET Awards, Ledisi along with Jamie Foxx, Marsha Ambrosius and Yolanda Adams all impressively paid tribute to iconic singer Anita Baker who was being honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

On a personal note, Ledisi married actor and director Ronald T. Young in 2018. The couple would later appear in an episode of the popular OWN show “Black Love.”

Held at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, Calif. in 2019, Ledisi embarked on a residency titled “The Legend of Little Girl Blue”—which was inspired by the impact the late jazz singer Nina Simone had on her life. The set list contained a mix of her own songs as well as the hits and tributes to other great artists such as Simone, Marilyn Monroe and Michael Jackson. It sold out all 19 shows.

Though things were slowing down for many thanks to the global pandemic in 2020, Ledisi had a prosperous year thanks to the release of her ninth studio album “The Wild Card” and second book “Don’t Ever Lose Your Walk: How to Embrace Your Journey.” The album’s release was the first to come from her own independent label, Listen Back Entertainment. Her single “Anything for You” reached number one on Billboard’s Adult R&B Songs chart for two weeks, marking the artist’s first song to ever top that chart. The song also gave her her first Grammy win the following year for Best Traditional R&B Performance.

In 2021, Ledisi tapped all the way into her jazz roots by releasing her “dream” project, “Ledisi Sings Nina” with the Metropole Orkest and The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. For her efforts, she was rewarded with a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. She followed the release of that album with an eponymous tour as well.

In 2022, Ledisi reprised her role as Mahalia Jackson (as she previously did in “Selma”) for Hulu’s biopic film, “Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story.” In return, she earned a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture. The film also garnered a nomination for Outstanding Independent Motion Picture and took home the award for Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture).

Released in March 2024, Ledisi’s 11th studio album “Good Life” came three years after she took a break to pursue more acting roles. Upon her return, she released two singles, “I Need to Know” and “Sell Me No Dreams” before embarking on her “Good Life Tour” which featured Raheem DeVaughn and BJ the Chicago Kid as her opening acts.

In Feb. 2025, Ledisi will be taking the stage at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans where she’ll be performing as a part of the pre-show for the Super Bowl LIX. She’s set to sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” otherwise known as the Negro National Anthem. Additional performers include: Jon Batiste and Trombone Shorty.