
Crystal Wise
On Tuesday, Feb. 4, Abraham Alexander will step onto the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” stage, guitar in hand, adding another surreal milestone to a journey that has already defied the odds. The Fort Worth singer-songwriter, alongside Black Pumas’ Adrian Quesada, will perform “Like A Bird,” the soulful ballad that just earned them an Oscar nomination for the prison drama “Sing Sing.” For Alexander, it’s not just another performance — it’s the latest chapter in a life shaped by struggle, reinvention, and an unshakable belief in the power of music.
Born in Greece to Nigerian immigrant parents, Alexander grew up in a world of sunlit streets and ancient ruins. But even in the land of philosophers, he felt like an outsider.
“I wasn’t really accepted,” he said in our May 2023 cover story. “I just knew there was always something different about me. Kids would treat me differently... it was an interesting juxtaposition to be in.”
By 11, his family left for Texas, searching for opportunity but finding tragedy instead. Nine months after their arrival, his mother was killed by a drunk driver, leaving Alexander lost in a new country with a language he barely spoke.
“It was extremely hard, extremely difficult, losing the one person that is an anchor when you’re between two places and three different cultures," he reflects. "I just felt a gap, and there was a sadness there.”
He found solace in soccer, earning a college spot, but an ACL tear erased that dream.
“That’s when my love for music took off,” he admits. “It was lack that fueled my creative being.”
Music, however, was waiting in the wings. A chance meeting with Leon Bridges led to Alexander singing backup on Coming Home, and soon, he was playing open mics, opening for Ginuwine, and quitting his day jobs to chase something bigger.
“I just remember thinking, ‘I’m gonna give this a shot,’” he recalls.
He released his self-titled EP in 2019, signed with Mahogany Records, and by 2023, dropped his full-length debut, SEA/SONS, a critically acclaimed meditation on loss, identity, and hope.
“It’s magical to be honest,” he says of his journey. “To go from where I was to where I am now — it’s all about taking those chances and living life.”
His journey has been anything but ordinary, and neither has his rise. From collaborating with Gary Clark Jr. and Mavis Staples to supporting The Lumineers, Black Pumas, and Charley Crockett, Alexander has carved out his place with raw honesty and a voice that echoes long after the song ends.
"That was what was bestowed upon me … If that didn’t happen, I wouldn’t be who I am today,” he reflects on the loss that shaped his artistic voice. Now, with “Like A Bird” carrying him to Hollywood’s biggest stage, his moment is here.
After Kimmel, after the Oscars, after another tour — we foresee he’ll do what he’s always done. Pick up his guitar. Pour his soul into every note. And remind the world that sometimes, the hardest roads lead to the most beautiful destinations.
“There’s no advice, really,” he says when asked about navigating loss. “It’s grace.”