Kingdom Jewels
Emerald Highlights
Lesley J. Neely is a native of Baltimore, Maryland. Raised in the Pentecostal church, she experienced a wealth of music all around her. Being exposed to recording choirs around the city, being home with music was when the love for it began. As an only child, she spent lots of time alone. In this alone time, Lesley stumbled across her mother’s record collection. The world renowned Richard Smallwood’s Psalm 100 album was part of it. She experienced the most warm and inviting melodies she’d ever heard. At age eight, music became her friend. To know who the people on the record were, Lesley began reading the liner notes from the album. This is something that she enjoys doing to this day.
One Saturday at church during the children’s choir rehearsal, the opportunity for a solo arose. Lesley was asked by her choir director to try out for the part. Shyness took a backseat and she took the mic and sang the part to perfection. The leader of the choir took Lesley under her wing and began training her on how to train a choir. The Winans were the next group that influenced her musical development. She used this recording to train her ear and became fluent in establishing harmonies. This lead to Lesley being a choir director for 16 years.
As the years progressed, singers around the city began to notice Lesley’s ability to sing effectively. One Easter Sunday, she walked up to Jonathan Nelson and said, “I love what you are doing with this choir. If you ever do anything musically, give me a call.” Within a few weeks, he was calling her to sing background for gospel artist Karen Clark Sheard. This was the beginning her career as a BGV. Subsequently, Jonathan began the group “Purpose” and it was just what Lesley needed. She became and is still a member of this recording entity, with five nationally released recordings to date. As the years go on, Lesley would be fortunate to participate in records for such artists as David Frazier (I Need You To Survive), Darien Dennis (One God), The Potters House of Denver with Grammy ® award winning producer Steve Lawrence, and as a background vocalist on the Grammy ® award winning recording Break Every Chain with Tasha Cobbs.
Lesley ventured out to audition for a renowned gospel artist. When not selected for the assignment, she chose to create an avenue for singers to be selected for singing jobs, and a place for singer development.
I Breathe Melody was born out of this experience. The company was launched in 2013 and has successfully completed BGV and session work for David Frazier (Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs Vol. IV) and Steve Lawrence (The Potters House Denver – Lord of the Nations). In 2014, I Breathe Melody hosted its first …In Session Day Workshop for singers. The vision is to connect singers with education for longevity in the entertainment industry. Lesley currently resides in Baltimore, Maryland with her son, Cameron, who is an up and coming music producer in the R&B genre. Lesley continues to create a legacy of music, impacting her city and beyond.