He is what the old folks say, is an “old soul”.
Leon Bridges (born Todd Michael Bridges July 13, 1989) is a gospel and soul singer and songwriter from Fort Worth, Texas. He is best known for his song “Coming Home“, which received regular airplay and was also a Top 10 Most Viral Track on Spotify.
Bridges began his career by writing songs and learned guitar in order to play simple chords to accompany his lyrics. He played at open-mic nights around Fort Worth, like the infamous Forever Jamboree at The Grotto, while working as a dishwasher until he was signed by Columbia Records in 2014. It was his song “Lisa Sawyer”, about his mother’s conversion, that first defined his style.
His music is often likened to that of Otis Redding and Sam Cooke — and his penchant for mid-century fashion would have blended right in on their album covers, too. “For inspiration, I go online and search ‘Chicago 1950s’ or ‘New York 1950s.’ I love how back then wearing a suit was the norm and the way they dressed was clean and it fit,” says Bridges, 26. “Especially compared to skinny jeans.”
After finding his voice, 26-year-old Leon Bridges has completely immersed himself in soul. He released his debut album, ‘Coming Home,’ in June of 2015 to critical and public acclaim. “I’m not saying I can hold a candle to any soul musician from the ’50s and ’60s,” Bridges says, “but I want to carry the torch.”