Jackie Richardson was born in Pennsylvania in 1947, moving to Toronto with her family in 1954. She is hailed as the “Canadian Queen of Jazz, Blues and Gospel”, with a career spanning more than five decades. Her father was a musician, and she began singing with the encouragement of her grandparents in the church where her grandfather was the deacon back in her hometown. In Toronto, she was a member of the girl-based group “The Tiaras” alongside her sister Betty Richardson. She would later go on to perform with the doo-wop group “The Platters” and became a regular performer for the Canadian Armed Forces.

Richardson performed alongside Joe Sealy on his Juno winning album, Africville, and numerous stage acts, including the Toronto Symphony. Her album A Woman’s View Through a Child’s Eye came out in 2003, and she was awarded a Maple Blues Award for lifetime achievement from the Toronto Blues Society. Richardson began developing a passion for the stage after joining a theatre group with her daughter Kim Richardson in the 70s. She performed roles alongside Salome Bey and performed in several Canadian productions and was featured in the 2020 Oscar Peterson’s documentary, Oscar Peterson: Black and White. A three-time nominee for the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television Gemini Award, Richardson won the Gemini Award for “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Miniseries” for The Gospel According to the Blues, in 2010.

In 2014, Richardson was acknowledged in the Toronto Star as one of 180 people who have helped shape the city since it was founded. She was made an Honorary Member of the Order of Canada in 2021. She has won many other awards as well for her performances and achievements and continues to inspire excellence for the Canadian arts.