Biography Wikipedia
Wikipedia:
Laura Elizabeth Arabosa Izibor (born 13 May 1987) is an Irish recording artist, musician and producer. She won the RTÉ 2fm song contest while still in secondary school. She went on to win an award at the 2006 Meteor Music Awards. She also performed at that year's Electric Picnic music festival and Music Ireland 2007. Izibor has opened for Aretha Franklin, India.Arie, Estelle, Maxwell and John Legend on tour.
Her debut album, Let the Truth Be Told, was released in Ireland on Friday 8 May 2009, and in the UK on Monday 18 May with a U.S. release to follow on 16 June.
Izibor is currently featured in The CW television show, One Tree Hill., where she plays Erin Macree.
Life and career
1987–2003: Early life and career beginnings
Laura Elizabeth Arabosa Izibor was born in 13 May 1987 in Dublin, Ireland. She is the fourth of five children born to Irish mother Trish and Nigerian father Saul and brother Evan. Izibor's parents separated when she was seven and she was raised by her mother. As a child, she faced racial discrimination. She recalled being "paranoid about one teacher in particular, who I think was a racist" as well as "a few kids who made stupid little comments here and there". After singing "When You Believe", a duet by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, in her drama class, she discovered her interest for music; she began writing songs at age 13 and taught herself how to play the piano at 14. At age 15, public service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) held a song competition by radio station RTÉ 2fm, which Izibor won. Her winning song, "Compatible", received constant airplay after she won the competition;Laura met her manager Edison Waters of Vibe Music Management. RTÉ also filmed a documentary of Izibor after winning the competition.
2004–present: Let the Truth Be Told
At age 17, Izibor was signed to Jive Records and dropped out of school to record her debut album. After a dispute with the label, she signed with Atlantic Records and subsequently moved to New York after her mentor, Steve Lunt, was offered a job at the label. She won an award at the 2006 Meteor Music Award and became the first unsigned recording artist to receive a nomination. Izibor's debut album, Let the Truth Be Told, was released in May 2009. The album debuted at number two on the Irish Albums Chart.
Film and television
Her song "From My Heart to Yours" featured in an episode of Grey's Anatomy and the Vh1 reality series Tough Love.Her single Shine was the lead track for the movie Nanny Diaries, is currently used in the Hibernian Aviva commercial in the Republic of Ireland and in the Norwich Union (soon to be Aviva) commercial in the United Kingdom. Withfirst-week sales in the United States.The CD's first-week chart position is 27 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums. Diana Ross is rumored to have recorded a duet with Izibor for the European edition of her upcoming album.Her song "Mmm..." is featured in Step Up 2: The Streets, Why Did I Get Married?,The Practice, One Tree Hill and Seven Pounds starring Will Smith.Her song "Carousel" is featured on the P.S. I Love You soundtrack.Her song "If Tonight is my Last" was used as America's Best Dance Crew Season 4 elimination song.A video of her performing her song "Mmm..." was featured in an episode of Bones called 'The Parts in the Sum of the Whole' as murder victim Gemma ArringtonLaura debuts in One Tree Hill during the 8th Season (2010). Her song "Can't be Love", which she created specifically for the show, debuted during the 6th episode on October 20, 2010.
Musical style
Izibor cites James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Carole King as her inspirations. She described Phil Lynott as her idol, while naming Roberta Flack, Nina Simone, Candi Staton and Thin Lizzy her "musical heroes".
Izibor music has been compared to recording artists Aretha Franklin, Corinne Bailey Rae and Alicia Keys; her writing is compared to that of Carole King and Joan Armatrading. Nicole Frehsée of Rolling Stone magazine described Izibor's debut album, Let the Truth Be Told, as "a sunny, chick-flick-worthy take on vintage soul". Noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of 'Blues & Soul' described the album as "Anchored firmly in classic R&B and effectively combining a reverence for the traditions of vintage, warm piano-driven soul with a fresh twist of modern sensibility". While Pete Daniel Smith of Sunday Mercury described the album as a "dazzling R&B debut", noting a "a remarkable soul vocal that'll send shivers down your spine".
