Leah LaBelle (born Leah LaBelle Vladowski on 8 September 1986; died January 31, 2018) was a Canadian-born American R&B singer, signed to Epic Records/So So Def Recordings. LaBelle was the twelfth place finalist on the third season of American Idol, as the wild card selection of Paula Abdul. She was recording her debut studio album. She also gained popularity and a large following by posting cover videos on YouTube, for several years. LaBelle was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to Bulgarian immigrants.