SHOWBIZ NATION LIVE! Interview with Tony And Grammy Winner HEATHER HEADLEY

 

SHOWBIZ NATION LIVE! Interview Tony And Grammy Winner HEATHER HEADLEY from SHOWBIZ CHICAGO on Vimeo.

TONY and GRAMMY AWARD winner HEATHER HEADLEY discusses her incredible career including her Northwestern University years, her Broadway debut in THE LION KING and her star turn as the Nubian princess in AIDA. Ms. Headley also discusses her most recent work starring in the West End premiere of THE BODYGUARD and her upcoming role of the Witch in the Gary Griffin helmed INTO THE WOODS. For more information, please visit HeatherHeadley.com

Heather Headley considers her multi-faceted career a blessing. She was born and spent most of her childhood on the beautiful Caribbean island of Trinidad. The daughter of a pastor, she started singing and playing the piano in the church at a very young age. The family moved to the United States in the early 90’s where Heather’s love for the arts continued.

In 1997, Ms. Headley, a Northwestern University alum, won the role of Nala in the original Broadway cast of the Elton John and Tim Rice’s hit Tony winning musical The Lion King. While still in The Lion King, Heather was asked to audition for the title role in the writing duo’s next Broadway venture together, Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida. Her portrayal of the Nubian princess, Aida, won her the praise of critics and the prestigious Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. In addition to other awards, she also received the coveted Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. That year she was listed as one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People and Essence Magazine’s 30 Women To Watch. Heather continued her Broadway success on the pop charts with her 2002 debut album on RCA Records, This Is Who I Am which featured productions by several top-flight producers including Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Shep Crawford. Two songs, the single “He Is” and the album track “I Wish I Wasn’t,” both emerged as Top 5 R&B and Dance chart hits.

Heather earned numerous accolades for This Is Who I Am, including Grammy Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. At the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards she won dual honors: R&B/Soul Album of the Year and Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist. She also received nominations at the NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding New Artist and Outstanding Female Artist, and BET Awards in the “Cool Like That” category.

In January 2006, Ms. Headley returned with In My Mind, her long-awaited second solo album, once again working with an A-list of producers, among them Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Ne-Yo, Warryn Campbell, and Lil’ Jon. The title track became Heather’s first #1 hit, topping the Dance charts.

Heather took her first foray into the gospel music world in 2009 with the release of her third studio album Audience of One, for which she was awarded the Grammy Award for the Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album. Over the past few years Ms. Headley has also displayed her versatility as one of classical star Andrea Bocelli’s favorite singing partners. She has been featured in many of his American and international tours, his “Live In Tuscany” PBS special, and his “Under The Desert Sky” live concert DVD.

ABOUT THE SARAH SIDDONS SOCIETY

The Sarah Siddons Society’s Artistic Director, Dominic Missimi, announced plans to bestow on Jessie Mueller the organization’s prestigious Actress of the Year Award. Ms. Mueller won a Tony award in 2014 for her performance as Carole King in BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL. The tribute, entitled SO BEAUTIFUL!, will take place onMonday, April 27, 7:30 pm at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire. 

Star of many Chicago productions, Mueller will be joined in performance by actress and singer Heather Headley, 2000 Tony Award winner for her role as the Nubian princess Aida in Elton John’s AIDA. Ms. Headley also received the Sarah Siddons Society’s 1999 Actress of the Year Award.

All proceeds from SO BEAUTIFUL! will support the Sarah Siddons Society’s Scholarship Fund for theatre students at Columbia College of Chicago, DePaul University, Northwestern University and Roosevelt University.

Benefit tickets are $95. Student tickets are available for $25. For reservations contact BrownPaperTickets at 800-838-3006 or online at  Beautiful.BrownPaperTickets.com. For additional ticket information contact Marc Kaufman at 773-929-7606.