Leah LaBelle Vladowski (September 8, 1986 – January 31, 2018), known professionally as Leah LaBelle, was a Canadian-born American R&B singer, signed to Epic Records/So So Def Recordings. LaBelle was the twelfth-place finalist on the third season of American Idol, as the wild card selection of Paula Abdul. In April 2012, she was reportedly recording her debut studio album and a single was released. She also gained popularity and a large following by posting cover videos on YouTube for several years.
She was born Leah LaBelle Vladowski on September 8, 1986, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the only child of Troshan and Anastasia Vladowski. Troshan and Anastasia, musicians and immigrants to the United States, defected from communist Bulgaria during a tour of Western Europe in 1979 with the Bulgarian pop music groups Srebyrnite grivni and Tonika. LaBelle graduated from Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington in 2005 and attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.