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BIOGRAPHY
Born in Lansing, Michigan at the age of 4 Reedie Williams was discovered singing Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” into a comb by her mother. Her mother let her finish and as she turned around, her mom said in a peculiar seriousness, “Chiiiild, you can sang!” Her musical journey began in the youth choir at Mask Memorial C.M.E Church at 5 years old. She moved to Rancho Palos Verdes, CA while she was still in grade school; in Jr. high school she won 2nd place on Natalie Cole’s syndicated talent competition, Big Break. Reedie attended San Francisco State where she was introduced to the world of jazz improvisation. At the time, her knowledge of jazz was limited to Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, Nat King Cole, and Frank Sinatra, but she was introduced to the Bebop jazz artists like Thelonius Monk, John Coltrane, Lee Morgan and a host of other great musicians. She began to submerge herself in the freedom of improvisation and intoxicating rhythms. Reedie lived abroad in Paris, France where she immersed herself into the French culture and language and sang at cabarets while in Paris. After leaving Paris and returning to the States she joined a Brazilian pop fusion band and performed in San Francisco’s North Beach area. After graduating college, Reedie moved back to Los Angeles and started working with Grammy winning composer/bassist/piano player Kevin O’Neal who hired her as a singer on his jazz and gospel gigs. She was also one of the 1st group of singers to come from the world-renowned Jazz Vocal Workshops at the World Stage Performance Gallery in the Leimert Park community of Los Angeles. She holds a particularly high echelon in the Leimert Park district for her live performances. She has also accompanied many artists singing background, studio sessions, and jingles for commercials. Because of her strong vocal ability and live performances, she has been compared to some great singers in the music industry such as Ledisi, Jill Scott, Lalah Hathaway, Chaka Khan, and Jazz legend Sarah Vaughn.
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