Alice Tan Ridley, 'America's Got Talent' singer and Gabourey Sidibe's mother, dies

Alice Tan Ridley, a vocalist who shared her almighty vocals connected the New York City subway earlier performing connected “America’s Got Talent” and the parent of Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe, has died.

Ridley died March 25 successful New York City, her household announced successful an obituary published connected the Sconiers Funeral Home website. A origin of decease was not revealed. She was 72.

The obituary described Ridley, known among loved ones arsenic “Tan,” arsenic a “pillar of the New York City singing circuit.” Singing was Ridley’s “God-given” endowment and she shared it passim the metropolis with performances astatine galore subway stations, chiefly astatine Herald Square, the obituary said. She was besides a paid vocalist astatine the celebrated Cotton Club of Harlem.

Ridley, a erstwhile teacher, was champion known for her clip connected the 5th play of “America’s Got Talent.” As girl Gabourey received awards-season emotion for her moving show successful “Precious,” Ridley appeared connected “AGT” astatine property 57 successful pursuit of her ain dreams. She wowed audiences and judges Sharon Osbourne, Howie Mandel and Piers Morgan with her soulful rendition of Etta James’ “At Last.” The trio of judges unanimously agreed to determination Ridley forward, and passim the contention she continued to showcase her vocal abilities by performing hits by Creedence Clearwater Revival and Gladys Knight.

To Osbourne, Ridley was a “natural performer” with a “powerhouse of a voice.” Ridley’s “America’s Got Talent” travel ended astatine the semifinals aft she performed her rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing.”

While “America’s Got Talent” was the astir fashionable level for Ridley, it wasn’t her lone one. After her “AGT” elimination, Ridley continued to bring her euphony to assorted stages including New York’s Highline Ballroom and the daytime abstraction with an quality connected Harry Connick Jr.’s speech amusement “Harry.”

“I emotion to sing but, you know, I saw a request successful the subway stations due to the fact that radical are sometimes bittersweet astir their jobs, astir their time oregon immoderate and they person a frown connected their face,” she told the entertainer successful 2017. “I similar to crook that frown into a smile.”

After “AGT,” Ridley besides released her debut medium “Never Lost My Way” successful 2016. Ridley was besides a contestant connected “Showtime astatine the Apollo,” appeared successful the 2005 documentary “Rize” and the TV endowment amusement “30 Seconds to Fame,” according to the obituary.

Ridley, calved Dec. 21, 1952, successful Lumpkin, Ga., was the 2nd youngest of 8 children to parents Melton Lee Ridley and Lessie B. Ridley. Her sister was activistic Dorothy Pitman Hughes, who died successful December 2022.

The vocalist graduated from Stewart County High School successful 1969 and pursued education, yet receiving her teaching license. She joined Ibnou Sidibe successful 1980 and they stock 2 children: Gabourey and lad Ahmed Sidibe. The “Empire” histrion said successful 2017 that her parents separated aboriginal successful her puerility aft it was revealed her begetter had a 2nd family. Despite this, the ex-spouses remained cordial, the obituary said.

In summation to her children, Ridley is survived by brothers James D. “Jimmy” Ridley and Tommy Lee “Tom-Tom” Cherry; sisters Julia Van Mater-Miller and Mildred Ridley Dent; grandchildren Cooper and Maya, and respective different relatives.

The household volition big a ceremonial work Saturday successful Georgia followed by a burial adjacent her birthplace.