Alice Tan Ridley, mom of Valuable actress Gabourey Sidibe, has died on the age of 72. Earlier than making it large on America’s Received Expertise, Ridley entertained New York subway riders for 3 a long time.
Ridley died on March 25, 2025, in New York, in keeping with her obituary. No reason for dying was given. Nonetheless, Ridley was reportedly identified with dementia in 2018, in keeping with The Hollywood Reporter, so that will have been an element. She was born in Georgia on December 21, 1952, and was the seventh of eight youngsters.
Earlier than turning into a jazz and gospel singer, Ridley received her instructing license from the New York State Board of Training and had two youngsters, one in all them being Sidibe, in addition to son Ahmed, after marrying Ibnou Sidibe in 1980. When she misplaced her job instructing particular wants youngsters in Brooklyn and received divorced, Ridley resorted to singing within the subways to earn any cash she might. Her obituary acknowledged that she and Ibnou remained shut after the divorce.
In 2002, she gained $25,000 on the primary episode of 30 Seconds to Fame and was a singer at Harlem’s Cotton Membership for a few years. Nonetheless, Ridley didn’t make it large till she auditioned for AGT in 2010. She was observed by an Israeli pupil, Dvir Assouline, within the subway, and he satisfied her to audition. He additionally turned her supervisor that 12 months.
She carried out “At Final” by Etta James, and her highly effective voice resonated with the judges. Ridley made all of it the way in which to the semi-finals earlier than being voted off. After AGT, Ridley and her seven-person band carried out all around the world.
Six years later, on the age of 63, the singer launched her debut album, By no means Misplaced My Means, which was a set of covers of her favourite songs and a few originals, together with songs about her youngsters coping with dishonest lovers. She continued performing all through her 60s till her dementia analysis.
Regardless of making it large on AGT, Ridley instructed The New York Occasions that she went again to singing within the subways in 2014 as a result of she “missed it.”
Gabourey has not spoken out publicly about her mother’s dying.
