Alice Smith (born 30 November 1977) is an American singer and songwriter, her style anchored in

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

, R&B, blues,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

and

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

Life and career

Raised between

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

and a farm in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, she sang in ''Moomtez'' and ''

Black Rock Coalition The Black Rock Coalition is a New York-based artists' collective and nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the creative freedom and works of black musicians. Founding and purpose The BRC was founded in 1985 in New York City by Vernon Reid ...

'' while studying History at Fordham University. Releasing her first album in 2006, and ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' said of her, "Smith could easily be lumped in with expressive chanteuses like

Norah Jones Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She has won several awards for her music and as of 2012, has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. ''Billboard'' named her the ...

and

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

, but she has a broader palette than either." The magazine listed her as one of the 10 Artists to Watch in 2006. Alice Smith at the Apollo (43978)

Her debut album, ''For Lovers, Dreamers & Me'', was a collection of songs spanning genres from country to rock to funk. The title was borrowed from

the Muppets The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety- sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompasses ...

. "We were just trying to think of a title because I haven’t thought of a name after it was all done," she said in an interview with Hiphoprnbsoul.com. "We were thinking about the music and we were throwing ideas around. We were thinking about The Beatles and The Wizard of Oz and whatever else made us think of. Then something made me think of The Muppets. I don’t even know. It wasn't something in the forefront of my mind. I just thought of it and it came to me like that." The song "Dream" was featured on an episode of ''

Entourage An entourage () is an informal group or band of people who are closely associated with a (usually) famous, notorious, or otherwise notable individual. The word can also refer to: Arts and entertainment * L'entourage, French hip hop / rap collecti ...

'' (season four) during the closing credits. "Dream" was also featured in the final act of episode four, season five, of the

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

series ''The L Word'' ("Let's Get This Party Started"). In 2007, she was nominated for a Grammy Award under the Best Urban/Alternative category. However, the fall-out from pressure of the success of her debut release meant that future recordings were shelved. Becoming a mother, Smith relocated from New York City, New York to Los Angeles, California. In 2011, she collaborated with Aloe Blacc to contribute the track "Baby" to the Red Hot Organization, Red Hot Organization's most recent charitable album ''Red Hot + Rio 2''. The album is a follow-up to the 1996 ''Red Hot + Rio''. Proceeds from the sales will be donated to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues. Her second album, ''She'' was released in March 2013. In 2013 Alice performed the song "Cry" with Doyle Bramhall II at Madison Square Gardens as part of the Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival. In 2014, Prince released an interpretation of her song Another Love on his album with 3rdeyegirl, Plectrumelectrum. She also performed "Fool For You", "The One", "She", and "Don't Get Me Wrong", and "Dreams" at AfroPunk 2014. In 2015, Smith's cover of "I Put a Spell on You" was featured on ''Nina Revisited... A Tribute to Nina Simone''. In 2018, Smith's song "Fool For You" was featured in the ''Gotham (season 4), Season 4'' episode ''One of My Three Soups'' of the TV series ''Gotham (TV series), Gotham'', which chronicles the events leading up to Batman's arrival. She released ''Mystery'', her third album, comprising seven songs, in October 2019.

Personal life

Smith has one daughter, and is married to recording artist Citizen Cope.

Discography

Studio albums

References

Reviews

Giant Step - For Lovers, Dreamers & Me / Alice SmithSound Generator - For Lovers, Dreamers & Me / Alice SmithRainbow Network - For Lovers, Dreamers & Me / Alice SmithMusic Emissions - For Lovers, Dreamers & Me / Alice Smith

External links

Alice Smith
Official site {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Alice 1978 births Living people American soul musicians Singers from New York City Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School alumni American women rock singers African-American women singer-songwriters American soul singers American contemporary R&B singers 21st-century African-American women singers Singer-songwriters from New York (state) Singer-songwriters from Washington, D.C.