Laura Izibor

Laura Elizabeth Arabosa Izibor was born on May 12, 1987, in Dublin, Ireland. She is the fourth of five children, born to an Irish mother and a Nigerian father. Her interest in music began after singing in drama class. She started writing songs at age 13 and taught herself piano by age 14. At 15, Izibor gained national attention after winning the RTÉ 2FM Song Contest with her song “Compatible,” which received significant airplay. This early success led to a documentary about her by RTÉ, highlighting her emerging talent.

At 17, Izibor signed with Jive Records. She subsequently moved to New York and signed with Atlantic Records, guided by her mentor, Steve Lunt. In 2006, she received a nomination and won an award at the Meteor Music Awards, making her the first unsigned artist to achieve this recognition. Her debut album, “Let the Truth Be Told,” was released in May 2009. The album debuted at number two on the Irish Albums Chart and also charted on the U.S. Billboard 200 and the U.K. Album Chart. The single “From My Heart to Yours” reached number twenty-five on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in 2008. “Shine,” another single, peaked at number twenty-one on the Irish Singles Chart in 2009 and gained visibility through its use in film and television advertisements. Her song “Don’t Stay” was released in 2009 and reached number fifty-eight on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Izibor’s music has been featured in various films and television shows. Her song “Carousel” was included on the soundtrack for “P.S. I Love You” (2007). “Mmm…” appeared in “Step Up 2: The Streets” (2008), “Why Did I Get Married?” (2007), “Seven Pounds” (2008), and in episodes of “One Tree Hill” and “Bones.” She also appeared as an actress in “One Tree Hill” in 2010, playing Erin Macree across seven episodes, and as Gemma Arrington in one episode of “Bones” in 2010. Her musical contributions expanded to writing and performing songs for movies like “A Little Bit of Heaven” (2011) and “For Colored Girls” (2010), and her compositions have been featured in recent TV series such as “I May Destroy You” (2020) and “Diggstown” (2020). Izibor released the EP “The Brooklyn Sessions Vol. 1” in 2012, featuring new material.