Celebrated Subway Star Alice Tan Ridley, Who Captivated NYC Before Becoming a Recording Artist, Passes Away at 72
Alice Tan Ridley, who spent three decades captivating subway riders in New York City as a gospel and R&B singer, gained wider recognition when she appeared on NBC’s America’s Got Talent and released her first studio album at the age of 63, has passed away at the age of 72.
Ridley died on March 25 in New York, as announced by her family. She is survived by her daughter, Oscar-nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe.
Born on December 21, 1952, in Charles Junction, Georgia, Ridley was the seventh of eight children. In a 2016 profile, she shared how she was influenced by jazz and gospel music, citing artists like Aretha Franklin as inspirations.
After graduating from Stewart County High School in 1959, Ridley moved to New York in 1971, where she obtained her teaching license from the New York State Board of Education and had two children.
She taught special-needs children at P.S. 134 in the Kensington neighborhood of Brooklyn. After losing her job and going through a divorce, Ridley began earning a living by singing for tips in the subway, mainly at the Herald Square station.
“I was a big secret,” Ridley remarked about her time busking in the subway. “With so many people passing by, I wondered, ‘Why doesn’t somebody introduce me to someone who could help me out?’”
In 2002, she won $25,000 on the pilot episode of Fox’s 30 Seconds to Fame and was a contestant on Showtime at the Apollo in 2005. That same year, she performed “Amazing Grace” in the David LaChapelle documentary Rize and “America the Beautiful” in the film Heights, featuring Elizabeth Banks and Glenn Close. Ridley also performed at Harlem’s Cotton Club for many years.
At the age of 58, Ridley was discovered in the subway by Israeli student Dvir Assouline, who began managing her in 2010. “Whenever I saw her performing, there were always hundreds of people around her,” he said. “She brought joy to so many people every day.”
In 2010, she auditioned for America’s Got Talent with Etta James’ classic “At Last,” captivating the judges with her raw power and charm, and she advanced to the semifinals.
In September 2016, at the age of 63, she released her debut album, Never Lost My Way, featuring a mix of her favorite songs and original compositions she created with producer Jay Stolar. The album addressed emotional themes such as watching her children grow and coping with a cheating partner.
Previously, in 2010, she had recorded a homemade album, Spread Your Wings, consisting of a CD of songs.
Following her appearance on America’s Got Talent, Ridley and her seven-piece band performed at various venues, including B.B. King’s club in New York and performing arts centers across the U.S. She also toured internationally, performing in countries such as Argentina, Germany, Uruguay, Morocco, Romania, and The Netherlands, and contributed vocals to the pop song “Good Feeling,” featured in commercials for Buick and Royal Caribbean Cruises.
Ridley returned to her roots, performing in the subway again in 2014. “When I was no longer down there, I missed it,” she shared.
While Ridley enjoyed a busy touring schedule through her 60s, she retired in 2018 due to health issues related to dementia.
In addition to her daughter, she is survived by her son, Ahmed; siblings James and Tommy; sisters Julia and Mildred; and her twin grandchildren, Cooper and Maya. She was preceded in death by her sister, Dorothy Pittman Hughes, a civil rights activist, and her brother, singer Roger Ridley.
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