Alice Tan Ridley, “America’s Got Talent” Singer, Passes Away at 72

Alice Tan Ridley Passes Away

Alice Tan Ridley, a singer best known as a semi-finalist on America’s Got Talent, has passed away at the age of 72.

In an announcement shared by her family on Billboard yesterday (April 9), it was revealed that she died on March 25 in New York. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Legacy of a Talented Family

Ridley, whose full name is Alice Ann Ridley Sidibe, was also the mother of actress Gabourey Sidibe, well-known for her Oscar-nominated role in Precious and her recurring character in the television series American Horror Story.

A year after Gabourey’s breakout role in Precious, Ridley captivated television audiences as a contestant on America’s Got Talent during its fifth season, having first performed at the age of 58 after years of singing as a backup in New York’s subway stations.

Her rendition of Etta James garnered enthusiastic applause from the live audience, prompting judge Sharon Osbourne to ask, “Alice, millions of people must have passed you in this metro for 20 years. Why has no one signed you?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr8ejmc-0me

Ridley advanced to the semifinals, with singer-songwriter Michael Grimm viewed as a potential winner. However, with her manager Dvir AssouLine—an Israeli student who first recognized Ridley as a backup performer—she released her debut album, Never Lost His Way, in 2016.

“Whenever I saw her perform, hundreds of people always gathered around her,” AssouLine shared with Hollywood Reporter. “She brought joy to so many people every day.”

A Life’s Journey and Challenges

In 2016, New York Times highlighted Ridley’s journey, where she reflected on her time as a backup singer, stating, “With so many people passing by, I wondered, ‘Why hasn’t anyone introduced me to someone who could help?’”

However, as her career took off beyond the subway corridors, Ridley expressed her nostalgia, saying, “When I was no longer down there, I missed it,” in an interview with New York Times.

According to Hollywood Reporter, Ridley was forced to retire in 2018 due to her battle with dementia.

She is survived by her son Ahmed, her brothers and sisters, and multiple grandchildren. Her sister, civil rights activist Dorothy Pittman Hughes, passed away in 2022 at the age of 84, while her brother, singer and guitarist Roger Ridley, tragically died in 2005 at the age of 57.