Toya Alexis
Encyclopedia
LaToya Lesmond better known by her stage name
Toya Alexis, is a Canadian R&B vocalist from Ajax, Ontario
.
, a popular show that played on Global
, and also had an American version on the WB. She did not win, but was featured on the debut album of the winners, who were dubbed Sugar Jones
.
She next was seen as a contestant on the first season of Canadian Idol
in 2003, reaching sixth place in a controversial decision as she was widely considered the best singer of the six. While on the show, she could be seen on several occasions executing notes in the whistle register reminiscent of those of Mariah Carey
. Paralleling the controversy on American Idol
, the week Toya was voted off, she was in the bottom three, which sparked talk of racially charged voting after having the best performance of the night. .
's label, Plasma. To date, S.O.B. Story has sold 159,000 copies, making Canadian platinum, making her the highest selling female Canadian Idol singer. She began touring with Esthero
, a popular Canadian trip-hop artist, and was showcased with Esthero on the Jimmy Kimmel Live
show in the United States
.
Her other stage credits have included Doo Wop to Motown (Theatre on the Grand), Once on This Island (Stirling Festival Theatre), Rainbow World (Bathurst Street Theatre), The Good Times Are Killing Me (Royal Alex Theatre) and Dreamgirls (Co-production between Theatre Aquarius and the Manitoba Theatre Centre).
) (#70, Canadian Singles Chart)
2004: "Am I Loving?" (#36, Canadian Singles Chart)
2005: "Toy Boy" (#17, Canadian Singles Chart)
2006: "Where Did Our Love Go?" (#29, Canadian Singles Chart)
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Toya Alexis, is a Canadian R&B vocalist from Ajax, Ontario
Ajax, Ontario
Ajax is a town in the Durham Region in the Greater Toronto Area.The town is named for the HMS Ajax a Royal Navy cruiser that served in World War II. Ajax is a part of the Greater Toronto Area and the...
.
Career
She won a "Rising Star" contest and sang at the Apollo theatre. She first came into the Canadian consciousness as a contestant on the first season of PopstarsPopstars
Popstars is an international reality television franchise and a precursor to the Idol series. The series first began in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the five member all-girl group TrueBliss...
, a popular show that played on Global
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
, and also had an American version on the WB. She did not win, but was featured on the debut album of the winners, who were dubbed Sugar Jones
Sugar Jones
Sugar Jones was a Canadian pop group created on the first season of the Canadian version of Popstars. It consisted of five members chosen from thousands of people who auditioned for the group...
.
She next was seen as a contestant on the first season of Canadian Idol
Canadian Idol
Canadian Idol is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show Pop Idol. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Dore was the "roving reporter" for the first three seasons...
in 2003, reaching sixth place in a controversial decision as she was widely considered the best singer of the six. While on the show, she could be seen on several occasions executing notes in the whistle register reminiscent of those of Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
. Paralleling the controversy on American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, the week Toya was voted off, she was in the bottom three, which sparked talk of racially charged voting after having the best performance of the night. .
Debut album
She was subsequently offered a recording contract, and released her first single, the Top 40 hit "Am I Loving?", in 2004. She also appeared as a guest vocalist on recordings by several other Canadian artists. Her full-length debut album, S.O.B. Story, was released in August on Canadian Idol judge Farley FlexFarley Flex
Farley Flex is a Canadian music promoter, artist manager, and motivational speaker. He is best known for being a judge on the reality television series Canadian Idol....
's label, Plasma. To date, S.O.B. Story has sold 159,000 copies, making Canadian platinum, making her the highest selling female Canadian Idol singer. She began touring with Esthero
Esthero
Esthero ,born Jenny-Bea Englishman, is a Canadian singer-songwriter who currently lives in Los Angeles, California. The name Esthero refers both to the singer and formerly to the two-person team of herself and producer Doc McKinney...
, a popular Canadian trip-hop artist, and was showcased with Esthero on the Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
show in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Theatre
In 2005, she was a featured cast member as "Mabel" in the Canstage show Crowns, at the Bluma Appel Theatre in Toronto.Her other stage credits have included Doo Wop to Motown (Theatre on the Grand), Once on This Island (Stirling Festival Theatre), Rainbow World (Bathurst Street Theatre), The Good Times Are Killing Me (Royal Alex Theatre) and Dreamgirls (Co-production between Theatre Aquarius and the Manitoba Theatre Centre).
Idol performances
- Top 32 (Group 3) - "I Believe In You and Me" (Whitney HoustonWhitney HoustonWhitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
) - Wildcard - "Try It on My Own" (Whitney Houston)
- Top 11 - "If You Asked Me To" (Celine DionCeline DionCéline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
) - Top 8 - "If You Really Love Me" (Stevie WonderStevie WonderStevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
) - Top 6 - "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" (Stevie Wonder)
Singles history
2002: "I Got U" (with Sugar JonesSugar Jones
Sugar Jones was a Canadian pop group created on the first season of the Canadian version of Popstars. It consisted of five members chosen from thousands of people who auditioned for the group...
) (#70, Canadian Singles Chart)
2004: "Am I Loving?" (#36, Canadian Singles Chart)
2005: "Toy Boy" (#17, Canadian Singles Chart)
2006: "Where Did Our Love Go?" (#29, Canadian Singles Chart)
Albums
| Year | Album details | Peak | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales threshold) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
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| 2005 | S.O.B. Story
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| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Videos
Featured on- Canadian Idol Greatest Moments (2003) (track 11 singing "Try It on My Own")
- Sugar Jones (2001) (featured on "I Got U")