Judith Hill, the exceptional singer from California, worked for many years as a backup singer before gaining widespread recognition through the talent show “The Voice.” She has been pursuing her solo career since 2015.

She encountered some of the music world’s biggest names at a very early age. And she was already accustomed to celebrity before she even knew what “being famous” meant. Judith Hill grew up in a home where her parents earned their living as musicians. Hill’s mother, Michiko, is a pianist; her father, Robert, is a bassist. Together, they’ve played with Bob Dylan, Wayne Shorter, and Chaka Khan, among others. Celebrities came and went at the Hills’ house—to rehearse, to record music, and to have a chat or two. Which, as Judith Hill recalls, was both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, because there was always something going on. And on the other, because there was rarely such a thing as family life.

Judith Hill now understands her parents’ way of life much better. Because she herself performs on stage, tours worldwide, and knows what it feels like to perform in the very bright spotlight. Judith Hill became known to a wide audience when she sang Michael Jackson’s “Heal the World” at his memorial service in 2009. Well-versed in soul, funk, and rhythm & blues, it was Prince who co-produced Hill’s debut album, “Back In Time,” in 2015—and from 2014 until his death in 2016, it was the singer who was Prince’s partner.

As a soul singer and songwriter, Judith Hill can belt it out, croon, and wail, and she has not only the voice but also the physical presence to fill stages with life and energy. Incidentally, Judith Hill’s live band is a shining example of a truly cross-generational project and a special kind of family bond: her mother, Michiko Hill, plays the keyboard, and her father, Robert “Peewee” Hill, plays bass. Why? Well, because to this day, both remain deeply connected not only to their daughter but also to Black music.