Best known for her Tony Award-nominated portrayal of Shug Avery in the Broadway musical version of The Color Purple, vocalist Elisabeth Withers is also a longtime singer/songwriter with a bent toward neo-soul and R&B. Born in Joliet, IL, Withers left home with a scholarship to study music at the Berklee School of Music in Boston. After graduating, she moved to New York City to attend NYU and graduated with a master's degree in 2000. Prior to her appearance on Broadway, Withers sang backup for a variety of artists, including Celine Dion and Jennifer Lopez. It was also during th...