Ann Nesby

Ann Nesby, born Lula Ann Bennett on July 24, 1955, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and producer whose work spans R&B, gospel, and dance music. She gained widespread recognition as the lead vocalist of Sounds of Blackness, a Grammy Award-winning ensemble with which she performed on tracks including "I Believe," "Optimistic," "I'm Going All the Way," "Soul Holiday," and "The Pressure." The group received Grammy Awards in both 1991 and 1993.

Nesby launched her solo recording career in 1996 with the debut album I'm Here for You, which reached No. 27 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 157 on the Billboard 200. That same year, her recording of "Lovin' Is Really My Game" climbed to number one on the Billboard Dance Club chart. She continued releasing albums through the following decades, including Put It on Paper (2002), which peaked at No. 8 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 62 on the Billboard 200, as well as Make Me Better (2003), In the Spirit (2006), This Is Love (2007), and The Lula Lee Project (2009). The latter debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart and included a duet with Calvin Richardson titled "Love Has Finally Come at Last," which earned Nesby a Grammy nomination. That project was co-written and produced with RL of Next and collaborator Brian "B-Flat" Cook. Additional albums include Living My Life (2014) and ANNiversary (2025), a collection of original R&B music centered on themes of love, emotional maturity, and empowerment. Across her solo career, Nesby has received six Grammy nominations.

On Broadway, Nesby appeared in Tina in 2022, a credit that followed her work on the national tour of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. Her stage work is complemented by an extensive screen career. Her television credits include three episodes of Hap and Leonard (2018) as Blind Tillie, nine episodes of Queen Sugar (2021–2022) as Sandy Leflore, a 2022 appearance in Atlanta as Evelyn, and roles in The Ms. Pat Show (2024) and Corinthia (2024). Her film appearances include The Fighting Temptations (2003) as Aunt Sally Walker, What My Husband Doesn't Know (2012) as Elenor, and God of Dreams (2022) as Grandma Mae.

In 2025, Nesby executive produced and narrated CIRILO, A Legacy Untold, an Oscar-qualifying documentary short examining the life of civil rights figure Cirilo McSween.