Eboni Wardine Fondren, born January 23, in Chicago, Illinois is an American singer/actress, whose career has spanned over two decades. It was noticed at very young age that singing, dancing and acting, came natural. Eboni was highly influenced by her father and her talented aunts who are accomplished singers in their own right. She developed a love and interest in old school soul, classic R&B and contemporary jazz, through her parent’s extensive music collections which included recordings from Dinah Washington, Billy Eckstine, Nat King Cole, Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughn and Jimmy Scott with Lionel Hampton's Big Band, to name a few. Over the years Eboni became aware of her talents; her acting and vocal skills developed and were showcased during middle school, high school, and in several community talent shows. She continued to hone her talents in choir, applied music and voice lessons. However, her love affair with jazz music was developed in college. Upon graduating Eboni embarked on a journey to make a name for herself in the Kansas City jazz scene. Under the tutelage of the internationally acclaimed Hammond B-3 organ player and bandleader, Mr. Everette DeVan, Eboni developed showmanship and leadership of working with the jazz band ensemble.

 

After graduating from college with a double degree in Business Communications and Broadcast Management, Eboni moved back to Kansas City with great expectations, determinations and experience under her belt. In 2010 she joined a local theater group and her acting career began. Some of her professional theatre credits include Joanne in "RENT”;  Ronnette in "Little Shop of Horrors" and Aunt Fezziwig in "A Christmas Carol" both at the KCRep; Judine and u/s Motormouth Maybelle in “Hairspray” at The New Dinner Theatre; Coterie Theatre's “Bud Not Buddy; Spinning Tree Theatre's production of, “Ain't MisBehavin”, the very eclectic and raunchy Madame Thenardier in Circa ‘21 Dinner Playhouse's production of, “Les Miserables” in Rock Island, IL and most recent a featured role as Medda Larkin in the KC premier of Newsies at The White Theatre.

 

Eboni is one of the most highly sought after and premiere jazz vocalists in Kansas City and has become a bandleader in her own right. In addition to her own musical projects which include Eboni and the Ivories, and a member of the Lost Wax Band, Eboni collaborates with some of Kansas City's top musicians and can be heard swinging all over the local jazz scene. She has twice been featured on the cover of The Jam Magazine, represented Kansas City in Chicago with the VistKC city takeover, performed for the groundbreaking of the new single terminal airport at MCI, sung the national anthem for the Women's National Gymnastics Championship and the NCAA Big 12 Tournaments. Her voice can be heard at AMC Theaters nationwide, and she is host for the nationally syndicated radio show 12th Street Jump. Eboni has been invited to perform with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, The Salina Symphony, The Mighty Mo Combo, Mid-America Freedom Band, Vine Street Rumble and The Boulevard Big Band. Concerts and festivals include the Salina D-Day Festival, Coleman Hawkins Jazz Festival, Rhythm and Ribs, A Night of Jazz in Bismark, North Dakota and has been a featured guest artist at clubs around the world from Omaha, Nebraska to Chicago, IL to Paris, France. 

 

Having been compared to the likes of Nancy Wilson and Ella Fitzgerald, Eboni Fondren is a dynamic entertainer who brings passion and excitement whenever she takes the stage. Her precise readings of jazz standards, which she seasons with a dash of R&B, fill a room with energy and delight. With a smooth and sultry finish, audiences will be enchanted by her lyrical interpretation and ability to draw an audience in leaving them wanting more.