Celebrity - News
A Look At Lizzo's Life, From Childhood To Superstardom
By TRINITY ARCHIE
Detroit Childhood
Melissa Jefferson, known as Lizzo, was born in Detroit and lived with her parents and two siblings. Growing up, she hadn’t yet discovered her musical talent.
Though she moved at nine, Detroit still holds a special place in her heart. Lizzo said, "You can take the girl out Detroit. But you can't take the Detroit out the girl."
Houston Move
Lizzo’s family settled in Houston, where she explored her passion as a musician since her parent’s busy careers left her with plenty of free time.
Lizzo’s middle school band teacher got her into the flute, which she mastered. She continued playing through high school, but her classmates no longer thought her flute was cool.
Rap Group
Lizzo and two middle school friends formed a rap group, the Cornrow Clique, where they shortened their names and added an “o” at the end. This is when Lizzo became Lizzo.
High school was interesting since Lizzo was neither an outcast nor that popular since her style and music differed from her classmates, and she was deemed “too white.”
College Dropout
In 2005, Lizzo attended the University of Houston, pursuing music and joining the school band, but she struggled with her identity and couldn’t find her footing.
Lizzo was also insecure about her role in the band, so she dropped out and had to move out of student housing. Since her parents had moved to Denver, Lizzo slept in her car.
Tragedy
In 2005, she joined a prog-rock group, Ellypseas, where she played the flute but faced tragedy when her father died in 2010. Shortly after, she parted ways with Ellypseas.
Her father’s death impacted her mental health, and she didn’t want to work anymore. Eventually, she moved to Minneapolis, joining two groups before catching the eye of Prince.