Leslie Odom Jr was born in Queens, New York City to parents Leslie Lloyd Odom and Yvette Odom. His maternal great-great-grandfather was from Bridgetown, Barbados, and one of his maternal great-grandfathers was from South Africa.
Key Takeaways
- Lloyd, his father, was constantly occupied with his job in sales. His mother, Yvette, was a recreation worker who worked in nursing homes doing rehabilitation.
- He claims that although his parents were proud of him and had no interest in the stage at all, they were still incredibly loving and grounded.
Leslie Odom Jr. won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Aaron Burr in the musical Hamilton. In the same year, he received a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album, which further increased his notoriety.
Fans are in awe of his extraordinary talent as an actor and singer. He has released three solo jazz albums.
Since his performance at the World Series, the actor and singer has been receiving a lot of attention from baseball enthusiasts.
At Monday’s 2024 World Series, Odom performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the NY Yankees’ first home game against the LA Dodgers.
His ability to perform is demonstrated by the fact that MLB invited him to perform in the third game of the World Series. People were curious about his parents and upbringing because of his extraordinary talent and performance.
Born to African American Parents, Leslie Odom Jr.’s Father Was a Salesman
Leslie Lloyd Odom and Yvette Odom welcomed Leslie Odom Jr. into the world in Queens, New York City. Lloyd, his father, was constantly occupied with his job in sales. His mother, Yvette, was a recreation worker who worked in nursing homes doing rehabilitation.
He is shown to value his parents, despite the fact that not much is known about them or their upbringing. They undoubtedly stood by him no matter what and encouraged his passions.
Odom sang solos in the church choir while he and his family were members of Canaan Baptist Church in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood. His passion in music began to expand at that point.
Having a Conversation with New Beauty Odom Jr. recalls the lotion his mother used, saying,
I tend to develop a relationship with products, and then they hold a sentimental value for me. They’re not fancy but, for example, my mom—because of her eczema issues—got the whole family on to Eucerin, and that’s lotion that we all use now.
Via New Beauty
This explains his deep appreciation for his parents and how their principles and deeds continue to influence him now.
He claims that although his parents were proud of him and had no interest in the stage at all, they were still incredibly loving and grounded. Nevertheless, they continued to have faith in him and allowed him to pursue his interests.
Talking about his ancestry, One of his maternal great-grandfathers was from South Africa, and another maternal great-great-grandfather was from Bridgetown, Barbados, according to the episode on “Finding Your Roots.” Thus, he was African American with South African and Barbados ancestry.
The discovery of their true identity and their ancestry astounded Leslie Odom Jr. and his parents.
In Case You Did Not Know
- He went to Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts for high school and Julia R. Masterman School for middle school.
- Actress Nicolette Kloe Robinson and Odom were wed on December 1, 2012. Their son was born in March 2021, and their daughter was born in April 2017.
