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 a million views.

 

Essie has wowed audiences with her performance in Remember Jones' production, Back to Back to Black: An Amy Winehouse Celebration, which was featured this past year in Rolling Stone Magazine. This show has featured several sold out runs and Essie has been described in the show as a stand out performer. 

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Essie has been honored to be featured as a vocalist in other in demand Remember Jones productions such as Bat out of Hell featuring Max Weingberg (E-Street Band) on drums reprising his studio recording of the original album live. She has also served as a co-conductor of the choir for Yas Queen! the Remember Jones' 25 piece queen tribute.

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Making her orchestral pops debut this past year, Essie was honored to perform as the female soloist for Andrew Lipke's "MTV Unplugged" pops concert with the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra. 

 

 Since 2018, Essie has been a member of Come Together: A Trip Down Abbey Road with annual sold out performances (World Cafe Live, Philly). Essie has had the privilege to curate and music direct many shows across genres including a funk show with legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Famed, Michael Hampton “Kidd Funkadelic” of George Clinton’s Parliament Funkadelic. One of her most cherished experiences was singing with the Invitational house band at John & Peter's fronted by Mickey Melchiondo (Dean Ween) and many other outstanding musicians. 

 

Classically Essie's work 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.