Toni Byrd

Toni Byrd, affectionately known as “The Velvet SongByrd,” is an internationally acclaimed jazz vocalist, song stylist, and recording artist whose voice blends elegance, soul, and storytelling in every performance. A celebrated songwriter and the 2014 Black Women in Jazz Award recipient, she also earned distinction as a semi‑finalist in the Indaba Music Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition that same year. Her artistry extends beyond the stage. Byrd delivered a memorable performance as Ida Belle in the 2012 feature film Lawless, directed by John Hillcoat and starring Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, Jason Clarke, and Gary Oldman. Based in Atlanta, the Memphis native has also contributed background vocals to the television pilot Still the King, starring Billy Ray Cyrus. In 2014, Byrd made history as the first female vocalist to perform at the American grand opening of Pinewood Studios in Fayetteville, Georgia—home to major productions from the James Bond, Marvel, and Pirates of the Caribbean franchises. One of her most treasured honors came in December 2016, when she performed at the White House under the President Obama Administration.
 
Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Byrd launched her professional music career in 1996. Her father, Lionel Byrd, a member of the 1960s group The 4 Kings, immersed her in a rich musical world spanning gospel, jazz, R&B, pop, funk, and country. Inspired by the legendary opera singer Leontyne Price, Byrd developed a vocal style marked by warmth, clarity, and emotional depth. Her musical influences read like a hall of fame: Nat King Cole, Aretha Franklin, Nancy Wilson, Roberta Flack, Ella Fitzgerald, Karen Carpenter, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick, Natalie Cole, Gladys Knight, Anita Baker, Yolanda Adams, Andre Crouch, and The Hawkins Family. “I am grateful to my father and those incredible vocal icons who shaped my early musical development and helped me discover my own unique voice,” she reflects.

Byrd’s first recording appearance came in 1979 on a live project produced by David Porter, the legendary Stax Records songwriter and National Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee. She later recorded with the Stellar Award–nominated choir Billy Rivers & The Angelic Voices of Faith on their 1999 album Gotta Lift Him. Her debut jazz project, No Greater Love… Remembering Billie Holiday (2010), showcased her interpretive depth, while her 2017 Gospel Jazz release, Forever You’re My God, earned four Rhythm of Gospel Award nominations, including EP/Digital Album of the Year and Best Performance by a Female Artist.
 
In 2021, Byrd shared the stage with Grammy Award–winning icon Peabo Bryson, performing duets on two of his most beloved classics: “Tonight I Celebrate My Love” and “A Whole New World.” She has opened for or performed alongside a remarkable roster of artists, including Gladys Knight, Kenny G, Alex Bugnon, Wycliffe Gordon, Andre Crouch, Vickie Winans, and Take 6. She has also hosted after‑parties for Norman Brown, Eric Darius, Pieces of a Dream, Richard Elliot, George Benson, and Boney James. Byrd was the featured artist at a tribute event preceding the legendary Dionne Warwick, receiving personal praise from Ms. Warwick herself.
 
Byrd continues to captivate audiences with her acclaimed big band production, Toni Sings Natalie… A Tribute to Natalie Cole, released in 2019. Her performances have reached audiences across the UK, Portugal, Berlin, the Czech Republic, and throughout the United States, including The Jazz Corner (SC), Tuskegee University, St. Simons Island, The Good Times Jazz Bar & Restaurant, and The Jazz Loft. In Atlanta, she has graced some of the city’s most iconic stages, including Mercedes‑Benz Stadium, The Rialto Center for the Arts, The Fox Theatre, and the beloved Churchill Grounds.



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