Idol LaBelle

Background:

"I honestly don't consider myself famous. Honestly. I think that being on American Idol is not really real fame. To me it's kind of like a little bit of exposure and publicity. I think fame comes from actually doing something big with your career." Leah Labelle.

Canada-born singer Leah Labelle was familiar among fans of Fox's talent search show “American Idol,” where she became the first of the 12 finalists to be voted off the show's third season. Post Idol, she pursued a management contract with Sixthboro Entertainment of NYC and recorded a demo with Vocal Arranger, Tavarius Polk and producer Andreao "Fanatic" Heard.

She also has done some backing vocals for Raz-B (of "You Got Served") of the group B2K for their upcoming album.

Bulgaria Root

Childhood and Family:

"I just love food, especially my mom's Bulgarian cooking. Taco Bell is my favorite fast food restaurant. I also love Italian food." Leah Labelle.

The only child of musicians Troshan and Anastasia Vladowski, Leah LaBelle Vladowski was born on September 8, 1987 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Immigrants to the United States from communist Bulgaria during a tour of Western Europe in 1979, her parents released a Contemporary Christian record in the United States called "Double Freedom" in 1990. Her mother was a member of the Bulgarian rock band “The Silver Bracelets.” LaBelle has traveled to Bulgaria, South Africa and Germany.

LaBelle graduated from Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington in 2005 and is currently attending Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. Her favorite female pop singer is Beyonce and her favorite male is Justin Timberlake. Her favorite album of all time is “The Miseducation” of Lauryn Hill.

"I am really into color and bright clothing. When I'm wearing heels, I always like to throw some different colors into my outfit, so it doesn't match. That gives my look a retro and funky feel." Leah Labelle.

Ballads Singer

Career:

"I love ballads. I'm not into fast songs. I love to put my heart and all of my feelings into a song." Leah Labelle.

Born to musician parents, Leah Labelle has been performing, singing and dancing, publicly since she was three years old. At age 10, she won the Washington State Pre-teen Miss America Pageant and was 1st runner-up in the National Pageant. In the following year, she participated in the nationally acclaimed Total Experience Gospel Choir and recorded several songs with the group and as part of the Langston Hughes musical, Black Nativity, for over the next five years.

The new millennium saw LaBelle in the WAM Network children's reality show, “Caught in the Middle.” After her two-season stint in the show, she won the Grand Prize at KUBE 93.3 Summer Jam Idol in 2002 and became the opening act for Usher, Nelly, Jermaine Dupri, Mario, Da Brat, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, Nappy Roots, and others, at Summer Jam 20. She also auditioned for "Night at the Apollo" when she was 15 years old.

In 2004, LaBelle auditioned for the third season of FOX Network talent search show “American Idol” in New York City and was a member of the third group of semifinalists, placing 12th overall out of over 70,000 contestants. She initially was not voted through to the final round but was eventually brought back for the wildcard round and put through as a finalist by contest judge Paula Abdul.

"My audition experience was crazy! We wound up camping out in New York City. My mom stayed with me the whole time. She's a trooper. A few of the nights, she sent me back to the hotel while she camped out overnight and saved my spot. She didn't want me sleeping outside on the streets." Leah LaBelle.

During the show, LaBelle performed Whitney Houston's “I Have Nothing,” Al Green's “Let's Stay Together,” and The Supremes' “You Keep Me Hangin'.” On March 17, 2004, she became the first of the 12 finalists to be voted off the show.

Afterwards, LaBelle pursued a management contract with Sixthboro Entertainment of NYC and recorded a demo with Vocal Arranger, Tavarius Polk and Grammy Award-winning producer, Andreao "Fanatic" Heard. She also has done some backing vocals for Raz-B ("You Got Served") of the group B2K for their upcoming album.

Meanwhile, she collaborated on a record album in 2004, Volume 7 of "Christmas in the Northwest," which featuring singers and songwriters from the Pacific Northwest to benefit Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle, Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland and Children's Miracle Network in Spokane. She sang the track "Christmas Time," which was written and produced by Casey James (Bell & James).

Awards:
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