Bio: Leslie Fatai

Leslie Fatai was born and raised in Utah. She was born with a limb deficiency in her hands having only five fingers. "This is all I know," she shares as she's learned to adapt in life.   She was surrounded by music her whole life especially in the home.  "Singing with my family was something we always did growing up.  It kept us close. I try to instill that in my home."  She is married to a supportive husband and is a mother to six young children.

 

Many are surprised to learn that she can play the piano and are fascinated to watch her play it.  "I've always loved the piano.  I can still remember the first time touching the keys and feeling amazed at what my hands were doing.  My favorite thing about the piano is its reflection of my capabilities and not my disability. This is a big part of my testimony. The Lord can do so much more with your life than you could ever do for yourself.  Let God show you who you truly are."  She started playing piano by ear then took piano lessons to learn how to read music.  This helped her tremendously in her songwriting.

 

Leslie Fatai has been writing songs since she was 10 years old.  She shares, "I've always felt like I had a song in my heart and I needed to get it out."  At age 14, she entered the Tongan Heilala Festival's singing competition and won with her original song 'Shining Star.'  She was pronounced Soloist of the Year. In 2003, she signed with WP Records as a solo artist.  There she got a little taste of Hollywood and decided that wasn't the route for her at the time.  In 2006, she started up a young adult church choir with friends called One Voice.  She wrote many songs and made different arrangements of LDS hymns for the choir.  She also decided to serve a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints that same year.  She released her album 'My Testimony' in December 2006 to help her parents fund not only her mission but her two brothers who were serving at the same time as well.  "My Testimony" is available in most music streaming services.  All proceeds received are donated to the LDS General Missionary Fund.

 

She's working to make all her songs available on sheet music and recently finished writing her memoir, "What I Have is Enough." She enjoyed her time as a member of the Grammy award-winning Saints Unified Voices Choir under the direction of Gladys Knight. She recently started teaching piano and really enjoys seeing her students grow and thrive.