Melody Gardot (born February 2nd, 1985) is a jazz artist from New Jersey USA, currently residing in Philadelphia.
In 2003 she was run over by a car while riding her bicycle, leaving her disabled in hospital for over year. She had to re-learn things like to speak and walk. She also got over-sensitive to sound and light resulting in her all-day use of dark sunglasses. To this day she still uses a cane to walk.
Her musical career began with piano lessons at the age of nine and music became her main therapy during her recovery to a normal life. Since her brain suffered neural-pathway damages she trained up her voice by humming and eventually sing into a tape recorder. She also learned to play the guitar while being hospitalized.
She began writing songs and made them available on iTunes and later began performing them around Philadelphia venues. Radio station WXPN, who helped launch Norah Jones career, took notice of Gardot. They encouraged her to make a demo which soon sparked the interest at Universal Records. She released her first album Worrisome Heart in 2006 (later re-released on Verve Records in 2008).