Andra Day
| Andra Day | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Cassandra Monique Batie |
| Also known as | Andra Day |
| Born |
December 30, 1984 San Diego, California, United States |
| Origin | Spokane, Washington, United States |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Labels |
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| Website | Official website |
Cassandra Monique "Andra" Batie (born December 30, 1984), known professionally as Andra Day, is an American singer and songwriter from San Diego, California who is currently signed to Warner Bros. Records. Her debut album, Cheers to the Fall, was released in 2015 and peaked at number 48 on the US Billboard 200 chart. The album was nominated for Best R&B Album and the album's main single, "Rise Up", was nominated for Best R&B Performance at the 2016 Grammy Awards. Day also notably appeared alongside Stevie Wonder, who is partially credited for her discovery, in an ad for Apple TV in late 2015. Her Cheers to the Fall Tour began in November 2016.
Day was born in Spokane, Washington on December 30, 1984, but moved to Southern California at age 3. She grew up in and around San Diego, California with her family and began singing at a young age at the First United Methodist Church in Chula Vista, California. Day also began taking dance lessons at age 5 (a discipline she continued into her 20s). She attended Valencia Park Elementary School which she credits with fostering her interest in performing arts. At age 12, Day was introduced to the sounds of prominent jazz vocalists like Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dinah Washington, all of whom she counts as early influences on her sound. Day attended the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts where she graduated in 2003.
After high school, Day worked about 20 different jobs including one as a children's entertainer. In 2010, Stevie Wonder's then wife, Kai Millard, noticed Day performing at a strip mall and brought her to the attention of her husband. Day received a call from Wonder himself soon after. No immediate partnership was formed, but the two reconnected around a year later. Wonder introduced Day to producer Adrian Gurvitz at that time. Gurvitz would eventually collaborate on Day's debut album a few years later.
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