Biography
Who is Heather Headley?
Early life and education
Heather Headley was born in Barataria, Trinidad and Tobago. She moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1989 when she was fifteen. Her mother, Hannah, and her brother, Eric Junior, accompanied her during this move. This transition occurred after her father, Eric, accepted a position as a pastor for the McKee Street Church of God in Anderson, Indiana.
During her time at Northrop High School, Heather participated in the resident show choir named Charisma. She also took the lead role of Fanny Brice in a school production of Funny Girl. Following high school graduation in 1993, she enrolled at Northwestern University to study musical theatre. She attended the Northwestern University School of Communication until the end of her junior year when she left to join the musical Ragtime.
Stage and musical career
Heather's professional stage work began in 1996 with the Toronto production of Ragtime. She served as an ensemble member and an understudy for the role of Sarah. Her major breakthrough occurred when she originated the part of Nala in the Broadway production of The Lion King. Later, she played the lead role in the Broadway version of Aida, which earned her a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2000.
In 2012, she performed as Rachel Marron in the musical adaptation of The Bodyguard at the Adelphi Theatre in London. This role led to nominations for both a What's On Stage Award and an Olivier Award. She also appeared in a Broadway revival of The Color Purple as Shug Avery in 2016. In 2022, she played the Witch in an Encores! Production of Into the Woods alongside Sara Bareilles and Neil Patrick Harris.
Recording success and television
As a recording artist, Heather released her first album, This Is Who I Am, in October 2002 via RCA Records. Her second studio album, In My Mind, arrived in January 2006. The title track from that album became a number-one hit on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. In 2010, she won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album for her work on Audience of One.
Her television credits include a recurring role as Gwen Garrett on the NBC medical drama Chicago Med starting in 2018. She also stars in the Netflix series Sweet Magnolias, which premiered in 2020. In 2021, she portrayed the gospel singer Clara Ward in the film Respect. She also provided voice work for the character Fikiri in the series The Lion Guard.
Family and personal life
Heather married Brian Musso in 2003, a former New York Jets player who also studied at Northwestern University. The couple has three children together. They welcomed their first son, John David, in December 2009. Their second son, Jordan Chase, was born in August 2014. In April 2019, the family welcomed a daughter.
Birthday and age
Heather Headley was born on October 5, 1974, which makes Heather 52 years old today. That birthday falls under the Libra sign. Heather shares the date with 56 other famous people.
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