B. J. 크로스비

B.J. Crosby brandished a talent that more than earned her a lifetime of applause as a recording artist and a stage actress alike. As a young woman, Crosby kicked off her career in the musical arts as a jazz and R&B singer. Later years brought her vocal acumen to Broadway, where she solidified her celebrity at the head of the cast of the long-running musical "Smokey Joe's Café" (1995). That star-making performance led her to additional theatrical roles, each one allowing for a new exhibition of just what Crosby was capable of delivering. Joanne Crayton was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. After branding herself with the stage name "B.J. Crosby," the blossoming music artist set out in the interest of artistic expression via collaboration with the jazz band Spectrum in the 1970s as well as with the likes of pianist Ellis Marsalis Jr. and Germaine Bazzle in the 1980s. Working with said artists, Crosby released the album The New Orleans Music on the blues-rock label Rounder Records. Crosby sought a music career not only in her native New Orleans, but in Los Angeles, California, moving out West in 1987, and then New York, New York, to which she relocated in '95. Almost immediately upon her arrival in the Big Apple did Crosby find the fortune she had been pursuing, as she landed a role in the new Broadway musical "Smokey Joe's Café" (1995). Crosby's turn in the production earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, as well as a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award nomination for Best Actress. Following her tour with "Smokey Joe's Café," Crosby lent her talents to two more Broadway musicals, "Chicago" (1996) and "One Mo' Time" (2002), as well as a national tour of the musical "Dreamgirls" (2004). Crosby then set aside stage acting to concentrate on a singing career, going on to release her first solo album: Best of Your Heart (2007). That same year, Crosby moved back home to New Orleans. One year later, she suffered a stroke that impeded further any musical performance. On March 27, 2015, Crosby died as a result of complications related to her stroke as well as diabetes. Surviving Crosby are her son Joseph Elloie, his father and Crosby's longtime friend Judge Charles Elloie, and Joseph's three children.