Lady Blackbird

American jazz and soul singer and composer Marley Munroe, aka Lady Blackbird, was born in Farmingont, New Mexico, on January 18, 1985. Attracted to singing at a very young age, she performed on various stages and signed her first artist contract at the age of twelve, for a Christian music label, without recording. Influenced by jazz, soul, blues and gospel singers - particularly Nina Simone, but also Tina Turner, Chaka Khan and Gladys Knight - the singer based in Los Angeles collaborated with the Christian rap-rock group DC Talk and its singer Toby Mac before being offered a new contract with Epic Records. She collaborated with other artists such as producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Sam Watters, Louis Biancaniello, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and The Heavyweights and recorded a series of soul tracks in 2013, including the single "Boomerang", without releasing an album. Known as a composer, notably for Anastacia between 2014 and 2017 and Joseph Arthur, she teamed up with producer Chris Seefried and accompanied singer Pokey LaFarge as a backing vocalist. In 2020, under the name Lady Blackbird, in homage to Nina Simone, she released a series of singles collected in the EP The Singles (2021). Her first album Black Acid Soul, released the same year, benefits from the presence of musicians such as keyboardist Deron Johnson, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, double bassist Jon Flaugher and drummer Jimmy Paxson. Critically acclaimed, it ranked in the jazz and blues charts. After television and festival appearances and a tour with Gregory Porter, Lady Blackbird, who has collaborated with Trevor Horn and Moby, returned to the studio to record her second album Slang Spirituals (2024), with a soulful tone and gospel choirs. It reached No. 1 in the UK jazz and blues charts.

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