BIOGRAPHY

Chicago Native, Singer, Lyricist, Actress, EMC (Equity Membership Candidate), member of  the Chicago Cabaret Professionals, and Graduate from Columbia College Chicago, where she received her B.A. in Vocal Performance. 

LaShera received the 2022 recipient of the Denise Tomasello Scholarship Award for the Emerging Artist, you can review the article from my alma mater:

https://columbiachronicle.com/cabaret-community-celebrates-the-return-of-a-live-audience-at-chicago-cabaret-professionals-annual-gala

Growing up in church alongside her Mom, her sisters, and other relatives of her family; singing Gospel: LaShera loved to being versatile and wanted to be more broader in the style and genre of Music.  At Columbia, she proved herself to be the goto singer for any style needed, from Country, Pop and Rock to Jazz, Gospel, Blues and R&B Soul, and quickly found herself performing with such greats as: New York Voices along with Darmon Meader and Peter Eldridge, Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor, Mavis Staples, Brian Culbertson and other professional musicians. Outside of the college, she has sung with Frieda Lee, Lynne Jordan, Kimberly Gordon, Margaret Murphy-Webb, Michele Thomas, Anne Burrell, the late Tecora Rogers, Greta Pope, Cynthia Clarey, Jenifer French, Jeannie Tanner and, Ellen Winters Reynolds; with Daryl Nitz Entertainment. 

She is currently a freelance vocalist and lyricist with The Forte Band alongside her band leader, guitarist and dear friend - Chris Forte. She also sings with the Soundtracks of a Generation; where is embodies Aretha Franklin in the Soul Bliss Band, BGV for the Joe Cocker Tribute Band & Mavis Staples in The Last Waltz. Also, she does jobbing gigs with John Paris Ensemble, Mike Zabrin & the Funktastic Band, and the Chicago Group Collective.  She recently became as a member Salem Baptist Church singing on the Praise Team; under her former Gospel director from her Alma Mater, Minister Walter Owens and Director of Great Faith and Gospel artist, Malcolm Williams. 

LaShera has performed the Skokie theatre and City Winery, for the Ella Fitzgerald tribute to her album; “Live at Mr. Kelly's” and Living Legends. Plus, the Chicago’s Annual Blues Fest in summer 2012 and again in 2016, along with her blues mentor, Mr. Fernando Jones. She was a featured soloist in the “I’ll Take You There, Homage to Blues and Gospel” musical with Ms. Bobbi Wilsyn, along with other former instructors and other artists. She also performed at other festivals with the Chicago Yestet, including the Green Mill, and Room 43. She was also featured in the “I Wanna Be the Change” music video as 1/3  of the vocalists with Sophie Grimm &  Jeannie; who wrote  & composed this anthem; that was inspired by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, speeches. LaShera was a lead vocalist at Holy Trinity Church in Downtown Chicago, under the direction of Jonathan Gilley. Furthermore, She taught and Acted for Windy City Music Theatre and has participated in shows with Windy City such as; “Little Shop of Horrors” (2013), “Guys and Dolls”  (2014), “Oliver” (2014), “Godspell” (2015), “Cinderella”  (2015)  “A Little Princess” (2016) “Hairspray” (2017). She had the pleasure of being a part of the Jeff Award Nominated Production “Violet” (2017/18) under Griffin Theatre, and in “Legally Blonde, the musical” (2018) with Paramount Theatre. 

She is just grateful of being able to share the gift of singing to the music lovers, especially her loving and caring Husband, Dushawn!