Alice Tan Ridley, the mom of Treasured and American Horror Story actor Gabourey Sidibe and a singer who carried out for a number of a long time in New York Metropolis subway stations, Harlem’s Cotton Membership and different venues earlier than discovering nationwide fame in her late 50s on America’s Obtained Expertise, died Tuesday, March 25, in New York.
Her loss of life was introduced by her household. A trigger was not said.
Born Alice Ann Ridley in what was then known as Charles Junction (now Lumpkin), Georgia, on December 21, 1952, Ridley, known as Tan by household and pals, was the seventh of eight youngsters, and in 1971 moved to New York to show special-needs youngsters. For years she sang with members of the family, together with brother Melton Lee Ridley Jr., however solely turned her focus to a music profession in 1992 when she started busking within the subways, singing full time within the Union Sq., thirty fourth Road and Instances Sq. stations.
Performing favorites akin to “I Will At all times Love You,” “I Will Survive,” “My Coronary heart Will Go On,” and others, Ridley’s highly effective vocals turned a neighborhood sensation that reached wider audiences through YouTube movies. She was featured in a 2010 New York Publish article, and that very same 12 months auditioned for NBC’s America’s Obtained Expertise with a raise-the-roof efficiency of the Etta James basic “At Final.”
Whereas her ATG Season 5 efficiency – she made it to the semifinals – was maybe her most impactful profession second, Ridley had a number of brushes with nationwide fame years earlier than. In 2002, she was the winner on the primary episode of Fox’s short-lived 30 Seconds to Fame, taking dwelling the prize of $25,000. Three years later was a contestant on Showtime on the Apollo and her music was featured in David LaChapelle’s documentary Rize in addition to the function movie Heights.
Six years after her ATG efficiency, Ridley, at age 63, Ridley launched her debut studio CD By no means Misplaced My Method. She continued to carry out in venues world wide till she retired in 2018 as a consequence of well being points.
Along with daughter Gabourey Sidibe and son Ahmed Sidibe – each from her marriage to Ibnou Sidibe, which led to divorce – survivors embrace brothers James D. “Jimmy” Ridley and Tommy Lee “Tom-Tom” Cherry; sisters Julia Van Mater-Miller and Mildred Ridley Dent; two grandchildren and different prolonged household.
