An Evening with Heather Headley

Tony and Grammy Award winner 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 family moved to the United States in the early ‘90s where Heather’s love for the arts continued.

In 1997 Heather 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. In 2012 Heather made a triumphant return to the stage, starring in “The Bodyguard” in London’s West End, where she gained the critics praise and a new fan base overseas.

Heather continued her musical 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. Two songs, “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. Heather returned in January 2006 with “In My Mind,” her long-awaited second solo album. The opening title tune single became Heather’s first number one hit, topping the Dance and R&B charts.

In 2009 Heather released “Audience of One” for which she won the Grammy Award for the Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album. In 2012 she released “Only One In The World,” an album that featured songs that Heather wrote as well as some of her favorite covers. To the audience’s and critics’ delight, Heather made her return to Broadway in 2016 starring in the Tony Award-winning “The Color Purple,” in the role of Shug Avery. In 2018, Heather had a recurring role on “Chicago Med” playing the formidable Gwen Garrett. In 2021 Heather won the critics’ praise for her role of the Witch in the New York City Center’s production of “Into The Woods.” Heather can currently be seen as a series regular on the Netflix series “Sweet Magnolias.”