Leading Ladies (group)

Leading Ladies

Company type	Supergroup
Industry	Music
Founded	2017 in London, England
Founder	Beverley Knight
Headquarters	London , United Kingdom
Area served	United Kingdom, United States
Key people	Amber Riley, Beverley Knight, Cassidy Janson
Products	Music albums, singles
Number of employees	3 (members)
Parent	East West Records, Warner Music Group

The Leading Ladies was a British-American girl group and supergroup established in London in 2017. This ensemble brought together three prominent West End talents: American vocalist and actress Amber Riley (noted for Dreamgirls), British soul singer Beverley Knight (renowned for roles in The Bodyguard, Memphis, and Cats), alongside British theatre luminary Cassidy Janson (lead performer in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical).

Formation

The inception of Leading Ladies began when Beverley Knight was invited by her record company, East West, to produce an album centered on musical theatre. Initially hesitant to embark on a solo venture, Knight declined but later suggested creating a group following her recovery from a hysterectomy due to a personal health issue. Inspired by Amber Riley’s appearance promoting Dreamgirls on The Graham Norton Show and captivated by Cassidy Janson’s role in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Knight requested East West to extend invitations to both performers for collaboration. Riley and Janson agreed, leading the trio to sign with East West/Warner Music for joint recording sessions.

Debut album: Songs from the Stage

Released on 17 November 2017, the Leading Ladies’ first album, Songs from the Stage, comprises fourteen tracks drawn from various musicals including Hamilton, Cats, Rent, Dreamgirls, Funny Girl, and The Bodyguard. The project was produced by Brian Rawling, a British Grammy-winning producer recognized for his collaborations with artists such as Cher, Tina Turner, and Lionel Richie. While the arrangements were developed collectively, the recording process largely took place separately over a fortnight due to conflicting schedules of the members. During production, Riley and Janson were engaged in ongoing West End performances, whereas Knight was recuperating from surgery before commencing her UK tour.

The album’s lead single, "One Night Only" from Dreamgirls, was launched on 6 October 2017 and secured a place on the A-list rotation of BBC Radio 2. Upon release, Songs from the Stage entered the top 20 rankings on both the UK Albums Chart and the Scottish Albums Chart.

Promotional efforts included live renditions of "Wind Beneath My Wings" on BBC Children in Need and "I'm Every Woman" on Strictly Come Dancing. On 27 November 2017, the second single was unveiled as a double A-side featuring "I'm Every Woman" alongside "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" from Meet Me in St. Louis.

No additional releases from the group have followed since the debut album.

Members

• Amber Riley (2017–2018)
• Beverley Knight (2017–2018)
• Cassidy Janson (2017–2018)

Discography

The British-American girl group Leading Ladies’ discography consists of one studio album accompanied by two singles.

Studio albums

Title	Details	Peak chart positions
		UK	SCO
Songs from the Stage	Released: 17 November 2017 (UK) Labels: East West, Warner Format: CD, digital download, streaming	19	19

Singles

Single	Year	Album
"One Night Only"	2017	Songs from the Stage
"I'm Every Woman" / "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"

Promotional singles

Single	Year	Album
"Will You Love Me Tomorrow"	2017	Songs from the Stage
"Somebody to Love"

Awards and nominations

Year	Organization	Category	Work nominated	Outcome
2018	Classic Brit Awards	Album of the Year	Songs from the Stage	Template:Nom

External links

• Official Website