Beth Riley

Nnenna Freelon | Torch Singer

Like many great singers, Nnenna got her start singing in church as a child.  But singing perfect harmonies isn’t the only thing she got out of sitting in the pews – she also gained an understanding of what is lasting.  “Some of the younger singers appear to me to be not grounded.  They are after things that are fleeting.” Anyone who’s heard of Nnenna knows that she has a voice that could move a mountain.  What they might not know, if they haven’t had the chance to sit and talk with her awhile, is that she also has a spirit that could calm the sea.  Nnenna, a soon-to-be grandmother who reared three children before becoming a professional musician, exudes peace.  She believes everything has happened for her in due time.  “True freedom is the ability to choose.  I was able, because of my husband’s (architect Philip G. Freelon) support, to have my career and raise my children.  You can have it all; you just can’t have it all at the same time.”

More facts about Nnenna:

• Born in Cambridge, MA
• Has lived in North Carolina for 25 years
• Three children – Pierce, Deen, and Maya.
  

~Faith Dwight