Judith Hill to Perform at JANM Gala

Judith Hill (MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS/Rafu Shimpo)

Singer-songwriter Judith Hill, along with her musician parents, Michiko and Pee Wee Hill, will be the featured performers at the Japanese American National Museum’s Gala Dinner and Silent Auction on April 21 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites in Los Angeles.

Hill has been a background singer for such legends as Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Ringo Starr, and the late Michael Jackson. She served as the latter’s duet partner on the classic ballad “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” which appeared on the posthumously released film “Michael Jackson’s This Is It.”

Hill also appeared in the Oscar-winning documentary “20 Feet from Stardom,” a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of several acclaimed background singers, and earned a Grammy Award for Best Music Film for her participation.

It was while competing during the fourth season of NBC’s “The Voice” that Hill began to cement her identity as a solo artist. Shortly after, she partnered with Prince and he co-produced her debut solo album, “Back in Time.” The album is an amalgam of soul, funk, blues, and jazz, and showcases Hill’s soulful, powerhouse voice and considerable songwriting prowess.

Hill earned a degree in music composition at Biola University, where she wrote her first symphony as well as pieces for piano, vocal groups, chamber ensembles, and string quartets.

Michiko and Pee Wee Hill are well-known Los Angeles-area funk and jazz musicians and arrangers. Michiko plays keyboards and Pee Wee is a bass player.

The theme of JANM’s 2018 Gala Dinner will be “Service to Democracy.” Sen. Mazie K. Hirono of Hawaii and activist Aiko Herzig Yoshinaga will be honored.

Presenting sponsors are the Aratani Foundation; MUFG Union Bank, N.A.; Terasaki Family Foundation; and Toyota Motor North America. Additional sponsorship and underwriting opportunities are still available and individual tickets for the event are now on sale. Visit http://janm.org/dinner2018 for all event details.

The evening will include JANM’s popular Lexus Opportunity Drawing, for which a new 2018 Lexus NX 300h vehicle will be the prize. Opportunity Drawing tickets are $25 each, $100 for five tickets, and $500 for 30 tickets. They can be requested by calling (213) 830-5641, sending an email to galadinner@janm.org, or downloading an order form from http://janm.org/dinner2018.