Mother Of 'Precious' Star Gabourey Sidibe Sings In NYC Subway For A Living!

Even though her daughter is nominated of an oscar, this Harlem mom is still happily singing for her supper in the subway. Alice Tan Ridley, whose 26-year-old daughter, Gabourey Sidibe, won raves and an Academy Award nomination for her performance in last year’s “Precious” shows up three times a week at New York’s busiest subway stations to wow commuters with her electrifying R&B act.

“My name is not on Gabby’s paycheck,” Ridley said after another rousing show in the Times Square underground. Ridley, a former nursery-school teacher and Department of Education teacher’s aide, has been singing in the subway for 18 years. She was among the first artists featured in the MTA’s popular subway artists series, now called Performances in Public Spaces! “When I come home at the end of the day, I have enough to pay my bills and feed my kids,” she said. Just goes to show the world is a stage!