<\/p>\n
Three-time Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Samara Joy returns to Philadelphia next week for a special performance at the Miller Theater.<\/p>\n
Joy may be from New York City, but Philadelphia is her second home.<\/p>\n
“I’m excited to come back,” said Joy. “I’m going to soak up all of that love and all of that energy, and I’m going to pour it back out and share it with the entire audience.”<\/p>\n
Joy comes from a family of native Philadelphians, and her musical DNA traces back to our city, too.<\/p>\n
“The family roots run deep,” she said. “It comes from my grandfather, my grandmother, who had a group called The Savettes of Philadelphia, and they recorded in the 60s and 70s. From that, the whole family tree of music kind of grew.”<\/p>\n
The McLendon family goes on tour together. Last year, they performed for the holidays at Marian Anderson Hall.<\/p>\n
“We brought out my grandfather, Elder Goldwire McLendon, and there was not a dry eye in the house,” said Joy. “Everybody was so emotional.”<\/p>\n
Samara often duets with her dad, Antonio McLendon.<\/p>\n
She can’t remember a time she wasn’t singing.<\/p>\n
“Any opportunity that I had to share and to express myself and sing, I wanted to take advantage of it, because that’s just what I loved,” she said. “I feel connected to some artists my age, but obviously, I grew up on my parents’ music, a combination of Philly, soul and gospel.”<\/p>\n
Joy happens to be coming to Philly on a special day.<\/p>\n
“I will be celebrating my 26th birthday that day,” she said, “So, it’s going to be a special one.”<\/p>\n
That’s happening on November 11 at the Miller Theater.<\/p>\n