Singer Alice Tan Ridley, the mother of actress Gabourey Sidibe, has passed away at the age of 72. The singer died on March 25 in New York City.
Alice became popular when she appeared on the renowned show America’s Got Talent in 2010 and wowed judges when she sang a cover of Etta James’ “At Last” during the show.
After her performance, judge Sharon Osbourne marveled, “Alice, millions of people must’ve gone back and forth on that subway over the 20 years. How come nobody signed you?”
Ridley stood out because she chose to join the show later in life, at the age of 58, proving it’s never too late to chase your dreams. ‘ Although the singer didn’t win the show, she made it to the semifinals of season five. She also continued to chase her dreams by releasing her first album, Never Lost My Way, in 2016 at age 63.
Before joining AGT, Ridley often performed at New York City subway stations and was known as “a pillar of the New York City singing circuit,” according to her obituary. The Georgia native was also a paid singer at Harlem’s Cotton Club for their “Brunch and Gospel” on Sundays and appeared on Showtime at the Apollo in 2005. Additionally, Alice performed “Amazing Grace” in David LaChapelle’s 2005 documentary Rize.
Creativity runs in Alice’s family—in a past interview, she touched on where her talents emanated.
“I come from a huge family that’s been in the world,” she told The New York Times in 2016. “Every one of us sings or plays music.”
Singing aside, Alice taught special needs kids at PS 134 in New York for several years before losing her job and getting a divorce from her ex-husband Ibnou Sidibe.
The beloved mother is survived by two children—her Oscar-nominated daughter Gabourey and her son Ahmed Sidibe. She’s also survived by her grandchildren Cooper and Maya, whom Gabourey gave birth to in April 2024 with husband Brandon Frankel. Additionally, she’s survived by four siblings, which include two brothers—James D. “Jimmy” Ridley and Tommy Lee “Tom-Tom” Cherry—and two sisters, Julia Van Mater-Miller and Mildred Ridley Dent. The former singer was the seventh of eight children.