Lizz Wright

Lizz Wright (born January 22, 1980 in Hahira, Georgia) is a jazz singer from the USA. As the daughter of a preacher, the young Lizz Wright sings in her father's church choir from an early age. She also took piano lessons. As a teenager, her interest in gospel, jazz and blues music grew. After high school, she began studying singing at Georgia State University in Atlanta. She later continued her studies in New York and Vancouver. From the year 2000, her fame increased as a member of the vocal ensemble In the Spirit. The record label Verve Music Group became aware of the singer through her participation in a Billie Holiday memorial competition. She signed a contract in 2002. One year later, Lizz Wright's debut album Salt is released. The album climbed to number 89 in Germany and achieved gold status. After Dreaming Wide Awake (2005), her international fame increased with the follow-up The Orchard in 2008. The longplayer reached number 97 in the USA and climbed into the top 20 in Germany at number 19. Further albums followed with Fellowship (2010) and Freedom & Surrender (2016). In 2016, she opened for Van Morrison and performed at the Jazzopen Stuttgart. Together with Angélique Kidjo and Cécile McLorin Salvant, she supports 'Sing The Truth'. The project is under the artistic direction of drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and is dedicated to the work of artists such as Odetta, Billie Holiday and Miriam Makeba. Another studio album, Grace, is released in 2017. It then took seven years for Lizz Wright to return with new music. Another album, Shadow, is released in April 2024.