Album Notes

"Singer/songwriter Markeisha Ensley brings a rare passion to her work. Her soulful voice, arresting & compelling, soars over her beautifully-crafted melodies & lyrics. She will undoubtedly have a long future in the music industry."
Bob Leone
Projects Director (1988-2006)
Songwriters Hall of Fame

With soulful vocals and impassioned lyrics, Markeisha Ensley is a dynamic singer and songwriter. Her music is organic and comes straight from the soul, encompassing the full spectrum, from love and spirituality to joy and pain. She has a voice that embodies honey and velvet, the deep-felt low notes of Gladys Knight and the spiraling high notes of early Whitney Houston, but the sound is all Markeisha’s. The most striking thing about the NYC based singer/songwriter, however, is her soul. While listening to the words of her heart, enveloped by her depth and warmth, one is greatly touched. Markeisha graces the stage with a powerful presence and invites the audience to come along for an unforgettable ride.

Born in Lincoln, Nebraska and raised in Colorado, Markeisha’s love affair with music began in the church. She joined the church choir at age seven and fell in love with the heartfelt richness of gospel music. She also discovered acting and theatre, particularly the musical Annie, and proceeded to parade around the house belting out the show’s famous tunes. Markeisha continued singing, performing in various talent shows around the area throughout middle and high schools.

Following high school graduation, the singer left Colorado and moved to New York City to attend New York University. It was in the school’s practice rooms where she first discovered her passion for songwriting. Refining her skills as a pianist, she spent many nights in the small refuge of a windowless room occupied by a lone piano. Markeisha later graduated NYU cum laude with a degree in music business and spent the next year and a half working in publicity at Elektra Records. Still harboring a desire to sing and act, she later received her Actor’s Equity card and performed in various musicals throughout New York. She was nominated for an AUDELCO award for her lead role in the musical Jamaica in 2001. She then further developed her acting techniques at the prestigious Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York City.

In 2006, Markeisha released her first full length CD, Ready, which she co-produced with Adam Parness for Parns Music Productions. The soulful disc, with its hopeful message about love and life includes nine tracks penned by the singer. Two songs from that album, “The Strangest Thing” and “Loving You”, received Honorable Mentions in the 2006 Billboard World Songwriting Contest. She was recently featured as a Spotlight Member with the Songwriter's Guild of America and is an ASCAPlus Award winner. Markeisha has performed around New York City in such notable venues as The Bitter End, The Cutting Room, and Rockwood Music Hall.

She is a member of Songwriter's Hall of Fame/NAPM where she studied songwriting under Lorraine Ferro. Markeisha also performs with Life Beat’s Hearts and Voices program, the music industry’s organization fighting AIDS. She is currently saving money and preparing for a 2008 summer tour while writing new material for her second album.