Leona Lewis

At 39 years old, Leona Lewis has this physical status:

Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British singer, songwriter, actress, model and activist.

She was born and raised in the London Borough of Islington in London, where she attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology.

Lewis achieved national recognition when she won the third series of The X Factor in 2006, winning a £1 million recording contract with Simon Cowell's record label, Syco Music.

Her winner's single, a cover of Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This", peaked at number one for four weeks on the UK Singles Chart and broke a world record for reaching 50,000 digital downloads within 30 minutes.

In February 2007, Lewis signed a five-album contract in the United States with Clive Davis's record label, J Records. Lewis's success continued with the release of her debut album, Spirit, in 2007; it was certified 10× platinum in the United Kingdom and became the fourth best-selling album of the 2000s.

It is one of the best-selling albums in UK chart history.

Early life

Leona Louise Lewis was born on 3 April 1985, in Islington, London, England, to a father of Afro-Guyanese descent and a mother with Welsh, Irish and Italian ancestry. She has an older half-brother, Bradley, and a younger brother, Kyle. Noticing Lewis's passion for singing, her parents enrolled her at the Sylvia Young Theatre School and later at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, the Ravenscourt Theatre School and the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology until they could no longer afford to do so, making cutbacks when necessary to help their daughter achieve her aspiration of being a singer.

Personal life

Lewis lived in Hackney, East London. Lewis was vegetarian from the age of 12 and has been vegan since September 2012. She won PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian, along with Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis, in 2008 and Europe's Sexiest Vegetarian in 2009, along with actor Scott Maslen. She also was named PETA's Person of the Year for 2008. Lewis is a supporter of World Animal Protection and is a patron of the Hopefield Animal Sanctuary in Brentwood, Essex.

In September 2014, in an open letter to fans, Lewis revealed that she felt extremely depressed around the time of her departure from Syco. She later emphasised that it was not clinical depression from which she had been suffering. She credited her professional separation from Simon Cowell and her practice of meditation with helping her "still the madness". In 2017, Lewis revealed she has Hashimoto's disease, detailing the pain and fatigue experienced because of the condition.

Lewis married her long-term fiancé, professional dancer and choreographer Dennis Jauch, in July 2019. The couple married in Tuscany, Italy, at Sting's 16th century, 865-acre, Il Palagio estate. The couple had been dating since 2010.

In November 2019, Lewis sold her $2.25 million Californian ranch, in Glendale, upscaling to a $3.7 million property in the guard-gated Hidden Hills, Los Angeles. She sold the property to Simon Cowell in 2020 for $3.9 million. She purchased her Studio City home for $2.6 million in March 2021.

On 20 March 2022, it was reported that Lewis and Jauch were expecting their first child together. Lewis confirmed the reports on her Instagram account on 23 March. Lewis gave birth to a girl on 22 July 2022 named Carmel Allegra.

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Career

Lewis decided to leave BRIT School to "get out there" and pursue a career in music at the age of 17. By then, she had already started to write and record her own stuff, and she worked as a receptionist at a solicitor's office and as a Pizza Hut waitress in order to fund the studio sessions. Lewis, 18 years old, gained a leading role in the city's Lion King theatre performance; however, she had to retract after breaking her back while ice-skating.

Lewis released Twilight, a demo album made in partnership with Spiral Music, a Fulham-based production company, but it was unable to guarantee her an album contract with any record labels. Despite the fact that the album was never released commercially, Lewis performed a few of the tracks live on BBC Radio 1's music station in 2004. Another demo album was released under license from UEG Entertainment, Best Kept Secret, which has reportedly spent £70,000 to launch Lewis' career with no success. In 2005, a track from the album, "Private Party," became a hit in London's underground urban music scene. Lewis said, "I tried to secure a record contract by doing things my own way." I worked really hard, but I never managed to secure a job. That's why I applied for The X Factor. It's programs like these that give the best platform to showcase new talent.

Lewis performed "Over the Rainbow" for judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Sharon Osbourne, and guest judge Paula Abdul on the third series of The X Factor in 2006. With Cowell as her mentor, she was placed in the 16–24 category. Lewis was compared to musicians like Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Celine Dion, who were all three of them on stage during the performance. Lewis won the competition on December 16, 2006, beating Ray Quinn by 60% of the over eight million televotes cast in the final. Lewis signed a £1 million recording deal with Cowell's record label, Syco Music, as a reward for winning.

Upon winning, Lewis said:

On December 17, 2006, Lewis' winner's single, a cover of Kelly Clarkson's song "A Moment Like This," was released. After being digitally downloaded more than 50,000 times in less than 30 minutes in the United Kingdom, it set a new world record. In its first week, the album became the top-one single in the United Kingdom, selling 51,000 copies and more than the Top 40 combined. It was the number one in Ireland for six weeks after four weeks on the UK Singles Chart for four weeks in a row. Despite being announced on December 17, "A Moment Like This" became the second best-selling single in the United Kingdom in 2006, and the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) has awarded it platinum, despite its fact that it was not issued over 600,000 copies. Lewis's version has sold 900,000 copies in the United Kingdom as of December 2014.

Lewis signed a five-album deal in the United States with Clive Davis' record company J Records in February 2007 and showcased for many American music executives. According to a press release, Cowell and Davis would work together in a "first-of-its-kind" collaboration on Lewis' debut album, Spirit's first album, Spirit, both the song and producer selections. Lewis wrote songs for the album in London, Miami, Los Angeles, New York City, and Atlanta, where she collaborated with a number of songwriters and record designers, including Dallas Austin, Walter Afanasief, Salaam Remi, Steve Mac, Stargate, and Ne-Yo. It was released in November 2007 and debuted on both the Irish Albums Chart and the UK Albums Chart, becoming the country's fastest-selling debut album and the fourth-fastest selling album of all time. Spirit is one of the UK's best-selling debut album by a female artist in the 21st century, and it's one of the best-selling debut albums of a female artist in the 21st century.

In January 2008, it was announced in several other countries and then rose to the top of New Zealand, Australia, Austria, Germany, South Africa, and Switzerland. In 2008, two more tracks were recorded for the album's release in the United States: "Forgive Me," produced by Akon, and "Misses Glass," made by Madd Scientist. Lewis was the first British artist to debut at number one in the United States in April 2008 and debuted on the Billboard 200 at number one, making him the first British artist to debut with a debut album. In November 2008, a special version of Spirit was re-released in Europe, including "Forgive Me," "Misses Glass," and a vignette of the Snow Patrol song "Run." The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, debuting the album at number one. The album has been rated platinum in the United Kingdom, where it is the fourth best-selling album of the 2000s decade.

Lewis' second single, "Bleeding Love," was released in the United Kingdom by Ryan Tedder and Jesse McCartney in October 2007, bringing the first week in 2007 to date. It debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number one, where it stayed for seven weeks, and in the Irish Singles Chart, it remained at number one for eight weeks. It reached number one in New Zealand, Australia, France, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Canada, and the United States, as the top singles charts of New Zealand, Australia, Australia, France, Germany, Norway, Norway, Switzerland, Switzerland, Belgium, Switzerland, Switzerland, Switzerland, Norway, Switzerland, Belgium, Norway, Switzerland, Switzerland, Switzerland, Belgium, and the United States reached the top spot in the singles charts of New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Norway, In December 2007, "Bleeding Love" was named The Year of the Year. "Bleeding Love" debuted at number 85 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 2008, and it went on to reach their highest position in four weeks in a row. In 1987, the song became the first UK female to reach number one after Kim Wilde's "You Keep Me Hangin' On." Lewis' third single, a double A-side starring "Better in Time" and "Footprints in the Sand," was released in the United Kingdom in March 2008, and she visited South Africa to support the charity. In the first week of physical release, the single reached a peak of number two in the UK singles chart, selling over 40,000 copies. Lewis' second single, "Better in Time," was released in the United States, where it peaked at number 11 in the Billboard Hot 100, where it debuted at number 11 in the Billboard Hot 100. In November 2008, Lewis' fifth single "Forgive Me" debuted; it debuted in the United Kingdom at number five. "Run" was released in the United Kingdom as a download-only single, peaking at number one and becoming the country's fastest-selling download-only single, with 69,244 copies sold in two days. "I Will Be" Lewis' last single from Spirit, "I Will Be," was published in January 2009, but only in North America.

Lewis performed "Whole Lotta Love" with guitarist Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin at the 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony in Beijing, reserving London as the host of the 2012 Summer Olympics. She was one of many female singers to perform a single for the anti-cancer group Stand Up to Cancer in September 2008.

The single,"Just Stand Up!

"Live on all major television networks during the one-hour telethon." In December 2008, Lewis received three nominations for the 51st Grammy Awards. "Bleeding Love" was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album and Spirit for Best Female Pop Vocal Vocal Performance and Spirit. She had been nominated for four BRIT Awards, including British Female Solo Artist, British Breakthrough Act, British Music for Spirit, and British Single for "Bleeding Love," but despite being the favorite to win the most awards, she was not nominated. "Bleeding Love" received two awards at the 2008 MOBO Awards: Best Album for Spirit and Best Video for "Bleeding Love." Lewis was named as the 'Top New Artist' by Billboard in December 2008.

In November 2009, Lewis' second album, Echo, was released around the world. Throughout 2009, Ryan Tedder, Justin Timberlake, Max Martin, Arnthor Birgisson, Kevin Rudolf, and John Shanks were among the many productions. It was born in Los Angeles and took nine months to produce. Lewis referred to the album as "more guitar-driven" than Spirit. On November 2, 2009, Lewis performed her first full UK show at the Hackney Empire in London, performing songs from Spirit and Echo. Echo ranked first in the UK Albums Chart and in the top ten of Austria, Ireland, and Switzerland. Despite Lewis' lawyers' recent attempts to prohibit the release of Best Kept Secret by UEG Music, arguing that the singer had not given her permission, the album was released in January 2009, though Lewis would receive a 50% share of the album's earnings. However, the Advertising Standards Authority had banned a television commercial for the album; instead, "We considered that the assertion that 'Leona Lewis's latest album' implying that it was the singer's new album" rather than a new collection of songs from years ago." The album was released on iTunes in standard and deluxe versions, as well as two EPs, "Private Party" and "Dip Down"/Joy," which were released in September 2009.

Lewis, Tedder, and Evan Bogart's "Happy" was the first Echo single to be released from Echo. Tedder, Tedder, and Lewis, Tedder wrote "Happy." The single was released on September 15, 2009, peaking at number two in the United Kingdom and reaching the top ten in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Japan, and Switzerland. Lewis also performed the theme song for James Cameron's 2009 science fiction film Avatar. James Horner and Simon Franglen wrote "I See You." At the 67th Golden Globe Awards, it was nominated for Best Original Song. In "My Hands," Lewis' album was included in the international version of the Square Enix video game Final Fantasy XIII, a second use of his album can be found. Lewis performed on "Everybody Hurts" in January 2010, a fabled newspaper that was released to help raise money for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake victims. In February 2010, Echo's second single, "I Got You," was released. In April 2010, she appeared on "Inastata (Unexpected)" from Italian singer Biagio Antonacci's album Inasttata. On the 22nd of October 2010, they appeared on the Italian television show Io Canto. On May 22, 2010, Lewis performed a 13-piece set list at the Rock in Rio festival in Lisbon, Portugal, which featured songs from Spirit and Echo.

Lewis signed a book deal in January 2009 in order to publish an illustrated autobiography in October 2009. The book, Dreams, features mainly photographs taken by photographer Dean Freeman. Lewis was assaulted by a 29-year-old man from south London who started punching her in the head at a book signing for Dreams on October 14, 2009. He was arrested on the scene and charged with common assault under the Mental Health Act 2007; the assassination suspect was traced under the Mental Health Act 2007 and was charged with common assault. He confessed to the offence and was hospitalized for a lengthy time.

In May 2010, Lewis' first tour, The Labyrinth Supporting Spirit and Echo, began in labyrinth. Lewis was supposed to tour North America from July to August 2010 for Christina Aguilera's Bionic Tour, but Aguilera cancelled the tour, leaving Lewis' itinerary unclear. On November 29, 2010, the tour's DVD as well as a ten-track CD was released with the tag The Labyrinth Tour Live from The O2 as a DVD.

Lewis began working on her third album, Glassheart, right after she had completed The Labyrinth tour. Despite being originally expected to be published on November 28, 2011 in the United Kingdom, it was later released in October 2012. Since RCA Music Group disbanded J Records, as well as Arista Records and Jive Records, the album was released on the RCA Records label. Lewis described Glassheart as "energetic, deep, [and] unique," and that the darker tone would be present. Tracy Chapman, Kate Bush, and Tears for Fears were among the album's main influences, according to the artist. Lewis worked with many writers and producers, including Ammo, Jonas Quant, Chuck Harmony, Ryan Tedder, Fraser T Smith, Al Shux, Rica Love, and Ne-Yo.

On September 4, 2011, and Germany on September 9, 2011, Lewis released "Collide," written by Autumn Rowe and produced by Sandy Vee in the United Kingdom and Germany. It debuted at number 4 on the official UK top 40 singles chart at number 4. In addition, "Collide" debuted at number one on the Dance Club Songs (Billboard) in the United States, with the Afrojack remix nominated for Best Remixed Recording at the 2012 Grammy Awards. Hurt: The EP, which also includes three covers, was released on December 9, 2011. Lewis went on to appear on X Factor's American version and as the featured performer at the 2011 Doha Film Festival, where she performed ten songs, many in cover versions. After being announced on May 25, 2011, she appeared at BBC Radio 1's Hackney Weekend 2012 as an ambassador for the event. It was the first free-ticketed live music show on the BBC. Lewis performed a special Live Lounge at the Hackney Empire, incorporating Rihanna's "Man Down" and a Labrinth cover, as a result of her announcement that she would be an ambassador. Lewis performed further cover versions and premiered the Glassheart song "Come Alive" at the Hackney Weekend.

Lewis Lewis revealed in August 2012 that the lead single from Glassheart would be "Trouble," which was announced on October 7, 2012. It ranked seventh in the UK Singles Chart. According to the album's debut, it ranked third in the United Kingdom and four in Ireland. In the absence of radio support, the second single, "Lovebird," failed to crack the top 200 in the UK. Lewis began in April 2013 and embarked on a 16-date tour in the United Kingdom.

Modestest, Lewis's manager, resigned in February 2013. Management. It was revealed that she would begin working on her fourth studio album, which would be released later this year. Lewis revealed in July 2013 that her latest studio album would be a "Motown-inspired" Christmas collection, with both classic covers and original content. "Christmas with Love" was released on December 2, 2013, and the lead single, "One More Sleep," was released on November 5th, 2013. Lewis appeared on the song on the semi-finals of the tenth series of The X Factor on December 8, 2013. On the same day, "One More Sleep" debuted on the UK Singles Chart with Christmas, with Love debuting at number 25 on the UK Albums Chart. Love, Number 13 came to number 13 this week, while "One More Sleep" climbed 31 positions to number three, making it Lewis' highest-charting single since 2009's "Happy." Lewis set a new record for a British female solo artist with the most top-five singles in the charts, bringing her total number to eight. Olivia Newton-John's count of seven top-five singles has surpassed hers.

Lewis appeared on Michael Bolton's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" album, which was released in May 2014. At the FA Cup Final, she performed "Abide with Me," the national anthem "God Save the Queen," and "La La La" with Naughty Boy in the same month.

Lewis had left Syco Music and signed a new record deal with Universal Music's Island Records UK in June 2014. Lewis later revealed that her resignation from Syco came after "several years" of preparation. She also stated that when she expressed her desire to join the brand, she was threatened with the public knowing she had been shot rather than participating amicably. Lewis, on the other hand, experienced more stylistic inconsistencies regarding her fifth studio album, prompting him to leave the brand. "I was asked to make a record that would not have been true to myself" after her departure, she said. By all means, I was delighted to have the opportunity to make another record in this period. However, I cannot make music that doesn't appeal to my soul, and as frightening as it was, I could no longer compromise myself, so I opted to leave."

Lewis performed "Fire Under My Feet" as the lead single from her fifth studio album in April 2015. On May 11, 2015, the song premiered on BBC Radio 2 in the United Kingdom. "I Am" and "Thunder" were among the album's second and third singles released in July; "Thunder" was the album's lead single in the United States. In the United Kingdom, the album I Am was released on September 11, 2015. Lewis' third headlining concert tour, the I Am Tour, which ran from February to March 2016, was announced on the day. During her set on the main stage of Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park on September 13, she performed songs from I Am. Lewis appeared as a special guest at Taylor Swift's The 1989 World Tour's Nashville concert on September 26, 2015, where the pair performed "Bleeding Love" as a pair. Swift took to Twitter after the show, saying, "Oh My God @leonalewis performed 'Bleeding Love' in Nashville tonight, and I may never recover." Lewis performed a cover of "Girl Crush" with Adam Lambert at the CMT Artists of the Year exhibition in December 2015. In 2016, the pair was nominated for a CMT Music Award nomination.

Lewis Lewis dropped from Island Records in June 2016 due to "something that didn't click." On the album Hans Zimmer's "Now We Are Free" she reimagined in December. With a appearance at the 40th Annual Kennedy Center Honors in December, she paid tribute to Lionel Richie. Lewis performed on "You Are the Reason" as a duet with Pitbull on "Amore," the lead single for the 2018 film Gotti, and with Hellberg on the song "Headlights." The RIAA's "You Are the Reason" topped the charts as the highest ranking in the United Kingdom and charted around the world and was later named gold by the BPI and platinum by the RIAA. Lewis appeared at the National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, D.C., and at the 92nd Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York in 2018. In an episode of NBC's 2019 television show Songland, she appeared as a musical guest and looked for emerging songwriters. Lewis wrote "Solo Quiero (Somebody to Love)", the show's winning song. She appeared at the Royal Albert Hall, London, on November 9, commemorating servicemen and veterans.

Lewis converted to acting during this period, appearing in a supporting role of Elena in the 1980s-inspired 2014 musical film Walking on Sunshine. Grizabella made her Broadway debut in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats' revival in July 2016. On October 9, 2016, she resigned after three months of playing the role. Amber Hall appeared in the recurring role of Amber Hall in Sony Crackle's television series The Oath, which premiered in February 2019. Lewis also appeared on the UK television show The X Factor: The Band.

Lewis appeared on "What The World Needs Now" in December 2020, alongside Smokey Robinson, Tori Kelly, and Sam Fischer on a front page, with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross. Lewis revealed in November and December 2021 that she would tour with Gary Barlow on his tour "All the Hits Live 2021" in arenas around the UK and Ireland. It was her first tour since the 2016 I Am Tour started in the United States.

Lewis appeared on a song named "Grow Old with Me" on songwriter Diane Warren's debut album in August 2021. Lewis revealed on October 28th, 2021, she would be a judge on the Lewis revealed that she would be a judge on the On October 28, 2021, she would be the first lady to be a judge on the Mel B. departed after the first season and was replaced by Mel B. Lewis performed "Kiss Me It's Christmas" on November 2021, a tribute to Ne-Yo. The album is based on the 2013 album Christmas, with Love, entitled Christmas, and Love Always, which was released on November 1921. Lewis was named Artist of the Month in December 2021 by Spotify Equal UK and Ireland. Lewis was a special guest on BBC One's I Can See Your Voice Christmas special last month. Lewis also appeared at the Royal Carols in Westminster Abbey as a whole family at the Christmas carol concert. The COVID-19 pandemic concert, hosted by Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, commemorated the heroes and volunteers.

Lewis received a nomination at the 2022 Music Week Awards in March 2022 for her Christmas, as well as the Love Always marketing campaign in 2021.

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