Carol Addison-Lewis knows how to shine. After all, she was born to do it.
With her soulful, powerful voice, big smile and stunning fashion ensembles, the vocal legend knows exactly how to draw in her audiences, having performed songs from her three albums for decades on stages across the world.
Later this year, the New York-based singer is set to launch a fourth album, Life is Good, a full album with a mixture of some new, as well as some re-dos.
“Life is Good, that’s also the name of the title song on the album. And I’m not sure if the launch would develop into a huge performance, like a stage presentation featuring myself, or whether or not it would be a smaller activity of just focusing on the launch and projecting the new music.”
She is also preparing to launch her book, which she describes as a “kind of” biography.
“It is called Born to Shine, obviously. There is a lot of biographical information, but there are some additions. I’m also going to have an adjunct to my book, which would be a book of poetry,” she told WE.
She is considering doing a dual launch of both the album and the book around the same time, or even at the same event.
“I’m waiting for appropriate advice on what’s the best thing to do, but it is my goal to have everything finished around the same time.”
The last time Addison-Lewis performed in T&T was in September 2025 at the gala opening of a charitable exhibit, Paintings in the Garden, at the Central Bank Auditorium. Less than a year later, on June 20, her voice will ring through the Winifred Atwell Auditorium, Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s at Just for Dad, a Father’s Day show produced by John Gill. The show will also feature vocalist Carol Jacobs, pannist Dane Gulston and reigning Calypso Monarch Terri Lyons.
Addison-Lewis said she is excited to be a part of an event that showcases Gulston’s energetic talent, Jacob’s mixture of soul with other genres of music, and the way in which Lyons puts her heart and soul into her performances.
“I’m looking forward to celebrating with the Trinidadians who are longing for this type of show. And the reason I said this type of show is because of the variety that is being offered. Each person honing their own skills, holding their end at a very high level and being able to present at optimum. And so I am expecting it to be a really grand event.”
But what she is even more excited about is the fact that one of her backup singers will be her only daughter, Mercedes Wilson.
“She’s a really tremendous singer,” a proud Addison-Lewis explained, hinting that it runs in the family, as her son Harmonie Lewis, too, can hold his own vocally. Wilson, she added, has some material recorded and is just waiting on the right time to release her own album.
Addison-Lewis said this trip will be quite memorable, as she seldom gets the opportunity to have Wilson travel with her.
“But she’s coming with me this time. So my backups will be Mercedes, and my two nieces, Jenna and Chrystal.”
She tried to recall the last time she had done a solo show in the country of her birth.
“Maybe the launch of my album, Born to Shine. It’s that long that I did something by myself. I’ve done many performances with other people and supported opening acts for foreign artistes. I remember Roberta Flack passing through town, and so many others. And I flew back home for some of those events. But a concert by myself, no. I haven’t done one in a number of years.”
Addison-Lewis began singing as a teenager in the 1970s. She quickly established herself as a prominent soul and pop vocalist and later migrated to the US on a musical scholarship, where she further developed her musical skills.
Addison-Lewis said a great part of her life has revolved around music, but now it’s from an even more spiritual and reflective perspective. She invests a great deal of her time and talent in her church and its ministry, the Brooklyn-based Hungry for God church.
“It’s called H4G for short, and I am part of the music department as one of the singers in the praise and worship team. I also help in the ministry at the church. It’s a very exciting church, and just a great place to be. The people there are very supportive and embracing and not complicated. So anyone walks in there just feels comfortable.”
She also does private praise and worship presentations at events hosted by other churches.
But even with all that she has going on, Addison-Lewis said she takes every opportunity she gets to fly home for a visit. So when she was asked by Gill to perform at Just for Dad, she jumped at the opportunity.
“John is somebody I respect and admire, so when he called and he told me he was planning to do this show and wanted to know if I was available, I just said ‘yes’ and pencilled in the date to make sure that I didn’t book anything else. I’m coming and I’m ready,” she chuckled heartily.
