Loretta Lee

Loretta Lee has been known as an “up and coming” smooth and sophisticated jazz vocalist, who is progressively taking Chicago by storm. During the course of her musical career, Loretta is recognized for her impressionable, breath-taking performance and striking impersonation of the late Billie Holiday. Her voice and phrasing has an astonishing likeness of the legendary icon. Loretta's extraordinary performance creates the sounds and memories of yesterday.

Loretta Lee as Billie Holiday, performed at several venues such as Billie Holiday in the musical production "Rhythm on Wheels" at The Legacy Theatre and Kenwood Academy, The First Charity- Chicago Automobile Show at McCormick Place, The Mahogany Black Heritage Awards, The Chicago Music Awards at the Excalibur Nightclub, Chicago Daley Center private and corporate affairs. Loretta Lee as Billie Holiday and The Generations Big Band have performed at the Chicago Hyatt Regency-Senior Obama Inauguration Ball and three consecutive years performing for the senior Christmas shows at the Hyatt, Lincoln High School Illumni in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and for The Alpha Fraternity New Years’ Party at the Best Western Hotel.

As a sultry jazz vocalist, Loretta Lee has performed songs in numerous capacities at jazz clubs including Army & Lou's Restaurant, Gino's Steak House, Isaac Hayes Restaurant, Lee's Unleaded Blues, Navy Pier, Condessa Del Mar, Room 43, Green Dolphin Street, Ramada Inn, Green Mill, Chicago Racquetball Club and The University Park Country Club.

She could also be seen mesmerizing the crowd each Thursday for 1 1/2 years at McDonald's (jazz night) in Olympia Fields. Loretta was also the main source of entertainment at Governors State University, The Sabre Room, Phoenix Festival, Black Heritage Awards, University Park Family Fling Festival and The Caribbean Festival. She is recognized by many for her performance during a one hour special on The William Brown Show "Songs of Love" on Chicago Access Channel 19. Recently, she performed an extraordinarily exquisite one woman musical documentary at IIT titled “Remembering Billie Holiday” .

At a very young age, Loretta was introduced to jazz. Regularly, in her home, Loretta’s father played songs by great jazz vocalists such as Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Nancy Wilson, Glory Lynn, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Eckstein, Nat King Cole, Joe Williams, Authur Prysock and Frank Sinatra. These memorable and outstanding artists were a great inspiration and influenced her significantly. She later received training at ETA Theatre where she completed an acting course, she also completed a vocal jazz course at Bloom School of Jazz to broaden the scope of her career.

Multi-talented Loretta Lee is not only a jazz vocalist and actress she is an impersonator. She has also given remarkable performances as an R&B and Gospel soloist. In addition to singing, Loretta enjoys roller skating, stepping, and Latin dancing. With great passion and love, she continuously sings and performs from the bottom of her soul and is truly a phenomenal entertainer.