Why did Heather Headley stop singing? Her Age, Husband, Career

 

Who is Heather Headley?

A singer, actress, and songwriter known for her remarkable contributions to the music and theater industries, Heather Headley started her career in music and released several albums, including the critically acclaimed entitled “This Is Who I Am” in 2002 and “In My Mind” in 2006. She has also won a Grammy Award for her work in the music industry.

In addition to her music career, Heather has starred in various Broadway productions, including “Aida”, for which she won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2000. She has also appeared in other stage productions, such as “The Lion King” and “The Color Purple”.

Let us tell you more about her life, her career, and if she did stop singing, what was the reason for that?

Early life, family, and education

Born under the zodiac sign of Libra on 5 October 1974, Heather will soon celebrate her 49^th birthday. A native of Barataria, Trinidad, West Indies, she holds both Trinidadian and American citizenship. Her father, Eric Headley, a pastor, and her mother, Hannah, were offered a job in Fort Wayne, Indiana USA, and moved there when Heather was 13 years old.

Heather discovered her love for music and acting at an early age, and began performing in musicals while she was in high school. Speaking of her educational background, Heather attended Northrop High School, and upon matriculating in 1992, enrolled at Northwestern University, where she studied musical theatre. However, on the last day of her junior year, she made a decision to drop out of college and join the crew of the musical “Ragtime”.

Acting career

It was back in 1996 when Heather made her stage debut as Sarah in the original Toronto production of “Ragtime”, however, her breakthrough came the following year, when she played Nala, the lioness in the Broadway musical “The Lion King”. As mentioned, in 2000, she landed the lead role in the play “Aida”, a Broadway musical also known as ‘Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida’, based on the opera by Antonio Ghislanzoni with music by Giuseppe Verdi. Her performance brought her considerable praise and a Tony Award.

In 2004, Heather made her first movie appearance as Rosa Negra in the romantic drama “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights”, starring Diego Luna, Romola Garai and Sela Ward. She continued performing on the Broadway stage, and in theaters around the world. One of her notable works was her portrayal of Rachel Marron in the musical adaptation of the movie “The Bodyguard”, at Adelphi Theatre, in London, England, which earned Heather a nomination for the Olivier Award, in 2013.

Heather Headley

— The Color Purple, Dreamgirls, Aida, The Lion King (and more) pic.twitter.com/dQbzVfCuH6

— best of broadway (@broadwaytalents) September 15, 2016

Three years later, Heather played Shug Avery in the Broadway revival of “The Color Purple”, a play based on the novel of the same title by Alice Walker, which won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical in 2016.

Heather made her first TV series appearance playing Doctor Clara Jamison in the comedy-drama “She’s Gotta Have It”, and was seen in several episodes during 2018 and 2019. She followed with her role as Gwen Garrett in the series “Chicago Med”, in which she made an appearance in 14 episodes between 2018 and 2021.

Concurrently, she landed her most notable and first lead TV series role, as Helen Decatur in the romantic drama “Sweet Magnolias”, which follows the story of three South Carolina women who are best friends since high school, and who guide one another through the complexities of family, romance and career.

Heather and her co-stars, Brooke Elliot and JoAnna Garcia Swisher, captured the hearts of the audience, showing how the power of friendship can guide us through difficult times. Fun fact: Heather actually sang in a memorable karaoke scene, and fans were thrilled with her voice. The show began airing in 2020, and the third season ended in July 2023. There have been some rumors that the series could be renewed for season four.

Worth mentioning, when it comes to Heather’s movie roles that she portrayed the legendary gospel singer, Clara Ward, in the 2021 biographic drama “Respect”, about the life and career of the iconic international music star, Aretha Franklin.

Music career

Heather’s debut album, “This Is Who I Am” released in October 2002, earned her a nomination for the Grammy Award – Best New Artist, while the single “I Wish I Wasn’t” from this album achieved moderate success, and brought her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

In January 2006, she released her second album, “In My Mind”, which showcased her powerful vocals and songwriting skills. The album included the tracks “In My Mind” and “I Didn’t Mean to”.

Throughout her music career, Heather Headley has received numerous awards and nominations for her vocal talent and contributions to the industry. In 2010, her third album, “Audience of One”, earned her the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album.

Heather performed alongside many great performers, including the Italian tenor, Andrea Bocelli.

She released her latest album, “Only One in the World”, in September 2012, and many assumed that she’d stopped singing. However, the truth is that she regularly performs with Vertical Church Band, a contemporary Christian and worship band (part of the Harvest Bible Chapel) from Chicago, Illinois.

Husband and children

Regarding her personal life, since 6 September 2003, Heather has been married to Brian Musso, her long-term boyfriend whom she met at Northwestern University. Brian is an investment advisor, and when he was younger, he briefly played American Football for the New York Jets. He prefers to keep his life away from the public eye, thus little is known about him.

Heather and Brian have three children together – their first son, John David, was born on 1 December 2009, and the second one, Jordan Chase on 18 August 2014. The youngest, a daughter, whose name hasn’t been disclosed, was born in April 2019.

As of September 2023, the family of five lives in their suburban Chicago home.

How rich is Heather Headley?

Thanks to her hard work and talent, this renowned singer and actress has earned a good living for herself. If you have wondered how rich Heather Headley is, according to sources, her net worth as of September 2023, has been estimated at over $2 million.