Essie Riddle is an award-winning singer and songwriter born and raised in West Virginia. After moving to New Jersey in 2015 to pursue a Master’s degree in opera performance, she soon found a new love singing in rock and blues in bands across the New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia tri-state area.  Essie’s sound is soul with a bite in a dramatic rock and roll delivery. Most recently her new duo project Essie + Nap has made waves with their breakout single “Long Distance Lover” racking up over 700 million views.

 

Essie has wowed audiences with her performance in Andrew Napoli's production of Come Together: Abbey Road with three sold out performances (World Cafe Live, Philly). Essie has joined with legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Michael Hampton “Kidd Funkadelic” of George Clinton’s Parliament Funkadelic perform on with her production of her Essie & Friends Funk. Shewas honored to sing in the Invitational house band at John & Peter's fronted by Mickey Melchiondo (Dean Ween). Essie is a vocalist for stand out acts such as Remember Jones (Yass Queen Tribute, Kanye West 808s and Heartbreak), Jah People (Babylon by Bus), and is a member of the beloved Philly band Looseleaf.

 

Classically Essie can be heard as a Westminster Chorister on the Philadelphia Orchestra's 2020 release of Mahler: Symphony No. 8 (Live). She was fortunate during her time at WCC to share the stage at Carnegie Hall with the Berlin Philharmonic for Beethoven's 9th Symphony under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle, as well as several performances with the New Jersey State Orchestra.