Andra Day: Facts You Don't Know About The Singer

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Andra Day is a professional American singer and songwriter, who became a first-time nominee for Best Actress at the 2021 Oscars.

She is a phenomenal singer and actor whose breakout role happened in a Hulu film titled “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.”

Day’s professional career as a singer and actor is cause for study and as she progresses in these career, it’s only right that fans look back on where she started from.

Keep reading below to find out five incredible facts about the star. 

In 2010, Day was lucky enough to be spotted in a video by Stevie Wonder’s then wife known as Kai Millard Morris.

According to reports, Morris watched a video of the singer performing at a strip mall in California. Fortunately again, Morris was married to a big time music star.

Speaking to “Live Nation,” Day said that she was still living in a strip apartment with her mother when she got the call from the R&B and soul star.

From that moment, her life not only changed but her career was turned around for the best. 

Like many stars who have double careers, Day also finally made her debut in the acting world, but when that time came, she was almost robbed of it.

When the casting for Lee Daniels’ “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” began, Day made an appearance, but was considered not fit for the role. 

Day told “Deadline” that Daniels was very clear about not wanting to work with her because she wasn’t an actress. However, after she was given a half-way chance, she took the director by surprise and won him over. 

Many stars today are commonly known by their stage names as opposed to their birth names. Usually, these stage names are formed from an event in their lives and sticks with them throughout. 

Day’s birth name is known as Cassandra Monique Batie, but fans only refer to her as Andra Day.

What is the inspiration behind this stage name? Well, “Deadline” reported that the name was inspired by Day’s nickname in her debut movie. In the film, she was called ‘Lady Day.’ 

Coming into the music industry can be tricky for stars, sometimes their careers take off immediately and other times, it doesn’t.

Luckily for Day, things began to speed up for her not only because she was recommended by Wonder, but because she had an exceptional talent inside her.

In no time, she released a debut album titled “Cheers to the Fall,” followed by other amazing songs. The 2015 album did so well that it was nominated for Best R&B Album in the same year.

In 2018, one of her hit tracks “Stand Up For Something,” warned her a Grammy nomination. Till date, Day is still showing the world that she’s exemplary and talented. 

Many celebrities in the United States of America endorsed Joe Biden as their candidate for the next President after Donald Trump.

One of these stars include Andra Day, who was also part of the President-elect’s virtual inauguration.

Prior to this, she teamed up with John Legend to duet the song “Greatest Love of All,” at Biden’s live stream fundraiser which was titled “Celebration for Change.”

This was however, not the only time Day showed support for a presidential candidate. In 2016, she performed one of her hit songs “Rise Up,” at Hillary Clinton’s rally.