Laith Al-Saadi

Biography

Laith Al-Saadi (born October 5, 1977) is an American blues musician from Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Al-Saadi gained nationwide recognition after he won a spot in the 2016 finale of the musical competition series The Voice.

Early life and education

Laith Al-Saadi first learned to sing with the Boys' Choir of Ann Arbor when he was four years old, and then started playing the guitar at age 13. His father is from Baqubah, Iraq and his mother is from Beverly Shores, Indiana. As a student of Ann Arbor's Community High School, he played in the school's jazz band.
Al-Saadi attended the University of Michigan and received a degree in jazz guitar and bass.

Long Time Coming, In the Round, and Real (1992–2014)

In 1992, Al-Saadi joined a local blues band called Blue Vinyl. The group was successful enough to tour the Netherlands, and landed gigs opening for Buddy Guy, Son Seals, Luther Allison, and Taj Mahal. In 2005, Al-Saadi released his first solo album, Long Time Coming×Long Time Coming2004 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Breathe5:462Circle4:213Mystified5:514Misbehave5:265In Time3:236Everything3:387Turn It Around4:418If4:369Who Turned Out the Lights5:4310Run to You7:02. In 2006, Al-Saadi was named "King of the Blues" for the Northern United States by Guitar Center, "making him one of top four blues guitarists in the country". In 2008, Al-Saadi released In the Round. 2013 saw the release of Real, a live-in-the-studio set with Al-Saadi backed by a band including Jimmy Vivino on rhythm guitar, Leland Sklar on bass, Jim Keltner on drums, and Tom Scott on sax.

The Voice and Don't You Give Up On Me (2015–present)

In March 2016, Al-Saadi was chosen to be a contestant on the musical competition series The Voice and gained nationwide recognition after he made it to the finale.
In May 2016, two of Al-Saadi's songs from the album The Complete Season 10 Collection (The Voice Performance)×The Complete Season 10 Collection (The Voice Performance)24 May 2016 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1The Letter (The Voice Performance)3:362Honky Tonk Women (The Voice Performance)2:113In Your Eyes (The Voice Performance)3:534With a Little Help From My Friends (The Voice Performance)3:485Born Under a Bad Sign (The Voice Performance)3:036Make It Rain (The Voice Performance)3:067The Thrill is Gone (The Voice Performance)3:158We’ve Got Tonight (The Voice Performance)3:299One and Only (The Voice Performance)3:2110White Room (The Voice Performance)3:1011Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight / The End (The Voice Performance)3:0812Morning Light (The Voice Performance)3:56 made it to Billboard's Hot Rock Songs chart; "Born Under a Bad Sign" at No. 50 and "We've Got Tonight" at No. 22.

– Studio version of performance reached the top 10 on iTunes

In 2019, Al-Saadi played new acoustic solo shows. In 2020, Al-Saadi won the award for "Best Blues Instrumentalist" at the Detroit Music Awards. He released the album Don't You Give Up on Me in 2024.