Ledisi to Portray Mahalia Jackson in New Biopic ‘Remember Me’

Jill Scott isn’t the only artist signed on for a future Mahalia Jackson project. Ledisi has a starring role in the upcoming biopic, Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story, based on Jackson’s life between 1956 and 1963 as the undisputed Queen of Gospel and as a civil rights activist who offered her allegiance to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Deadline reports. 

Aptly titled after a gospel standard by Jackson, the Denise Dowse-directed film, written by Ericka Nicole Malone, is incredibly special to Ledisi, a New Orleans, too. 

“I am honored to be given a chance to paint the world through Mahalia’s eyes and sing her songs,” shared Ledisi in a statement. “I am sharing space with so many amazing actors and with Ericka Nicole Malone’s words and being under the direction of the Great Denise Dowse’s I am thrilled to be telling the story of New Orleans Gospel Legend Mahalia Jackson.”

Malone added, “Remember Me is my personal thank you letter to the Queen of Gospel Mahalia Jackson, honoring her for her amazing legacy in Gospel Music, Civil Rights and her shining example of an extraordinarily, powerful Black woman.”

Columbus Short will portray Dr. King in the pic, while Janet Hubert and Wendy Raquel Robinson have co-starring roles.

In other news, Ledisi’s number-one single “Anything For You” is up for best traditional R&B performance at the 2021 Grammy Awards. The Wild Card, her newly-released independent album, was regarded as one of Rated R&B’s 30 best R&B albums of 2020.