Judith Hill

Judith Hill (vocals, guitar, piano), Peewee Hill (bass), Michiko Hill (B3 keyboards), Shadrack Oppong (drums)

Judith Hill is an American singer, composer and musician recognised for her powerful voice and versatility in genres like soul, R&B, funk and jazz, with blues and gospel influences. This Californian artist was born in 1984, into a family of musicians: her mother was a pianist and her father a bass player.

Her talent led to her playing with legends like Michael Jackson; she was part of his This Is It tour before his death in 2009. Hill shot to fame as backup singer for well-known artists and featured prominently in the documentary 20 Feet from Stardom (2013), which explores the life of backup singers, male and female, in the music industry, and won an Oscar for Best Documentary. In 2013 she participated successfully – though she did not win - in the fourth season of the TV programme, The Voice.

Back in Time (2015) was her first record, produced by Prince, who became her mentor and collaborator. Since then, she has released three more albums: Golden Child (2018), Baby, I'm Hollywood! (2021), Letters from a Black Widow (2024).

The term “Black Widow”, which she rebuffs in her last album, has often been associated to Judith Hill due to tragic coincidence: the fact that two of the most influential figures in her career, Michael Jackson and Prince, died while they were working with her. This has been treated with some sensationalism, creating a narrative around her that has been quite damaging and difficult to overcome.

In spite of all such adversity, Judith Hill has continued to make music with a very personal seal, marrying her vocal skill and prowess with several instruments (piano, guitar and bass) with profound lyrics and modern and retro sounds. Her ability to fuse different styles and her charisma on stage have made her one of the most admired artists in the music industry.