5 Questions With ... Sonia Leigh

Singer/songwriter Sonia Leigh was the recent guest for an installment of The Recording Academy's 5 Questions With … series. Held at The Academy's headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif., Leigh discussed music education, the story behind her song "Ain't Dead Yet," advice for aspiring musicians, and her new album, 1978 December, among other topics.

"My new record basically envelops all different styles of my writing," said Leigh. "It paints a picture of who I am and where I've been."

Born to a musician father, Leigh received her first guitar at age 10 and soon developed a style blending Southern country, blues and rock. She moved to Atlanta at 17 where she met GRAMMY winner Zac Brown, with whom she subsequently performed and worked on several projects. Leigh released three independent albums, 1998's Remember Me, 2000's Laundry and 2007's Run Or Surrender, before landing a contract with Brown's Southern Ground label. Released in September, 1978 December features eight tracks written by Leigh, plus two co-written with Brown. "When I first saw Sonia Leigh perform, I knew she was a star and I knew I wanted to be by her side and create something special together," wrote Brown on his Southern Ground website. Leigh is currently on tour throughout the United States.

Come back to GRAMMY.com next week to view Leigh's exclusive performance at The Recording Academy.

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