Leah LaBelle Vladowski (born September 8, 1986), better known as Leah LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, currently signed to Epic Records/So So Def Recordings. LaBelle was the twelfth place finalist on the third season of American Idol, as the wild card selection of Paula Abdul. She is recording her debut studio album. She also gained popularity and a large following by posting Youtube cover videos, for several years.

LaBelle, born Leah LaBelle Vladowski on September 8, 1986 in Toronto, Canada, is the only child of Troshan and Anastasia Vladowski. Troshan and Anastasia, musicians and immigrants to the United States, defected from communist Bulgaria during a tour of Western Europe in 1979 with the Bulgarian pop music groups Sreburnite Grivni and Tonika.[citation needed] LaBelle graduated from Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington in 2005 and attended performing arts school, Berklee College of Music, in Boston, Massachusetts.[citation needed]

LaBelle has been performing, singing and dancing, publicly since 1990 but marks 1993 as the start of her pursuit of a music career. In 1997, LaBelle won the Washington State Pre-teen Miss America Pageant and was first runner-up in the National Pageant.[citation needed] In 1998 she joined Total Experience Gospel Choir and the Langston Hughes musical, Black Nativity over the following five years.[citation needed] In 2000, LaBelle was part of the WAM Network children's reality show, Caught in the Middle and continued on the show for two seasons.[citation needed] In 2002, LaBelle won the Grand Prize at KUBE 93.3 Summer Jam Idol and was the opening act at Summer Jam 20.[citation needed]