# Heather Headley

Heather Headley (born October 5, 1974) is a Trinidadian-born American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. She won the 2000 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the title role of Aida. She also won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album for her album Audience of One. In 2018, she recurred as Gwen Garrett on the NBC medical drama television series Chicago Med. She stars on the Netflix series Sweet Magnolias, which debuted in 2020 and is in its fourth season as of February 2025.

## Personal life

Headley was born in Trinidad, the daughter of Hannah and Eric Headley (Barbadian). In 1989, she moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, in the United States at the age of fifteen with her mother and brother Eric Junior when her father was offered a job as pastor of McKee Street Church of God with headquarters in Anderson, Indiana. Headley attended Northrop High School, and was a member of their resident show choir, Charisma, and starred as Fanny Brice in the school's production of Funny Girl. After graduating from high school, Headley attended Northwestern University from 1993 to 1996, to study musical theatre until the last day of her junior year, when she made the decision to become a part of the musical Ragtime and leave school.
In 2003, Headley married Brian Musso, an investment advisor who briefly played for the New York Jets. Both attended Northwestern University. On December 1, 2009, they welcomed their first child John David. Headley had her second son Jordan Chase August 18, 2014. In April 2019, the couple welcomed a third child, a daughter.
Headley regularly performs with Vertical Church Band, the worship team from Harvest Bible Chapel. She is featured in their song "How Great Is The Love" and "All Glory".

## Career

Headley's stage career began in 1996 when she was cast as a member of the ensemble in the original Toronto production of the musical Ragtime where she was an understudy for Audra McDonald in the role of Sarah. Her breakthrough came the following year when she originated the role of Nala in the Broadway musical The Lion King. Headley's performance was well received, and she then originated the title role in the Broadway adaptation of Aida, earning the Tony Award for Best Actress in 2000. In 1999, she appeared in the Encores! staged concert production of Do Re Mi, with Nathan Lane, Randy Graff, and Brian Stokes Mitchell. She starred in an Actors' Fund of America benefit concert version of the musical Dreamgirls alongside McDonald and Lillias White in 2001.
In the autumn of 2006, Heather performed Hal David and Burt Bacharach's song "I'll Never Fall In Love Again", from the 1968 musical Promises, Promises, for "The Kennedy Center Presents: The 2006 Mark Twain Prize", honoring playwright Neil Simon. The ceremony was later broadcast on PBS.
On July 5, 2007, Headley made a guest appearance for Andrea Bocelli's Vivere Live in Tuscany concert in Lajatico, Italy. They performed Vivo Per Lei and The Prayer. Headley sang "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" (also known as "America") with Josh Groban on January 18, 2009, during the We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial. On March 12, 2009, Headley sang "I Wish" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
From November 2012 until August 2013, Headley played the role of Rachel Marron, in the musical adaptation of Whitney Houston's 1992 movie, The Bodyguard at London's Adelphi Theatre. She was nominated for an Olivier Award and a What's On Stage Award for this performance.
Heather joined the Andrea Bocelli UK Tour playing Glasgow Hydro on November 23 and at the Leeds First Direct Arena on November 24, 2013.
On May 10, 2016, Headley assumed the role of Shug Avery from Jennifer Hudson in the recent Broadway revival of The Color Purple, which closed on January 8, 2017, at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.
In May 2022, Headley played the Witch in the Encores! version of Into the Woods. She starred alongside Sara Bareilles, Neil Patrick Harris, Gavin Creel, and Denée Benton.

### Music

Headley released her debut album, This Is Who I Am, in October 2002 with RCA Records. Although its first single, "He Is", was not very successful, the second single, "I Wish I Wasn't", achieved moderate success. The work on this album earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and for Best New Artist making her the first Tony Award winner to be nominated for this award.
Her second album, In My Mind (2006) was delayed due to the various executive shake-ups associated with RCA parent BMG's merger with Sony. Under BMG North America chairman/CEO Clive Davis for the first time, Headley released her second album In My Mind in January 2006. The title track "In My Mind" (written and produced by India.Arie collaborator Shannon Sanders) was released as the first single; and its music video was directed by Diane Martel. The song reached number-one on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. The second single "Me Time" was sent to Urban AC radio only. An album track, "Am I Worth It", served to promote Headley's New March of Dimes Educational Campaign "I Want My 9 Months".
In 2009, Headley, along with Al Green, released a version of the song "People Get Ready" on the compilation album Oh Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration.
In January 2010 she won her first Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album for Audience of One on the EMI Gospel label.
In December 2010, Headley performed a duet version of "Blue Christmas" and "My Prayer" with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli on his "My Christmas" tour in 5 US cities. At the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, on December 4, 2010, the audience insisted on a second encore with Bocelli. Bocelli had to summon the detail to go and bring her back on stage.
Headley released her album Only One in the World on September 25, 2012, with the lead single "A Little While".
In September 2013, Headley appeared on America's Got Talent with Il Divo and sang "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" from The Lion King. She also appeared with Il Divo on Broadway for a limited concert run in 2013.

### Television and film

Starting in 2017, Headley appeared in a recurring role on the TV series She's Gotta Have It as Dr. Jamison. In 2018, she appeared in a recurring role as Gwen Garrett on the TV series Chicago Med.
In 2019, Headley was cast as one of the three leads in the Netflix series Sweet Magnolias. She also voiced the part of Fikiri as Makini's Mother in The Lion Guard.
In 2021, Headley starred as gospel legend Clara Ward in Respect, the Aretha Franklin biopic.

## Discography
### Studio albums

| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) |
| Title | Details | US | US R&B | Certifications (sales threshold) |
| This Is Who I Am | Release date: October 8, 2002 Label: RCA Records Formats: CD, music download | 38 | 14 | RIAA: Gold |
| In My Mind | Release date: January 31, 2006 Label: RCA Records Formats: CD, music download | 5 | 1 | RIAA: Gold |
| Audience of One | Release date: January 13, 2009 Label: EMI Christian Music Group Formats: CD, music download | 27 | 6 | |
| Only One in the World | Release date: September 25, 2012 Label: in:ciite Media Formats: CD, music download | 187 | 25 | |
| Broadway My Way | Release date: November 14, 2018 Label: in:ciite Media Formats: music download | | | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released to that country |||||

### Compilation albums

| Title | Details |
| Playlist: The Very Best of Heather Headley | Release date: May 29, 2012 Label: Legacy Recordings Formats: CD, music download |

### Singles

| Year | Song | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Album |
| Year | Song | US Hot 100 | US R&B | US Dance | US AC | US Gospel | Hot Adult R&B | Album |
| 1999 | "A Step Too Far" (with Elton John and Sherie Rene Scott) | — | — | — | 15 | — | — | Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida |
| 2002 | "He Is" | 90 | 38 | 4 | — | — | 1 | This Is Who I Am |
| 2003 | "I Wish I Wasn't" | 55 | 15 | 5 | — | — | 1 | This Is Who I Am |
| 2005 | "In My Mind" | 75 | 16 | 1 | — | — | 2 | In My Mind |
| 2006 | "Me Time" | — | 35 | — | — | — | 5 | In My Mind |
| 2008 | "Jesus Is Love" | — | 59 | — | — | 10 | 29 | Audience of One |
| 2008 | "Do You Hear What I Hear?" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| 2012 | "A Little While" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Only One in the World |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |||||||||

### Other

| Song | Year | Album |
| "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" | 1997 | The Lion King on Broadway Cast Recording |
| "Shadowland" | 1997 | The Lion King on Broadway Cast Recording |
| "The Madness of King Scar" | 1997 | The Lion King on Broadway Cast Recording |
| "Love Will Find a Way" (with Kenny Lattimore) | 1998 | Return to Pride Rock |
| "Just One Dream" | 2001 | Golden Dreams (film at Disney California Adventure Park) |
| "People Get Ready" (with Al Green) | 2009 | Oh Happy Day |
| “A Dream is a Wish your heart makes” | 2017 | Disney Illuminations (nighttime spectacular at Disneyland Paris) |

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1992 | Fantasmic! | Princess Medley | Short |
| 2001 | Elmo's Magic Cookbook | Pocket Queen | Video |
| 2004 | Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights | Rosa Negra Singer | |
| 2004 | Breakin' All the Rules | Herself | |
| 2021 | Respect | Clara Ward | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2017–19 | She's Gotta Have It | Dr. Clara Jamison | Recurring cast |
| 2018–21 | Chicago Med | Gwen Garrett | Recurring: season 4; guest: seasons 3, 5–6 |
| 2019 | The Lion Guard | Fikiri (voice) | Episode: "Journey of Memories" |
| 2020–present | Sweet Magnolias | Helen Decatur | Main cast |

## Awards and nominations
### Music

| Year | Award | Category | Recording | Result |
| 2002 | Soul Train Award | Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist | "He Is" | Nominated |
| 2003 | Billboard Music Award | R&B/Hip-Hop New Artist of the Year | R&B/Hip-Hop New Artist of the Year | Nominated |
| 2003 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Female Artist | Outstanding Female Artist | Nominated |
| 2003 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding New Artist | Outstanding New Artist | Nominated |
| 2003 | Soul Train Lady of Soul Award | R&B/Soul Album of the Year - Solo | "This Is Who I Am" | Won |
| 2003 | Soul Train Lady of Soul Award | Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist - Solo | "He Is" | Won |
| 2003 | Soul Train Lady of Soul Award | Best R&B/Soul Single - Solo | "He Is" | Nominated |
| 2004 | Grammy Award | Best New Artist | Best New Artist | Nominated |
| 2004 | Grammy Award | Best Female R&B Vocal Performance | "I Wish I Wasn't" | Nominated |
| 2006 | BET J Cool Like That Award | BET J Cool Like That Award | BET J Cool Like That Award | Nominated |
| 2010 | Grammy Award | Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album | "Audience Of One" | Won |
| 2010 | Grammy Award | Best Gospel Performance | "Jesus Is Love" | Nominated |

### Theatre

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 2000 | Tony Award | Best Actress in a Musical | Aida | Won |
| 2000 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Aida | Won |
| 2000 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Aida | Nominated |
| 2000 | Sarah Siddons Award | Sarah Siddons Award | Sarah Siddons Award | Awardee |
| 2013 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best Actress in a Musical | The Bodyguard | Nominated |
| 2013 | WhatsOnStage Award | Best Actress in a Musical | The Bodyguard | Nominated |