Amber Patrice Riley (born February 15, 1986) sometimes known

mononym A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person. A mononym may be the person's only name, given to them at birth. This was routine in most ancient societies, and remains ...

ously as Riley (stylized in

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), is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her portrayal of Mercedes Jones on the Fox comedy-drama series ''

Glee Glee may refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 3000 album) * ''Glee'' (Logan Lynn album) * Gle ...

'' (2009–2015). For her performance on the series, she was nominated for three

NAACP Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. The over 40 ...

, and won a shared Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. As a member of the cast, Riley charted over 200 entries on the ''Billboard Hot'' 100, and was nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

. In 2016, Riley originated the lead role of Effie White in the West End debut of ''

Dreamgirls ''Dreamgirls'' is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. It is based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, and p ...

''. She won the

Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial London theatre. The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre A ...

and Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Musical Performance in 2017 for her work. She's the winner of the 17th season of ''

Dancing with the Stars ''Strictly Come Dancing (widely known as Dancing with the Stars)'' is an international television franchise based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing,'' itself a successor to the show ''Come Dancing'' (1950–1998) ...

'' (2013). In 2017, Riley appeared as a judge on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

musical theatre talent show '' Let It Shine'' and formed a musical theatre supergroup with

Beverley Knight Beverley Knight (born Beverley Anne Smith, 22 March 1973) is an English singer, songwriter, actress and radio personality. She released her first album, ''The B-Funk'', in 1995. Heavily influenced by American soul music icons such as Sam Cooke ...

and Cassidy Janson, known collectively as Leading Ladies and signed to East West Records/ Warner. Their debut album, '' Songs from the Stage'', was released on November 17, 2017. She also participated on the American and British versions of '' The Masked Singer'', winning the 8th season of the American version, and being a finalist in the 4th season of the British version.

Early life

Riley was born in

Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 2023. Its population is greater than that of 40 individua ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, with a mother of the maiden name Hightower. She has two older sisters, Toiya and Ashley.. Riley auditioned for ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...

'' when she was 17 years old, during the show's second season, but was turned down by the producers. She graduated from La Mirada High School in

La Mirada, California La Mirada is a city in southeast Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California United States, and is one of the Gateway Cities, on the border with Orange County, California, Orange County. The population was 48,008 at the 2020 ...

in 2004.

Career

2009–2019: Breakthrough with ''Glee'' and other appearances

In 2008, Riley was cast in the role of Mercedes Jones on the comedy-drama television series ''

'', and appeared as a main cast member for all but one of the six seasons—she received guest star credit during season 5. Riley performed numerous solos throughout the series' run, including "

Respect Respect, also called esteem, is a positive feeling or deferential action shown towards someone or something considered important or held in high esteem or regard. It conveys a sense of admiration for good or valuable qualities. It is also th ...

", " Bust Your Windows", " Hate on Me", " And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", " Beautiful", " Bridge over Troubled Water", " I Look to You", " Ain't No Way", " Try a Little Tenderness", " Spotlight", " All I Want for Christmas Is You" and, three days after Whitney Houston's death, performed a tribute version of " I Will Always Love You". She also played Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the episode " The Rocky Horror Glee Show", singing the lead on the song " Sweet Transvestite" to generally positive reviews from critics. For her role as Mercedes Jones, Riley won a

Screen Actors Guild Award Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...

and received nominations for three

NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. The over 40 ...

s and three

Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards were an annual awards show that aired on the Fox television network between 1999 and 2019. The awards, based on a popularity vote that could be overridden by the producerswho reserved the right to choose the winnerscovered ...

. Riley appeared at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards and later sang the national anthem at the

2012 Democratic National Convention The 2012 Democratic National Convention was a gathering, held from September 4–6, 2012, at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, in which delegates of the Democratic Party nominated President Barack Obama and Vice Pr ...

. She also co-wrote a track titled "Leave a Light On" for British group

The Saturdays The Saturdays are an English-Irish girl group based in London, England. The group formed during the summer of 2007 and has been on hiatus since 2014. The lineup consists of Frankie Bridge, Una Healy, Rochelle Humes, Mollie King, and Vanessa Whi ...

, which is featured on their album '' Living for the Weekend''. In January 2014, Riley and her sister Ashley launched a plus size online clothing boutique, Rileyland Fashions. She also models the garments. Riley's debut single, "Colorblind", premiered live on April 3, 2014, on '' The Queen Latifah Show''. The song was written by

Emeli Sandé Adele Emily Sandé ( ; previously Gouraguine; born 10 March 1987), known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a British singer and songwriter. Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Sandé rose t ...

, Claude Kelly and

Steve Mac Steve McCutcheon (born 15 January 1972), known professionally as Steve Mac, is a British record producer, songwriter and musician. A multi-award-winning producer, he is one of the most prolific songwriters and record producers in modern Briti ...

, and was released as a digital download on April 8, 2014. It was expected to be the lead single off her debut album. The song was also performed by Riley on ''Glee''. In 2015, it was reported that Riley would star in a Christmas television film, her first movie role, and her first acting role, since ''Glee''. In December 2015, she portrayed Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North, in NBC's live performance of '' The Wiz''. In February 2016, it was announced that Riley would portray the lead role of Effie White in ''

'', at the Savoy Theatre in London's West End, beginning performances in November 2016. Riley recorded a number of tracks for Todrick Hall's visual album '' Straight Outta Oz''. Also in 2016 she performed the national anthem at the second game of the 2016 NHL Stadium Series featuring the

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

and

Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. The Avalanche compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Con ...

Coors Field Coors Field is a baseball stadium in downtown Denver, Colorado. It is the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. Opened in 1995 Major League Baseball season, 1995, the park is located in Denver's LoDo, Lower Downtown neighborhood, ...

. In 2017, Riley teamed up with British singers

and Cassidy Janson to form a musical theatre supergroup, known collectively as the Leading Ladies. Their debut album, ''Songs from the Stage'', was released on November 17, 2017 and features covers songs from ''

Cats The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

'', '' Beautiful'' and '' Rent'' among others. In 2019, she took on the role of Audrey II, the carnivorous singing plant, in '' Little Shop of Horrors'' at Pasadena Playhouse.

''Dancing with the Stars''

In 2013, Riley won the seventeenth season of ABC's dancing competition ''

''. She was partnered with the show's one and only six-time champion,

Derek Hough Derek Bruce Hough (; born May 17, 1985) is an American professional Latin dance, Latin and ballroom dancer, choreographer, actor and singer. From 2007 to 2016, Hough was a professional dancer on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC dance compe ...

. Riley and Hough tied the record for highest first-week score of 27, received 5 perfect scores of 30, and only received a score lower than 8 one time. Riley is the first and only African-American woman to win ''Dancing with the Stars''. ;Performances

2020–present: ''RILEY'' and debut album

On February 28, 2020, Riley confirmed she finished recording songs for her debut extended play. She confirmed that she would be performing under the name "Riley" (stylized in

as "RILEY") and released the single "A Moment" on September 4. "BGE" (

initialism An acronym is a type of abbreviation consisting of a phrase whose only pronounced elements are the initial letters or initial sounds of words inside that phrase. Acronyms are often spelled with the initial letter of each word in all caps wi ...

for ''big girl energy'') was released as the second single from the EP on September 18, alongside its music video. Her EP ''RILEY'' was released on October 2, 2020, featuring a total of six tracks. On October 8, 2020 she released a music video for the track "Creepin'". In 2022, Riley competed in season eight of '' The Masked Singer'' as "Harp" and won the season. In 2023, she competed as "Jellyfish" on the fourth season of '' The Masked Singer UK'' and finished in fourth place. In February 2023, she announced her solo debut album would be released later in the year. As of April 2025, the album is yet to be announced. In December 2023, Riley performed " Chim Chim Cher-ee" from the 1964 movie ''

Mary Poppins Mary Poppins may refer to: * Mary Poppins (character), a nanny with magical powers * Mary Poppins (franchise), based on the fictional nanny ** Mary Poppins (book series), ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fanta ...

'' on the primetime CBS special ''Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic''.

Filmography

Stage

Discography

Extended plays

Singles

Guest appearances

Soundtrack appearances

* '' Glee: The Music, Volume 1'' (2009) * '' Glee: The Music, Volume 2'' (2009) * '' Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna'' (2010) * '' Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers'' (2010) * '' Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals'' (2010) * ''Glee: The Music, The Complete Season One'' (2010) * ''Glee: The Music, Best of Season One'' (2010) * '' Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show'' (2010) * '' Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album''(2010) * '' Glee: The Music, Volume 4'' (2010) * ''Glee: The Music, Love Songs'' (2010) * '' Glee: The Music, Volume 5'' (2011) * '' Glee: The Music, Volume 6'' (2011) * '' Glee: The 3D Concert Movie (Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' (2011) * ''Glee: The Music, Dance Party'' (2011) * '' Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2'' (2011) * '' Glee: The Music, Volume 7'' (2011) * '' Glee: The Music, The Graduation Album'' (2012) * ''Glee: The Music, The Complete Season Two'' (2012) * ''Glee: The Music, The Complete Season Three'' (2012) * '' Glee: The Music Presents Glease'' (2012) * '' Glee: The Quarterback'' (2013) * ''Glee: The Music, The Complete Season Four'' (2014) * ''Glee: The Music - Celebrating 100 Episodes'' (2014) * ''Glee: The Music, Bash'' (2014) * ''Glee: The Music, Tested'' (2014) * ''Glee: The Music, Opening Night'' (2014) * ''Glee: The Music, The Back Up Plan'' (2014) * ''Glee: The Music, Old Dog, New Tricks'' (2014) * ''Glee: The Music, The Untitled Rachel Barry Project'' (2014) * ''Glee: The Music, Homecoming'' (2015) * ''Glee: The Music, What the World Needs Now is Love'' (2015) * ''Glee: The Music, Transitioning'' (2015) * ''Glee: The Music, A Wedding'' (2015) * ''Glee: The Music, 2009'' (2015) * ''Glee: The Music, Dreams Come True'' (2015) * '' The Wiz Live!'' (2015) * '' Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Season 1, Vol. 2)'' (2016) * '' Dreamgirls (Original London Cast Recording)'' (2017) * '' The Little Mermaid Live!'' (2019)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Riley, Amber 21st-century American singers 21st-century African-American actresses 21st-century American actresses Activists from Los Angeles Actresses from Los Angeles African-American women singers American Idol participants American sopranos American stage actresses American television actresses American voice actresses Dancing with the Stars (American TV series) winners Living people Masked Singer winners Musicians from Compton, California Schoolboy Records artists Singers from Los Angeles Laurence Olivier Award winners 21st-century American women singers Leading Ladies (group) members La Mirada High School alumni 1986 births