Biography
LaShell Griffin, a 36-year-old Detroit resident and stay-at-home mother of five, claimed the top spot in Oprah Winfrey’s inaugural Pop Star Challenge, an initiative created to counter the youth emphasis of programs such as Star Search and American Idol. Her fusion of gospel and R&B vocal textures, paired with an approachable stage presence during renditions of “One Moment in Time” and “The Greatest Love of All,” secured the competition’s principal award: a recording agreement with EMI Records. Griffin had first joined her church choir at age thirteen and quickly rose to become one of its featured soloists. Although her primary focus later shifted to raising her children and sustaining her marriage to husband Lee, himself a vocalist, she still participated in choir activities and accepted occasional wedding engagements whenever time permitted. While convalescing from a broken foot at home in November 2003, she learned of the Pop Star Challenge; together with Lee she submitted a recording of “Amazing Grace,” and within weeks received notification of her selection. Out of 15,000 entrants, Griffin advanced through both the semifinals and finals, earning the title of Oprah’s Pop Star in early 2004. Later that summer she issued her first album, Free, which combined elements of contemporary gospel and R&B.
Albums
