Time To Get Mom Out Of The Subway!
But it sounds like she likes where she is just fine!
Precious breakout star Gabourey Sidibe's mother Alice Tan Ridley has been singing in the Times Square subway station 3 days a week for 18 years!
"My name is not on Gabby's paycheck," Alice explains. "For a while, I was teaching and doing the singing, burning the candle at both ends to support my family…" But now the songstress says she makes enough money singing in the subway to pay the bills and feed the kids.
Ridley has even traveled to Chile, Argentina and Germany to sing and she's been offered club gigs, but she prefers where she's at. "People always say, 'Why don't you sing in clubs?' I tell 'em, 'This is my club.'"
Gabby's mom was offered the role that Mo'nique ended up with as Precious' mother in the film, but she couldn't bring herself to do it saying, "Being a mom and a teacher, I just couldn't play that part. It was just too hard."
We're bet Mo'nique's happy that Alice opted out now that she's in the running for an Oscar!
Check out Alice's rendition of "Midnight Train To Georgia" — she can really belt it out!
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She's good.
wow,that was great.It brought me to the verge of tears[happy tears] super singing and the heart that goes with it.
love her had to watch again
She is great…………………….
sometimes my youtube is slow and the arrow keeps circling, so i have to let the whole thing run and then go back so it runs smoothly…its so annoying! like this commercial, its better in the bahamas! ugh!
she can SING her butt off! wow wow wow! this is true talent.
She's great!!!! There is another lady at the 51st and 3rd Ave station in a wheelchair that's just as good and another on Broadway/Fulton AC46JZM station as well…….one of the best things about NYC is its not so hidden talents
Amazing, Incredible and Wow! Go Goddess!!!
SHE is AWESOME! No wonder she can make a good living at it! Plus she gets to come and go as she pleases- better than a nightclub in that respect- and it's a day job- she can go home at night- rather than in a club screwing up one's circadian rhythm!
She can sing! that was great… although, every time I hear this song I can only think of ben stiller, jack black and RDJ as the pips on american idol a few years ago…
saw her last wednesday she's great! it makes the mad flow even better.
WOW! What a voice! Love it
wow….that was good. Everything is better in New York. Here in Philly the only thing you find in our subways are rats, perverts and thugs!
dayum she is awesome!!
She is amazing!!!! What an incredible voice!
The only reason for her to get out of the subway would be for her to be in a recording studio belting out those songs… WOW!!!
someone sign her..damn!
She's as good as the rest of 'em. How do we get her out of the subway and into Radio City Music Hall?
She's an artist.
X-Factor, Alice. X-Factor.
Beautiful!!
"My name is not on Gabby's paycheck," what a mother. Celeb parents who rely on their childrens paychecks, take note.
Wow. She looks like James Brown.
u go girl!!
She's awesome!
That's awesome! Genuine talent, and she's doing it her own way. Seriously, that's just awesome.