3x Grammy Winning Jazz Vocalist Samara Joy Talks To 60 Minutes' Bill Whitaker In Illuminating Interview

December 23, 2024: Three-time GRAMMY winner Samara Joy was profiled on CBS News 60 Minutes last night (Sunday, December 22). The 25-year-old Bronx native, who recently earned two new GRAMMY nominations for her holiday collection, sat down with 60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker to discuss her musical upbringing, her meteoric rise since taking home the auspicious Best New Artist Award in 2023, her latest studio album Portrait, and Gen Z’s new-found love for jazz.

Whitaker and the 60 Minutes crew had backstage access on Joy’s Portrait Tour and A Joyful Holiday Tour. In addition to the interview with Joy, Whitaker also sat down with her father Antonio McLendon (a gifted bassist and vocalist who toured with the renowned Andrae Crouch), her 94-year-old grandfather Elder Goldwire McLendon (beloved gospel singer who led the well-known Philadelphia-based The Savettes), and nine-time GRAMMY winner Christian McBride.

Watch the CBS News 60 Minutes profile HERE. 

Earlier this year, Joy released her new studio album Portrait on Verve Records. The collection offers a snapshot of Joy’s growth not only as a once-in-a-generation vocalist but also as songwriter, lyricist, arranger and band leader. NPR Music calls Portrait “the most jazz-literate album of her career so far,” while VIBE Magazine describes it as “eight tracks guaranteed to not only impress, but change the way we listen to modern vocal jazz.” Listen to Portrait (out now) HERE.

Last month, Joy earned two new GRAMMY nominations for the 67th GRAMMY Awards - “Best Jazz Vocal Album” and “Best Jazz Performance” - for her holiday EP, A Joyful Holiday. The collection of seasonal favorites, released last year on Verve, features multiple generations of Joy’s family, plus Pasquale Grasso on guitar, David Wong on bass, Kenny Washington on drums and Sullivan Fortner on piano. Listen to A Joyful Holiday HERE. 

Joy, who wraps her A Joyful Holiday Tour tonight in Philly, has several confirmed shows for 2025, including her Carnegie Hall debut on April 30. Please find announced dates below and visit https://www.samarajoy.com/. 

Samara Joy 2025 Tour Dates

Feb 5 - Berkeley, CA - Zellerbach Auditorium

Feb 7 - Los Angeles, CA - Walt Disney Concert Hall

Feb 11 - Tokyo, Japan - Blue Note Tokyo

Feb 13 - Sumida City, Japan - Sumida Triphony Hall

Feb 14 - Takasaki, Japan - Takasaki City Theatre

Feb 16 - Seoul, South Korea - Mapo Art Center

Feb 19 - Shanghai, China - Shanghai Center Theatre 

March 7 - Caen, France - Theatre De Caen

March 8 - Coutances, France - Theatre De Coutances

March 10 - Lyon, France - Orchestre National De Lyon

March 11 - Lucerne, Switzerland - KKL Luzern

March 12 - Geneva, Switzerland - Victoria Hall

March 14 - Amiens, France - Maison De La Culture

March 15 - Paris, France - Grande salle Pierre Boulez - Philharmonie de Paris

March 17 - Toulouse, France - La Halle Aux Grains

March 18 - Marseille, France - Le Cepac Silo

March 20 - Metz, France - Arsenal

March 22 - Antwerp, Belgium - De Singel International Arts Centre

March 23 - Utrecht, Netherlands - TivoliVrendenburg 

April 30 - New York, NY - Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall

May 3 - Boston, MA - Berklee Performance Center

May 4 - East Greenwich, RI - Greenwich Odeum

May 11 - Germantown, TN - Highland Capital Performance Hall

May 13 - Nashville, TN - Schermerhorn Symphony Center

May 15 - Niagara, Canada - Central Niagara

May 16 - Toronto, Canada - Massey Hall

May 18 - Cape May, NJ - Exit Zero Jazz Festival

May 20 - Ridgefield, CT - The Ridgefield Playhouse

May 22 - Orlando, FL - Dr. Phillips Center - Steinmetz Hall

May 28 - Dallas, TX - Majestic Theatre

May 29 - Austin, TX - ACL Live at the Moody Theater

June 1 - New Orleans, LA - Orpheum Theater

June 2 - Houston, TX - Jones Hall For The Performing Arts

June 5 - Raleigh, NC - Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts

June 7 - Norfolk, VA - Chrysler Hall

June 28 - Montreal, Canada - Place Des Arts - Maison Symphonique at Montreal Jazz Festival

About Samara Joy

A native of the Bronx, Samara Joy became entranced by classic R&B as a child and cut her teeth as a singer in her church’s gospel choir. And while her family history is deeply musical — her grandparents helmed the Philadelphia gospel group the Savettes, and her father, the musician and songwriter Antonio McLendon, has produced, composed and arranged his own astounding original work — she didn’t delve into the jazz tradition until college at SUNY Purchase. During her studies there she won the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, which introduced her to the larger jazz scene as a rising star to watch. She was heard, by audiences and critics alike, as a masterful interpreter of jazz standards and a rightful heiress of the sound, technique and charisma that defined her jazz heroines — including Vaughan, Betty Carter, Abbey Lincoln and Carmen McRae.

Joy released her self-titled debut on the Whirlwind label in 2021, followed a year later by Linger Awhile, her breakout Verve debut, of which DownBeat said, “With this beautiful recording, a silky-voiced star is born.” The album earned her a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album in addition to a headline-making win for Best New Artist. A deluxe edition of the album was released, as well as the EP A Joyful Holiday. Her new Verve album, Portrait, which Joy co-produced with the veteran trumpeter/bandleader and multi-Grammy winner Brian Lynch, showcases the intimate, soulful chemistry she’s developed with her touring band. Portrait also spotlights her burgeoning gifts as a lyricist, in ingenious arrangements that meld her thoughtful words with music by Charles Mingus, Sun Ra and her late mentor Barry Harris. 

Connect with Samara Joy:

Website / TikTok / Instagram / Facebook

Press Contacts:

Allison Elbl (Shore Fire) - aelbl@shorefire.com 

Taylor Perry (Shore Fire) - tperry@shorefire.com 

Erin Ryan (Verve Records) - Erin.Ryan@umusic.com