Joshua Ledet is a highly-gifted singer, songwriter and performer, who possesses a soulfully thunderous voice, that is unmistakably bred from a blues and down-home church tradition. And yet, such effortless vocals hail from a young man who is only in his early 20s. Joshua has rocked the pews of churches, mesmerized American Idol audiences, and sang for dignitaries such as the President and First Lady of the United States.

Church played a pivotal role in Joshua’s development, as it was the place where he fine-tuned his God-given gift for music. “I wouldn’t be who I am today if it wasn’t for the church,” he says. “My father being the pastor made it very clear that we all must attend service every Sunday. Watching my mother pour out her soul and connect with the audience through her singing inspired me to sing. Performing in church taught me that it was more than simply singing, but actually linking into the spirit realm in order to help and speak to others.”

At the age of 16, Joshua set out to reach for his professional dreams by auditioning for American Idol in 2010. He did not make it past the audition stage, but would return a second and third time. In 2012, at the age of 19, he made an amazing run on the highly-rated TV show ultimately finishing in third place. With each high powered performance, Joshua garnered overwhelming applause from both audience and the judges, receiving 18 standing ovations in all.

After the American Idol run, Joshua accompanied many of his fellow finalists on the show’s annual American Idols Live tour. During the summer of 2012, the tour made some 46 stops across major cities throughout the U.S., Toronto, Canada and in the Philippines. The same year, Joshua released his first single, an original song titled, “Here to Die.”

In the spring of 2013, Joshua was invited by First Lady Michele Obama to perform for the President and dozens of other dignitaries for “In Performance at the White House: A Salute to Memphis Soul.” Joshua shared the stage that evening with Justin Timberlake, Alabama Shakes, Queen Latifah, Cyndi Lauper, Booker T. Jones, and a host of others. The show aired on PBS.

Recently Joshua signed an exclusive recording partnership with The SoNo Recording Group. He joins an artist roster that includes legendary R&B singer Brian McKnight, Gospel Vocal supergroup Take 6, and International superstar Gino Vannelli.

Joshua is in the beginning stages of production on new music, and is very anxious to bring his sound to the world. “My music will be my story,” he says. “Know that every song you hear from me is me singing from my soul. I don’t want to be like every artist in today’s music; that is not my calling. I believe we should stay true to our gift and grow with it. Never get ahead of your gift. A slow blossom is worth taking a second look. My style and my craft will be revealed soon enough and people will see the type of artist I truly am.”

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