Samara Joy is an American jazz singer. In 2021, she made her debut through a self-titled album and, by JazzTimes, was subsequently named Best New Artist. Her second album, Linger Awhile, was released in September 2022; at the 2023 Grammy Awards won the Best Jazz Vocal Album award; additionally, Samara was named Best New Artist.
Samara Joy Early Life:
| Full Real Name | Samara Joy McLendon |
| Family Name | McLendon |
| Profession | Jazz singer |
| Date Of Birth | November 11th, 1999 |
| Age | 23 years old |
| Birthday | November 11th |
| Year Of Birth | 1999 |
| Nick Name | Samara |
| Current Residence | New York City |
| Country | USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Mixed |
| Religion | Christianity |
Samara was born on 11th November 1999, in the Castle Hill neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City, into a musical family.
Samara Joy Family Background:
| Father | Antonio McLendon |
| Mother | N/A |
| Brothers | N/A |
| Sisters | N/A |
| Grandfather | Ruth McLendon |
| Grandmother | Elder Goldwire |
Samara’s father, Antonio McLendon, is a bass player who has toured with a gospel musician named Andraé Crouch. He was the one to introduce her to gospels like The Clark Sisters and soul and Motown music.
Her paternal grandparents are Elder Goldwire and Ruth McLendon, the founders of the Philadelphia gospel group named The Savettes.
Samara’s mother and siblings’ details are still unavailable in the media.
Samara Joy Education:
| Highest Qualification | Graduation |
| College | SUNY\’s Purchase College |
| High School | Fordham High School for the Arts |
Samara attended Fordham High School for the Arts and performed with her jazz band. During high school, she won Best Vocalist Essentially, the Ellington festival, a high school competition hosted by Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Later, she attended Samara SUNY’s Purchase College. She 1st encountered jazz in a meaningful way after being a part of a jazz program as a voice major during her college days. Further, Samara was named an Ella Fitzgerald Scholar, and her friends introduced her to great jazz vocalists and instrumentalists, like Sarah Vaughan, Fitzgerald, Kenny Washington, Jon Faddis, and Ingrid Jensen.
In 2019, Samara McLendon won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. In 2021, she graduated magna cum laude.
Samara Joy Physical stats:
| Weight In Kg | 55 kg |
| Height In Feet | 5 feet 6 inches |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Dark brown |
Samara stands 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs around 55 kg. She has curly black hair, attractive dark brown eyes, and an amazing smile, enhancing her facial features. Further, she has a bold and confident appearance personality.
Samara Joy Birth Signs:
| Sun Sign | Scorpio |
| Star Sign | Scorpio |
| Birth Sign Duality | Passive |
| Birth Sign Modality | Fixed |
According to Samara’s birthdate, she falls under the zodiac Scorpio. Currently, she is 23 years old. Further, her birth flower and birth element are geranium and water.
Samara Joy Net worth:
| Net Worth | $1 million to $2 million |
Samara’s estimated networth should be between $1 million to $2 million. Her primary source of income comes from her singing career. To date, she has given many hits to the industry and has earned awards and titles.
Samara Joy Relationship Status:
| Marital Status | single |
Samara is currently single and unmarried. Any record of her past is unavailable.
Samara Joy Career:
While Samara was still in college, she worked with producer and eventual manager Matt Pierson, where she recorded her self-titled debut album. On 9th July 2021, she released the album on Whirlwind Recordings. Jazz Times named Samara as the Best New Artist for 2021. Additionally, in February 2021, she was featured in Women of Color on Broadway, Inc.’s “Summertime” music video from Porgy and Bess.
Further, Samara released several viral video performances, including one viewed millions of times. As of November 2022, these videos gained 200,000 followers on TikTok. After success, she toured Europe, which included a series of sold-out concerts in Italy and Austria. She toured the US and Europe in 2021 and 2022; her bookings included festivals like the 2022 Monterey Jazz Festival, Winter Jazzfest, Lincoln Center Summer For The City’s Jazz Underground series, etc. On 15th February 2022, Samara performed on Today with guitarist Pasquale Grasso. In September 2022, she performed again.
Further, Samara was featured at Carnegie Hall’s 16th Annual Notable Occasion on 15th June 2022. She also appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival and was featured on jazz pianist Julius Rodriguez’s 2022 album Let Sound Tell All.
On 16th September 2022, Samara released her 2nd album, Linger Awhile, on Verve Records. The album features drummer Kenny Washington, pianist Ben Paterson, guitarist Pasquale Grasso, and bassist David Wong. Her winter 2022 Big Band Holidays tour included singing with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
In 2023, at the Grammy Awards, Samara was nominated and won 2 awards; Best Jazz Vocal Album for Linger Awhile and Best New Artist, making her the 2nd jazz singer to win the award after Esperanza Spalding in 2011.
Samara Joy Social Appearance:
Samara has an active Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook profile, with around 275K, 290K, and 64K followers, respectively. Further, on her YouTube channel, Samara has 54K subscribers.
Summary!
Samara Joy is a rising name in the music industry. With her debut and following album, she has already set a competition with other jazz singers. We wish her all the best for her upcoming projects.
