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Heather Headley (born October 5, 1974) is a Tony Award-winning and Grammy Award-nominated R&B singer and actress from Trinidad and Tobago.

Headley began playing the music of her native country at a young age, including calypso, reggae and soca. She moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana in the United States at the age of fifteen when her father was offered a job as pastor of McKee Street Church of God ( Anderson).

After graduating from Northrop High School, Headley attended Northwestern University to study communications and musical theatre. In 1997, she played Nala in The Lion King, the Broadway musical. Headley's performance was well-received and she then originated the title role in the Broadway adaptation of Aida, earning the Tony Award for Best Actress in 2000.

Headley released her debut album, This Is Who I Am, in October 2002 on RCA Records. Although its first single, He Is, was not very successful, the second single, I Wish I Wasn't, achieved moderate success and earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Headley was also nominated for Best New Artist.

On September 6, 2003, Headley married Brian Musso, formerly of the New York Jets. Her second album, In My Mind, was delayed due to the various executive shake-ups associated with RCA parent BMG's merger with Sony, and Headley joked that it should have been called Caught Up instead. Under BMG North America chairman/CEO Clive Davis for the first time, Headley released the album in January 2006.

The title track was released as the first single; it was produced by India.Arie collaborator Shannon Sanders, and its music video was directed by Diane Martel. The song reached number-one on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. The second single was Me Time, which was released to Urban AC outlets only. The third and final single is set to be Am I Worth It, which will also serve to promote Headley's New March of Dimes Educational Campaign "I Want My 9 Months".

In the autumn of 2006, Heather sang a wonderful rendition of "I'll Never Fall In Love Again", from the musical "Promises, Promises". The song was written by Hal David & Burt Bacharach for the play by Neil Simon (1968). The occasion for her performance was "The Kennedy Center Presents: The 2006 Mark Twain Prize", honoring playwright Neil Simon, and was televised on PBS.

Discography

Albums

She also appears on "The Lion King Original Broadway Cast Recording" CD (released in 1997), most notably singing lead on the track "Shadowland", and on the recordings for Aida. She was called again to another project related to The Lion King; Headley performed the single version of the song "Love Will Find a Way" with Kenny Lattimore for the sequel "The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride" in 1998.

She has a breif apearance in the 2002 film "Dirty Dancing: Havanna Nights" as a singer of the Rosa Negra. Although, she performs one of the movie's song: "Represent Cuba".

Singles

Awards

1999

• Won Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (Aida)

2000

• Sarah Siddons Award for her work in Chicago theatre

2002

• Nominated for Soul Train Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist ("He Is")

2003

• Nominated for Grammy Award for Best New Artist
• Nominated for Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance ("I Wish I Wasn't")
• Won Soul Train Lady Of Soul Award for R&B/Soul Album of the Year - Solo ("This Is Who I Am")
• Won Soul Train Lady of Soul Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist - Solo ("He Is")
• Nominated for Soul Train Lady of Soul Award for Best R&B/Soul Single - Solo ("He Is")
• Nominated for NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist
• Nominated for NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Female Artist
• Nominated for Billboard Music Award for R&B/Hip-Hop New Artist of the Year

2006

• Nominated for BET J Cool Like That Award

See also

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

External links

• Official site
• Heather Headley at the Internet Movie Database
• Heather Headley lyrics

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