Toya Alexis

Toya Alexis is a Canadian R&B vocalist from the Greater Toronto Area. She won a "Rising Star" contest and sang at the Apollo theatre. She first came into the Canadian consciousness as a contestant on the first season of "Popstars", a popular show that played on Global, and also had an American version on the WB. She did not win, but was featured on the debut album of the winners, who were dubbed Sugar Jones.

She next was seen as a contestant on the first season of "Canadian Idol" in 2003, reaching sixth place in a controversial decision as she was widely considered the best singer of the six. While on the show, she could be seen on several occasions executing notes in the whistle register reminiscent of those of Mariah Carey.Paralleling the controversy on "American Idol", the week Toya was voted off, she and the only other African-Canadian were included in the bottom three, which sparked talk of racially charged votingfact}. She was subsequently offered a recording contract, and released her first single, the Top 40 hit "Am I Loving?", in 2004. She also appeared as a guest vocalist on recordings by several other Canadian artists. Her full-length debut album, "S.O.B. Story", was released in August on Canadian Idol judge Farley Flex's label, Plasma. To date, "S.O.B. Story" has sold 159,000 copies, making Canadian platinum. She began touring with Esthero, a popular Canadian trip-hop artist, and was showcased with Esthero on the "Jimmy Kimmel Live" show in the United States. In 2005, she was a featured cast member as "Mabel" in the Canstage show "Crowns", at the Bluma Appel Theatre in Toronto.

Her other stage credits have included "Doo Wop to Motown" (Theatre on the Grand), "Once on This Island" (Stirling Festival Theatre), "Rainbow World" (Bathurst Street Theatre), "The Good Times Are Killing Me" (Royal Alex Theatre) and "Dreamgirls" (Co-production between Theatre Aquarius and the Manitoba Theatre Centre).

Idol performances

*Top 32 (Group 3) - "I Believe In You and Me" (Whitney Houston)
*Wildcard - "Try It on My Own" (Whitney Houston)
*Top 11 - "If You Asked Me To" (Celine Dion)
*Top 8 - "If You Really Love Me" (Stevie Wonder)
*Top 6 - "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" (Stevie Wonder)

ingles history

2002: "I Got U" (with Sugar Jones) (#70, Canadian Singles Chart)

2004: "Am I Loving?" (#36, Canadian Singles Chart)

2005: "Toy Boy" (#17, Canadian Singles Chart)

2006: "Where Did Our Love Go?" (#29, Canadian Singles Chart)

Discography

Albums
*"S.O.B. Story" (August 2 2005)

"'Singles
*"Am I Loving?"
*"Toy Boy"
*"Where Did Our Love Go?"

Videos

"Featured on"
*"Canadian Idol Greatest Moments" (2003) (track 11 singing "Try It on My Own")

*"Sugar Jones" (2001) (featured on "I Got U")

External links

* [http://www.toyaalexisonline.com Toya Alexis Official Site]