Biography
Date of Birth
3 December 1985, Islington, London, England, UK
Birth Name
Leona Louise Lewis
Height
5' 7" (1.7 m)
Trivia
Auditioned for The X Factor UK (2004) in London, where she sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". All the judges were impressed and put her through.
Made music history when her debut single was downloaded 50,000 times in just 30 minutes.
Her debut single "A Moment like This" became the 2006 UK Christmas number-one single (December 2006).
First female and first mixed-race winner of The X Factor UK (2004).
Won The X Factor UK (2004) in 2006. The runner-up was Ray Quinn.
Born to Aural Josiah Lewis, a Guyanese Afro-Carribean youth worker, and his wife Marie Lewis, a social worker. Her parents shared the same surname before marrying.
Worked as a receptionist and as a waitress for Pizza Hut.
Plays the guitar and piano.
Owns a Rottweiler named Rome.
Has two brothers, Bradley and Kyle.
Was a classmate of Katie Melua at the BRIT School.
Performed a revamped version of "Whole Lotta Love" with Jimmy Page at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
Performed signature song "Bleeding Love" at Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday concert in London's Hyde Park. [June 2008]
First Brit to top the US charts with her debut album, "Spirit".
Was in a relationship with electrician Lou Al-Chamaa (2001-June 2010).
Is in a relationship with dancer Dennis Jauch (August 2010).
Was once punched by a deranged fan.
(July 27, 2019) Married her boyfriend of 9 years Dennis Jauch in a ceremony held at a Tuscan vineyard, which is located just south of Florence, Italy. They first met in 2010 when he was performing as a backup singer on Lewis' tour, and he popped the question after their eighth anniversary in August 2018.
Trademarks:
Mezzo-soprano vocals
Quotes
I'm very strong creatively, in my music.
I have my best ideas when I am alone.
A part of me feels like I was an animal in my past life that wasn't treated very nicely.
People will always show their true selves in the end.
The most important thing to me is to give something back to my parents, because they've done so much for me throughout my life.
I usually dream of melodies. When I wake up I have them in my head. I usually come up with things in the middle of the night because that's when my mind is the quietest. I always have my tape recorder, pen and pad by my bed just in case.
At the end of the day, you should take every opportunity that comes your way.
My dad is such a good man. You know how when you are a child you think your dad is invincible? Well, I still think that - he is so wise and everything I do I ask my dad's advice about first.
I get such lovely gifts from fans... amazing pictures, handmade jewellery. I'm very lucky!
Animal testing is needless, especially in cosmetics.
I love music but, of course, I'd choose love over that.
I'm totally against animal cruelty. I don't have clothes, shoes or bags made from any animal products.
I call myself a vegetarian with vegan tendencies.
I am a whole lot of trouble.
I would like to be a positive force for young girls.
Obviously, a long-distance relationship is hard. But, like anything worth having, you make it work.
I think it's always important to be vigilant of what you're doing and aware of your surroundings.
I'm very sensitive and I'm quite a soft person, and I cry a lot when things upset me.
I love a beautiful gown on stage, and luckily I've been fortunate to wear some amazing dresses.
If I can inspire people by showing that following a dream by working hard and being determined is possible, it's amazing.
Love is a very powerful emotion and when a break-up is unexpected, it's very hard to get over.
It takes bravery to end a relationship.
I'm a positive person, and I try to look at the good side of everything.
I'd date someone younger or older; age doesn't matter to me. Or looks, really - it's all about maturity.
I trust every single person around me, and if I feel even a whiff of uncertainty I won't have that person around me.
Unless the radio is on, I am usually listening to stuff that is very different to what I do.
I think when people see that you are shy, or even just calm, collected and reserved, they think you can be pushed around, made to do everything they want - but that's definitely not true of me. The people closest to me know that's not the case. They know I'm not a pushover.
I'm quite curvy and I just try and exercise whenever I can. I don't do anything hardcore as I'm just not that dedicated.
I've still kind of maintained a low profile but people still kind of recognize you and will come up to you, and that's taken a bit of getting used to.
Fear and pain and suffering is not OK for any being to feel intentionally at the hands of us.
My mum is my best friend.
I feel like I've lived quite a sheltered life, like my mom and dad were quite protective of me.
Oh my gosh! I can't tell you the number of times people have put autotune on my voice, and I'm like, 'Please take it off!' You don't even sound human; it makes you sound like a robot!
Music TV in the U.K. is disappearing. 'Top Of The Pops,' 'CD:UK' and shows like that have gone, and it's bringing down the music industry. We should do as much as we can to keep our music TV and producers need to be more willing to accommodate live music.
I don't mind letting people in a little bit, but I have learned from the past not to talk too much about my relationships and to keep things as private as possible.
I don't get involved in record label politics.
David Bowie is such a big influence to me. Everything about him as a person is intriguing to me.
Every performer wants to sing live. That's what I live for.
All my friends I've known since I was really little.
I am definitely an individual.
I am, and always will be, proud to be a Hackney girl.
I believe I could have had a career in the music industry without 'X Factor,' but it was an amazing platform that propelled me to where I am now.
I could hang with horses all day.
I don't really read the tabloids, and you never know if what's being printed is true or not.
I definitely keep myself secret.
I love Thandie Newton. I love her fashion sense as she is just really classic.
I really love getting hot stone massages. They really help me relax and it's so soothing for your muscles.
I get road rage. I can't drive because I cuss people out.
I suffer from arachnophobia. I don't mind the tiny spiders so much, it's the ones with their legs covered in thick hair.
For me, love is happiness and inspiration.
I don't hate L.A. There's a very beautiful side to it; it's scenic, and I can go horse riding.
I don't think I have the right to give someone advice when I don't know them.
I hate having my hair cut so I try not to.
I don't like going out where it's really, really crowded.
I know how to look after myself.
I'm not annoying in relationships! I'm great!
I'm really not that confident!
I'm not a loud, extravagant person; I'm never going to be that and, to be honest, I don't want to be like that.
I've always been conscious of my weight.
In my life, I've dealt with tragedy.
I'd love to be on 'Glee.' I'd love to play a rebel. Be a real biker chick in leather and covered in tattoos.
I think it's really hard being in a boy band. There's a lot of dynamics.
I don't have many famous friends, really, except Simon Cowell.
I'd love to do a film like 'Chicago.' Something musical because I've obviously come from that background.
I was the only one at stage school who wasn't white.
I like someone who can take the reins, who knows what they want and is strong with me.
I love nature and enjoy learning new skills.
I never dress to shock.
I love horseback riding. I still do it.
I try not to diet because it never really works for me, if I tell myself I can't eat something then I tend to want to eat everything in sight.
I want all of my songs to do well whether I've written them or not.
I'm living my dream.
I would love to sing opera.
I'll never go against my morals.
I'm glad I was never in a band.
When I was really little I would sit in the back of my dad's car when he'd be playing old-school music. He'd turn down the music and turn around and I'd be singing and know all of the words but I didn't even know how to talk. From then on I've always wanted to be a singer.
Working with other artists and sharing your passions is great.
Usually when I see someone famous, for some reason, I think I know them.
I can't remember who told me but I was advised early on not to Google myself or read things about myself... I don't read a lot but get the gist of what's been said from friends and family. It's good to avoid it if you want to be normal person.
A lot of people can have a lot of different influences, everyone can be compared in some way to someone whether they are from 60 years ago or more recent.
I do love a bit of fashion. I grew up around a lot of it as my mum and dad had clothing stores so my mum was always designing a lot, and I definitely had that as an influence.
My parents have always done what they've loved, and they've had many different careers.
My private life is the most precious thing to me.
It takes me a while to come out of myself and get to know people.
Kids need somewhere to go, so they're not bored on the street.
Overall, I'm quite good with how I spend my cashola.
The part of London where I grew up has the highest crime rates in the country.
There are so many songs I've recorded, only to hear other people singing them. It happens all the time.
People don't really know me at all.
Sometimes I think I want to get 'hair and make up' every day, but that's just not possible.
People write music, and the music is out there for people to interpret it how they want to.
