Heather Headley (born October 5, 1974) is a Grammy nominated R&B singer from Trinidad and Tobago. She began playing the music of her native country at a young age, including calypso, reggae and soca. She moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana in the United States at age 15 when her father was offered a job there as pastor of McKee Street Church of God (Anderson, IN). After graduating from Northrop High School, she attended Northwestern University to study communications and musical theatre. In 1997, she played Nala in The Lion King on Broadway. Headley's performance was well-received and she then originated the title role in the Broadway adaptation of Aida, earning herself a Tony Award in 1999. She recorded her first solo studio album, This Is Who I Am, in 2001 for RCA Records. Although its first single, "He Is", wasn't a major hit, the follow-up, "I Wish I Wasn't", achieved more success and earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, along with a Best New Artist nomination.
On September 6, 2003 Heather Headley married Brian Musso, formerly of the New York Jets. Her second album, In My Mind, was delayed due to the various executive shake-ups associated with RCA parent BMG's merger with Sony, and Headley joked that it should have been called Caught Up instead. Under BMG North America chairman/CEO Clive Davis for the first time, Headley released the album in January 2006, with the title track, produced by India.Arie collaborator Shannon Sanders, becoming the lead single, with a video by Diane Martel.
