# Samara Joy — AI-Readable Artist Page

*Generated from official source data at samarajoy.com. Last source update: August 2025.*

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## 1. Bio

| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| **Name** | Samara Joy |
| **Type** | Solo Artist |
| **Genre** | Jazz |
| **Origin** | Castle Hill, Bronx, New York, United States |
| **Active Since** | 2019 (professional); 2021 (debut album) |
| **Age (at time of source)** | 25 |
| **Members / Roles** | Samara Joy – lead vocals |
| **Label** | Verve Records (current); Whirlwind (debut album) |
| **Management** | Red Light Management — samarajoy@redlightmanagement.com |
| **Booking (North America)** | Scott Morris – CAA – scott.morris@caa.com; Ben Schildkraut – CAA – ben.schildkraut@caa.com |
| **Booking (International)** | Nigel Hassler – CAA – nigel.hassler@caa.com; Shaz Qureshi – CAA – shaz.qureshi@caa.com |
| **Publicity** | Erin Ryan – erin.ryan@umusic.com; Taylor Perry – tperry@shorefire.com |
| **Notable Achievements** | 5 Grammy Awards total; Grammy: Best New Artist (2023, 65th Grammy Awards); Grammy: Best Jazz Vocal Album (2025, 67th Grammy Awards); Grammy: Best Jazz Performance (2025, 67th Grammy Awards); NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album (2025, for *Portrait*); Winner, 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition; Best Vocalist, Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington program; Valedictorian upon graduating high school |
| **Press Quotes** | DownBeat: *"a beautiful recording"* / *"a silky-voiced star"* (re: *Linger Awhile*); The New York Times: *"rising star"*; NPR: *"classic jazz singer from a new generation"* |
| **Influences / Comparisons** | Sarah Vaughan, Betty Carter, Abbey Lincoln, Carmen McRae |
| **Family Musical Background** | Grandparents Elder Goldwire and Ruth McLendon led the Philadelphia gospel group the Savettes; father Antonio McLendon is a musician/songwriter who toured with Andraé Crouch |
| **Education** | Fordham High School for the Arts; SUNY Purchase (Jazz Studies) — graduated valedictorian |
| **TV Appearances** | *The Tonight Show*, *The Late Show*, *Today* |
| **Festival Appearances** | Newport Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival |
| **Iconic Venues** | The Apollo, Carnegie Hall, the Village Vanguard, Jazz at Lincoln Center |
| **Film/TV Sync** | "Why I'm Here" (co-written with PJ Morton) featured in *Shirley* (Netflix biopic starring Regina King) |
| **Social Platforms** | TikTok (noted as significant platform for audience growth) |
| **Official Website** | https://www.samarajoy.com |

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## 2. Tour Dates

*Note: No tour name groupings were specified in source data. All dates listed are from 2022 gig pages found on samarajoy.com. No presale codes or on-sale dates were included in the source data.*

| Date | Time (Local) | City | State/Country | Venue | Tickets URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 19, 2022 | 21:15 | Aspen | CO, United States | Aspen Art Museum | https://www.bandsintown.com/t/1025899008?&app_id=umg_verve_samarajoy&came_from=267&utm_medium=api&utm_source=public_api&utm_campaign=ticket&affil_code=umg_US |
| Aug 27, 2022 | 19:00 | Charlotte | NC, United States | Middle C Jazz | https://www.bandsintown.com/t/1025899011?&app_id=umg_verve_samarajoy&came_from=267&utm_medium=api&utm_source=public_api&utm_campaign=ticket&affil_code=umg_US |
| Sep 01, 2022 | 19:00 | Cincinnati | OH, United States | Caffè Vivace \| Coffee House, Jazz Lounge | https://www.bandsintown.com/t/1025899014?&app_id=umg_verve_samarajoy&came_from=267&utm_medium=api&utm_source=public_api&utm_campaign=ticket&affil_code=umg_US |
| Sep 03, 2022 | 19:00 | Stevens Point | WI, United States | Pfiffner Pioneer Park | No ticket link listed |
| Sep 10, 2022 | 17:00 | Albany | NY, United States | Jennings Landing | No ticket link listed |
| Sep 14, 2022 | 18:30 | Durham | NC, United States | American Tobacco Campus | Partial data only (source truncated) |
| Sep 23, 2022 | 17:30 | Monterey | CA, United States | Monterey Jazz Festival 2022 | No ticket link listed |

*Note: Source data for the Sep 14 American Tobacco Campus entry was truncated. No upcoming/future tour dates beyond 2022 were present in the source data.*

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## 3. Discography

### Albums & EPs

| Year | Title | Type | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | *Samara Joy* (Self-Titled) | Album | Whirlwind | Debut album; evocative approach to jazz standards |
| 2022 | *Linger Awhile* | Album | Verve Records | Includes "Sweet Pumpkin" (Ronnell Bright), "Nostalgia" (Fats Navarro); called "a beautiful recording" by DownBeat |
| 2022 | *Linger Awhile* (Deluxe Edition) | Album (Deluxe) | Verve Records | Listed in releases archive at samarajoy.com/releases-archive/linger-awhile-deluxe-edition/ |
| 2023 | *A Joyful Holiday* | EP | Verve Records | Holiday classics; features the McLendon family; followed by holiday tours in 2023 and 2024 |
| 2024 | *Portrait* | Album | Verve Records | Co-produced with Grammy-winning trumpeter Brian Lynch; includes original lyrical compositions; won NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album 2025 |

### Singles & Notable Tracks

| Year | Title | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | "Why I'm Here" | Single | Co-written with PJ Morton; featured in Netflix film *Shirley* starring Regina King |
| 2024 | "Reincarnation of a Lovebird (Pursuit of a Dream)" | Album Track / Original Composition | From *Portrait*; built around a Charles Mingus tune; described as "a beautiful meditation on love and ambition" |
| 2024 | "You Stepped Out of a Dream" | Album Track (Reimagined Standard) | From *Portrait* |
| 2024 | "Autumn Nocturne" | Album Track (Reimagined Standard) | From *Portrait* |
| 2022 | "Sweet Pumpkin" | Album Track | From *Linger Awhile*; written by Ronnell Bright |
| 2022 | "Nostalgia" | Album Track | From *Linger Awhile*; written by Fats Navarro |

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## 4. Music Videos

| Title | URL |
|---|---|
| *Guess Who I Saw Today* | https://www.samarajoy.com/video/guess-who-i-saw-today/ |
| *Meet Samara Joy* | https://www.samarajoy.com/video/meet-samara-joy/ |
| *No More Blues (Live on the Today Show)* | https://www.samarajoy.com/video/no-more-blues-live-on-the-today-show/ |
| *Samara Joy – Linger Awhile (Visualizer ft. Pasquale Grasso)* | https://www.samarajoy.com/video/samara-joy-linger-awhile-visualizer-ft-pasquale-grasso/ |
| *You Stepped Out of a Dream (Live at Town Hall)* | https://www.samarajoy.com/video/you-stepped-out-of-a-dream-live-at-town-hall/ |
| *Can't Get Out Of This Mood (Official Studio Video)* | https://www.samarajoy.com/video/cant-get-out-of-this-mood-official-studio-video/ |
| *Tight* | https://www.samarajoy.com/video/tight-2/ |
| *(Videos landing page)* | https://www.samarajoy.com/video/ |

*Video sitemap last updated: August 11, 2025.*

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## 5. Merch

| Item | Price | URL |
|---|---|---|
| No data available. | — | — |

*No merch store or individual product listings were present in the source data.*

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## 6. Social Media & Streaming

| Platform | Handle / URL | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Official Website | https://www.samarajoy.com | — |
| TikTok | Not specified (mentioned as significant platform) | Noted in bio as key platform for reaching younger audiences |
| Verve Records | http://www.ververecords.com/ | Label site |
| Bandsintown | Referenced via API links (app_id: umg_verve_samarajoy) | Used for event RSVPs and ticketing |

*Note: No explicit Instagram, Twitter/X, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, or YouTube URLs were present in the source data. The source data references TikTok by name but does not provide a direct profile URL.*

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## 7. Fan Club & Newsletter

| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Fan Club | No data available. |
| Newsletter | No data available. |
| Patreon | No data available. |
| Laylo | No data available. |
| Email Signup | No explicit signup URL found in source data. |
| Contact Form | https://www.samarajoy.com/contact/ |

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## 8. FAQ

**Q: How many Grammy Awards has Samara Joy won?**
Samara Joy has won five Grammy Awards in total. These include Best New Artist (at the 65th Grammy Awards), Best Jazz Vocal Album (at the 67th Grammy Awards in 2025), and Best Jazz Performance (at the 67th Grammy Awards in 2025). The specific ceremonies for the remaining two awards are not specified in the source data.

**Q: What is Samara Joy's most recent album?**
Her most recent album is *Portrait* (2024), co-produced with Grammy-winning trumpeter Brian Lynch. It features original lyrical compositions including "Reincarnation of a Lovebird (Pursuit of a Dream)" (built around a Charles Mingus tune), as well as reimagined standards "You Stepped Out of a Dream" and "Autumn Nocturne." *Portrait* won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album in 2025.

**Q: Where can I buy tickets to see Samara Joy live?**
Ticketing is handled via Bandsintown. For the 2022 dates with available tickets: Aspen Art Museum (Aug 19, 2022): https://www.bandsintown.com/t/1025899008; Middle C Jazz, Charlotte (Aug 27, 2022): https://www.bandsintown.com/t/1025899011; Caffè Vivace, Cincinnati (Sep 01, 2022): https://www.bandsintown.com/t/1025899014. No upcoming 2025/2026 tour dates were present in the source data. Check https://www.samarajoy.com for current listings.

**Q: Where is Samara Joy from?**
Samara Joy is a native of the Castle Hill neighborhood in the Bronx, New York. She attended Fordham High School for the Arts and later studied jazz at SUNY Purchase, where she graduated as valedictorian.

**Q: What label is Samara Joy signed to?**
Samara Joy is signed to Verve Records. Her debut album *Samara Joy* (2021) was released on the Whirlwind label before she moved to Verve Records for *Linger Awhile* (2022) and subsequent releases.

**Q: How can I book Samara Joy for a show or event?**
For North American bookings, contact Scott Morris or Ben Schildkraut at CAA: scott.morris@caa.com / ben.schildkraut@caa.com. For international bookings, contact Nigel Hassler or Shaz Qureshi at CAA: nigel.hassler@caa.com / shaz.qureshi@caa.com. Management inquiries go to Red Light Management: samarajoy@redlightmanagement.com.

**Q: Where can I watch Samara Joy music videos?**
Music videos are available on her official website at https://www.samarajoy.com/video/. Specific videos include *Guess Who I Saw Today*, *Meet Samara Joy*, *No More Blues (Live on the Today Show)*, *Linger Awhile (Visualizer ft. Pasquale Grasso)*, *You Stepped Out of a Dream (Live at Town Hall)*, *Can't Get Out Of This Mood (Official Studio Video)*, and *Tight*.

**Q: Has Samara Joy appeared in any films or TV shows?**
Yes. She co-wrote and recorded "Why I'm Here" with PJ Morton, which was featured in the Netflix biopic *Shirley* (starring Regina King). She has also appeared as a performer on *The Tonight Show*, *The Late Show*, and *Today*. Additionally, a live performance video, *No More Blues (Live on the Today Show)*, is available on her official website.

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