jean holden....a singer's singer
Smooth, strong, sultry, crystal clear, and definitive phrasing
detail the vocal talents of Jean Holden. Toledo songstress, Jean
Holden is an esteemed voice teacher, winner of three Lake Erie West
People's Choice Awards for Best Female Vocalist, and inducted March of
2000, into the Lifetime Achievement category.
In May of 2015, Jean was inducted into the Sylvania Distinguished Artist Hall of Fame.
Jean began her singing career in her youth in Shreveport, Louisiana, and was formally trained as an Operatic Mezzo-Soprano. Realizing
there wasn't much of a market for opera singers, particularly African
American opera singers in 1964, Jean changed her style and range to
accommodate nightclub singing. Her remarkable talent was sufficient to
earn her first nightclub performance at the Park Lane Hotel, where she
was hired for a 2 week trial run, and performed there for 2 consecutive
years. The rest...is history. Her career has spanned 50 years and seems to just get better with time!