Debra Byrd

Page 5 – 5

Theatre

 

Barry Manilow at the Gershwin
BROADWAY CONCERT ORIGINAL
GERSHWIN THEATRE
222 W. 51ST ST.

 

André De Shields’ Haarlem Nocturne
BROADWAY ORIGINAL
LATIN QUARTER
200 W. 48TH ST., NEW YORK, NY

 

The Human Comedy
BROADWAY OPERA ORIGINAL
ROYALE THEATRE
242 W. 45TH ST.
MUSIC: GALT MACDERMOT
LIBRETTO: WILLIAM DUMARESQ

 

Ain’t Misbehavin’: The Fats Waller Musical
Alaska Repertory Theatre
Unknown Venue
1984
performer

Ain’t Misbehavin’ 3rd National Tour
Morris A. Mechanic Theatre
Baltimore, MD
The Royal Alexandra Theatre
Toronto, ON
Hanna Theatre
Cleveland, OH
and 5 other venues
September 25, 1979 – August 10, 1980

Filmography

2018 The Oscars (TV Special) (choir: “Mighty River”)
2014 The Oscars (TV Special) (vocal coach)
American Idol (TV Series) (vocal coach – 57 episodes, 2007 – 2012) (vocal arranger – 37 episodes, 2007 – 2010) (vocal arrangement and coach – 5 episodes, 2009)
– Final Judgement, Part 2 (2012) … (vocal coach)
– Final Judgment, Part 1 (2012) … (vocal coach)
– Performance Challenge (2012) … (vocal coach)
– Hollywood Round, Part 3 (2012) … (vocal coach)
– Hollywood Round, Part 2 (2012) … (vocal coach)

2004 The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata (Video) (vocal contractor)
2000 Arista Records’ 25th Anniversary Celebration (TV Special documentary) (playback singer)
1998 The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride (Video) (vocal contractor)
1986 Bob Dylan: Band of the Hand (Video short) (backing vocals)

Actress
2003 Deliver Us from Eva
Choir member
2001 Two Can Play That Game
Church choir
2001 Nikita Blues
Church Singer
1984 Threesome (TV Movie)
Pregnant Woman

Soundtrack 
2005 Canadian Idol (TV Series) (performer – 1 episode)
– Season Finale Results Show (2005) … (performer: “I’ll Never Love This Way Again”)
1994 Thumbelina (performer: “Let Me Be Your Wings (End Title Version)”)
1986 Bob Dylan: Band of the Hand (Video short) (performer: “Band of the Hand”)

Self 

2015 The Oscars (TV Special)
Self – Choir
2009-2012 American Idol (TV Series)
Self – Vocal Coach / Self – vocal coach
– Performance Challenge (2012) … Self – Vocal Coach
– Hollywood Round No. 1 (2009) … Self – vocal coach
2011 Majors & Minors (TV Series)

Vocal Coach

– One World – Part 1 (2011) … Self – Vocal Coach
2006 Idol Tonight (TV Series)
Self
– Episode dated 22 May 2006 (2006) … Self
2005 Canadian Idol (TV Series)
Self – Guest
– Season Finale Results Show (2005) … Self-Guest
2003 The Oprah Winfrey Show (TV Series)
Self
– Oprah Visits American Idol (2003) … Self
1993 Barry Manilow: Greatest Hits & Then Some (Video documentary)
Vocalist
1986 Hard to Handle: Bob Dylan in Concert (Video documentary)
Self
1986 Bob Dylan: Band of the Hand (Video short)
Self (voice)
1977 The Barry Manilow Special (TV Special)
Lady Flash
1977 The Mike Douglas Show (TV Series)
Self – R&B Vocalist
– Episode #16.112 (1977) … Self – R&B Vocalist

Saxophonist Ron Dziubla (Nick Waterhouse, Joe Bonamassa) interviews star vocal coach Debra Byrd (The Voice, American Idol).

 

Articles

 

~ REST IN PEACE 

July 19, 1951 – March 5, 2024

Rest in peace, Dear Debra* (Songbird)

 

“This is one of the saddest days of my life. I will miss you forever, my love” – Barry Manilow 

“She encouraged and supported us from the very beginning,” Jennifer Hudson  

“I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that no one was a better mentor, coach, teacher, or champion to us Idol contestants than Byrd was,”

 “No one spent more time with us. I’ll never forget her drilling into us how we needed to look right into the camera and connect with the audience at home. She was a light in so many lives. I am so lucky that I got to call her a friend.” – Clay Aiken

 “Debra had this indelible spirit about her that radiated any room she occupied. Her passion for life, music and helping others traveled far beyond her own experiences in the business, and into the lives of so many young aspiring singers & hopefuls like me. She was our first vocal coach on the show and I never forgot the positive lasting impression she made on me. Always encouraging and supportive well after our season ended, and all throughout my career! Rest easy Debra Byrd. You are loved!” – Elliott Yamin

 

Byrd collaborated with Bob Dylan in Australia on his tour, Hard to Handle: Bob Dylan in Concert, where he played with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Byrd was credited as a backup vocalist on Dylan’s “Band of the Hand” (from the film of the same name), which he recorded with Petty and his band. Stevie Nicks also served as a backup vocalist on that track.

She was a vocal coach on the Oscar telecast in 2014. On the telecast four years later, she was a member the choir singing behind Mary J. Blige on her Oscar-nominated song “Mighty River.”

Byrd also lent her talents to film soundtracks, including The Lion King 1 1/2, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride and Sister Act II.

NBC hired Byrd to oversee vocal production for their 2019 Super Bowl tribute to Prince, directed by Spike Lee.

Byrd had the starring role as Da Singer in the national touring company of Broadway’s Bring In ‘Da Noise, Bring In ‘Da Funk. Her theatrical credits also include The Human Comedy and André De Shields’ Haarlem Nocturne (both on Broadway in 2004) and the national tour of Ain’t Misbehavin.’ 

In the academic world, Byrd was chair of the vocal department at the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles. She also served as an artist in residence at the Berklee College of Music.​​  

 

HollywoodReporter.com January 11, 2011, Vocal Coach Debra Byrd Looks Back at a Decade of ‘American Idol’ – (click here to read)

PRESS RELEASE September 10, 2007, Famed Vocal Coach Debra Byrd Teams Up with Choreographer Stepp Stewart for Vocal and Dance Seminars  

myFOXla.com May 16, 2007, Entertainment Extra! Debra Byrd  

myFOXla.com May 16, 2007, Debra Byrd Can Help Your Voice – 

ESSENCE MAGAZINE June 2005 Vocal Coach – (click here to read)

Appearances 

  • THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
  • eTALK
  • JUDGE HATCHETT
  • LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY
  • E! NEWS DAILY
  • TV GUIDE CHANNEL
  • ACCESS HOLLYWOOD
  • GOOD DAY, LA
  • THE TONIGHT SHOW
  • ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT
  • FOX REALITY CHANNEL

  

Links 

LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 03: Vocal coach Debra Byrd attends Fox’s “American Idol” Finalist Party on March 3, 2011, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

http://www.debrabyrd.com/

http://www.debrabyrd.com/biography/biography.php

http://www.americanidol.com/news/view/pid/3552/

http://www.videosurf.com/debra-byrd-63917

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debra_Byrd

http://www.youtube.com

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/5747975/voice-coach-debra-byrd-named-vocal-chair-at-musicians-institute  

https://www.playbill.com/person/debra-byrd-vault-0000002356

YouTube.com November 17, 2009, Debra Byrd on YouTube – (click here to view)

YouTube.com September 5, 2008, AMERICAN IDOL: Debra Byrd – I’ll Never Love This Way Again – (click here to view)

https://www.abouttheartists.com/artists?search%5Bconditions%5D%5Bname%5D%5Bvalue%5D=Debra+Byrd&search_box_form_name_input=…SEARCHING…&search_type=artists&search%5Bconditions%5D%5Bname%5D%5Bop%5D=like

Getty Images

NYPL Photos © The New York Public Library, 2021 (Billy Rose Theatre Division).

 

Debra Byrd Dies: ‘American Idol’ & ‘The Voice’ Vocal Coach Was 72

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-13167441/Debra-Byrd-dies-72-American-Idol-vocal-coach.html

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/american-idol-the-voice-debra-byrd-tributes-1234982929/

https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/debra-byrd-dead-american-idol-vocal-coach-obituary-1235626739/

https://lamag.com/music/debra-byrd-american-idol-vocal-coach-tribute

~*

This is one of the saddest days of my life. I just can’t wrap my mind around the fact that Debra Byrd is no longer with me.
She was one of the most wonderful friends I’ve ever had.
I will miss you forever, my love.
– Barry Manilow
*
Heartbroken over the passing of Debra Byrd, the vocal coach on American Idol. She encouraged and supported us from the very beginning! I am so grateful for everything she taught us. She will be dearly missed, but her legacy lives on through the music of countless artists she influenced during her lifetime.
– Jennifer Hudson
*
“I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that no one was a better mentor, coach, teacher, or champion to us Idol contestants than Byrd was, no one spent more time with us. I’ll never forget her drilling into us how we needed to look right into the camera and connect with the audience at home. She was a light in so many lives. I am so lucky that I got to call her a friend.”
– Clay Aiken

(c) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED – Dale Shields / iforcolor.org

Pages:

iforcolor

ARCHIVIST, EDUCATOR, HISTORIAN, and ARTiST
Dale Ricardo Shields is a 2017 winner of The Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award®, 2017 and 2015 Tony® award nominee for the Excellence in Theatre Education Award, the 2017 AUDELCO/"VIV" Special Achievement Award, 2020, 2021, and 2022 ENCORE AWARD / The Actors Fund and winner of the 2022.

Recently, he won the 2022 Legend Award from his alma mater Ohio University.

He is the 2021 winner of the Paul Robeson Award, presented (jointly) by the Actors Equity Association and the Actors Equity Foundation.

Research Accomplishments:
His extensive professional credits as a Director, Stage manager, and Actor (Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway, and Regional) As an actor he has appeared on Saturday Night Live, Another World, Guiding Light, The Cosby Show, and the ITV television series "Special Needs" and commercials and film.

Professor Shields is a member of the Actors Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and the American Guild of Musical Artists performance unions and an associate member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.

He began his artistic academic career in New York City at Playwrights Horizon, The South Bronx Action Theatre, and Mind Builders, and then was invited to join the teaching staff at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre (New York Shakespeare Festival). He represented the United States for Theatre Young Audiences at the ASSITEJ Theatre Festival in London, England.

He has been a Professor and Visiting Artist at Ohio University, The College of Wooster, Denison University, Macalester College, Randolph- Macon College, Susquehanna University, and SUNY Potsdam.

He holds B.F.A and M.F.A, Degrees from Ohio University.

Website(s)

Iforcolor.org [Research]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Ricardo_Shields [Career]