Andra Day

Bornin Edmonds, Washington, Cassandra Monique Batie, known professionally as Andra Day, is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter and actress. She grew up in Southeast San Diego, California. She began singing in church at a young age. At age 5, Day began taking dance lessons. After high school, Day worked at several different jobs. In 2010, Stevie Wonder's then-wife, Kai Millard, noticed Day performing at a strip mall leading to a call from Wonder himself soon after. Day was signed in 2011 to a development deal with Buskin Records. Day performed at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival where she caught the eye of director Spike Lee. He volunteered to direct the video for her single, "Forever Mine." Day has also performed at the 2015 BET Awards, the closing ceremonies of the 2015 Special Olympics and the Essence Music Festival. She has also appeared on several television shows. Day's first studio album, "Cheers to the Fall," was released on August 28, 2015. Her first national tour took place in August and September 2015. In October 2015, she sang "Rise Up" at The White House and again performed the song for A&E's live special, "Shining a Light: A Concert for Progress on Race in America." In December 2016, Day received the Powerhouse Award at the Billboard Women in Music event. Day performed with the Baltimore Children's Choir for the opening musical performance at the March for Our Lives rally in Washington, D.C., on March 24, 2018. In 2022, it was announced that Andra Day will be starring in the Lee Daniels' horror/thriller "The Deliverance."