Biography

L. Wayne Ashley, tenor, is a vocal musician and digital communications professional based in Houston, TX. Heralded for "phenomenal performance" by the Boston Globe, Wayne is a versatile artist known for his charismatic vocal tone and appreciation for many genres. A member of the Grammy® Award winning Houston Chamber Choir, Wayne has performed as a choral artist and featured soloist with some of the United State’s leading music ensembles, including the Handel and Haydn Society of Boston, Apollo Chamber Players and the Houston Ebony Opera Guild. 

At the very root of Wayne’s artistry is his love for music. Best summarized in a quote from Wayne’s recent feature in OutSmart Magazine, “Music is a language, a bond, a community experience that is unique, and unlike anything else that we can do as humans. We can share a moment in time together, but we all experience it differently. What music allows us to do is to take someone’s voice, someone’s hopes, their dreams and their desires, and project them in a way that resonates with people.”

Wayne continues, “Unlike other types of media, we can say things through the emotional content of music that sometimes we may not have the courage to say out loud. Music provokes our emotions, and when we combine that with the power of words—the incredible power of poetry and prose—it becomes an even deeper art form. Music bonds us in a way that other experiences just can’t.”

A native of Arkansas, Wayne was raised in a stellar musical environment surrounded by Gospel, Delta Blues, Zydeco and RnB musicians, many within his own family. Wayne is a proud graduate of Henderson State University and the University of Houston, and formerly served on the faculty of Texas Southern University's Music Department. Beyond his love for music, Wayne is a digital media and Communications professional, with work cited in various publications, including the Houston Chronicle, Forbes.com, Salon.com and Houston Culturemap. An avid follower of current events, politics and public policy, you may have even heard them on the radio as a former 'non-expert panelist' for Houston Public Media's celebrated news program Houston Matters with Craig Cohen.