Leela James

From Discogs:

American R&B/Soul singer, songwriter and actress born in Los Angeles, California on June 2, 1983.

From Lastfm:

Leela James is a Los Angeles native and soul singer who cites James Brown, Roberta Flack, and Gladys Knight, among others, as influences. Her deep, rich and gritty vocals easily draw comparisons to Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight. In 2004, James toured as an opening act for the Black Eyed Peas and Macy Gray. That same year, she was featured on hip hop producer, DJ, and emcee Pete Rock's album Soul Survivor II, providing vocals to the track "No Tears".

Read more about Leela James on Last.fm.

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From Wikipedia:

Leela James (born June 2, 1983 in Los Angeles, California) is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter. James cites legendary singers James Brown, Roberta Flack, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Gladys Knight, Mavis Staples, and Stevie Wonder as her influences. Her deep, rich, gritty vocals have drawn comparisons to Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, and Tina Turner.