LaKisha Jones
Biography courtesy of CEG Talent
LaKISHA JONES first became known for her stirring rendition of “And I am Telling You” …. and she is certainly staying true to the song as she is not going anywhere! As a stand-out on American Idol season six, LaKisha Jones smoothly transitioned from this star-turning reality show to Broadway in 2007, appearing in Oprah Winfrey’s “The Color Purple.” She has also appeared as a mentor on MTV’s “Legally Blonde”. With an already jam packed schedule, LaKisha is also finishing recording her first solo CD! LaKisha handles all of these tasks and many more while also fulfilling her full-time job as a single mother to her five year old daughter, Brionne.
LaKisha Jones was raised by her mother and grandmother in Flint, MI. Receiving her singing start in church, LaKisha cites her grandmother as the inspiration for why she sings. Always encouraging her to “let her voice shine,” her grandmother often placed LaKisha in church choirs and other programs, forcing her to the forefront. LaKisha shying away from singing and the spotlight only encouraged her Grandmother to push her even more, as she knew the world needed to hear LaKisha’s powerful voice.
After graduating from Flint Central High School, LaKisha attended the University of Michigan - Flint, where she studied Vocal Music. However, after two years of college, LaKisha realized that school was not for her. After relocating to Dallas for a short time, then Houston and later Virginia Beach, LaKisha finally established herself in Baltimore, MD and began working at Provident Bank. After hearing her sing while working and at after work events, friends and co-workers encouraged LaKisha to audition for American Idol. Little did they know, LaKisha had already secretly tried out for the reality show in 2003 but was not accepted. However, after her Assistant Manager insisted that she try out and even gave her time off for the audition, LaKisha began thinking about how she wanted to lead by example and one day be able to tell her daughter how she had the courage to follow her dreams. So, with the intention of creating a better life for herself and her daughter, LaKisha drove from Baltimore to New York for the American Idol auditions. After several call backs, LaKisha was on her way!
From that first Idol moment, listeners finally heard what only LaKisha’s church choir had previous knowledge of - a divinely crafted voice singing straight from the soul. Stepping on the American Idol stage for the first time is a moment that LaKisha will never forget. However making it to the Finals topped that moment 10-fold. The moment her name was announced, LaKisha immediately thought, “This is your time, this is your moment!” … and boy was she right! Singing a soul stirring rendition of “And I Am Telling You” from Dreamgirls in the top 24 resulted in great acclaim from the press, the viewers, the judges and even the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.
Making it to the finals was a very exciting experience. However, LaKisha was voted off after making the top four. This left LaKisha with mixed feelings. Idol had provided her with the encouragement to do what she loves but she was of course sad to not have accomplished her main objective- to be the Idol champion. Upon further reflection, LaKisha quickly realized that Idol did definitely provide her with the platform to take her career to the next level.
Quickly transitioning from American Idol, LaKisha moved on to her Broadway debut, and what better opportunity could there be than Oprah Winfrey’s Tony Award nominated “The Color Purple.” LaKisha was able to hold her own with some major industry heavyweights including R&B legend Chaka Khan, Fantasia and Gospel icon Bebe Winans. Additionally, LaKisha played two roles: the Church Soloist, who opened up the show, and one of the main characters Sophia, a role she alternated with Chaka Khan. “The Color Purple” helped form a lasting friendship between this soul singing mentor and the neophyte recording artist.
From “The Color Purple,” LaKisha then moved on to work as on MTV’s upcoming reality competition show “Legally Blonde,” a show designed to find and hone Broadway’s next star. LaKisha was able to use both her reality show competition experience and her Broadway experience, a powerful combination only a select few possess.
Despite all this, LaKisha has been recording her first CD since February in Houston, where she currently resides, and Los Angeles. This upcoming project will focus on R&B and Soul music with some inspiration as homage to her strong gospel roots. For a somewhat new jack, LaKisha is working with some major heavy weights. Producers on the upcoming project include Grammy Award winner, Edwin "Tony" Nicolas (Patti Labelle, Gerald Levert, Luther Vandross), Rochad 'Ro' Holiday & Curtis "Sauce" Wilson (Brandy & Neyo), Chris Black (Yolanda Adams) and another multi platinum, Grammy Award winner, Greg Curtis (Keyshia Cole, Yolanda Adams, Whitney Houston). Also her debut single called 'Same Song' was written by Diane Warren, one of the most successful and prolific songwriters to ever work in the music industry.
As a performer and singer, LaKisha has a jam-packed schedule, but motherhood always takes top priority. Though she remains busy with her numerous projects and her album, LaKisha still makes time to drop off and pick up her daughter from school each and everyday. LaKisha realizes that she had the advantage of a strong support system in her mother, grandmother and church families. However, still remembering the hard times of single handedly raising her daughter, LaKisha would like to lend her support to other single mothers. Always feeling the need to give, LaKisha will also soon start her own foundation for single mothers. Her goal is an organization that provides resources and support to struggling moms.
As LaKisha’s star begins to shine even brighter, she insists she is still the same girl singing at her grandmother’s church in Flint, MI. LaKisha wants everyone to know, “I am still the same ‘Kisha, nothing has changed except the circumstance.”