Biography
Celeste Epiphany Waite, known professionally as Celeste, was born on May 5, 1994, in Los Angeles, California, and raised in Saltdean near Brighton, UK, after moving there as a child. From a young age, she showed a passion for music, influenced by family exposure to Aretha Franklin and self-discovered artists like Thelonious Monk via YouTube, while singing hymns at her church in Brighton. At 16, the death of her father from lung cancer inspired her first song, 'Sirens,' which she uploaded to YouTube and caught the attention of a manager. After graduating from Varndean College with studies in Music Technology, she gigged locally, worked at a pub, and began uploading tracks to SoundCloud in 2014, providing vocals for electronic producers like Avicii on 'Touch Me' and Tieks on 'Sing That Song.'[1][2][5]
Fun Facts
- Elton John named 'Both Sides of the Moon' from her 2019 EP Lately as a favorite, boosting her profile.[2]
- James Corden publicly praised her single 'Strange,' tweeting 'I dare you not to love her.'[2][5]
- She wrote 'Daydreaming' while working at a pub in Brighton, dreaming of performing at Carnegie Hall.[2]
- Moved to London in 2017 with just £100 and got fired from her job for prioritizing music studio time.[4]
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Aretha Franklin - early musical inspiration discovered through family (general influence on soulful style) [childhood]
- Thelonious Monk - self-discovered jazz influence via YouTube (shaped jazzy R&B sound) [age 14]
- Billie Holiday - stylistic comparison in soulful, jazzy delivery (overall musical style) [ongoing]
- Amy Winehouse - frequently compared for soulful R&B sound (overall career style) [ongoing]
Key Collaborators
- Avicii - provided vocals for electronic track ('Touch Me') [2014]
- Tieks - provided vocals for dance single ('Sing That Song') [2014]
- Lily Allen - debut single and EP via her label Bank Holiday Records ('Daydreaming' (2016), The Milk & the Honey EP (2017)) [2016-2017]
- Janelle Monáe - supporting tour act (Columbiahalle show in Berlin) [2019]
- Michael Kiwanuka - supporting tour (November 2019 tour) [2019]
Connection Network
External Links
References
Heard on WWOZ
Celeste has been played 1 time on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.
| Date | Time | Title | Show | Spotify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 10, 2026 | 01:28 | This Is Who I Amfrom Woman Of Faces | Adjacentw/ Benny Poppins |