Celeste Headlee Biography

Celeste Headlee is an award-winning journalist, who has appeared on NPR, PBS World, PRI, CNN, BBC and other international networks. She is also the author of Heard Mentality: An A to Z Guide to Taking Your Radio Show or Podcast from Idea to Hit. Her book on better conversations will be published by Harper Wave in Fall of 2017.

In Spring 2015, Celeste spoke at the Tedx CreativeCoast in Savannah, Georgia. Nearly a year later, Ted.com featured her talk and it went viral! To date, it has been seen more than 6.5 million times by people throughout the world. Click here to see her talk on Ten Ways to Have Better Conversations. Now Celeste speaks to groups around the world on the art of conversation, music, journalism and more.

Celeste hosts a daily talk show called “On Second Thought” for Georgia Public Broadcasting in Atlanta. She was formerly a host at National Public Radio, anchoring shows including Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered and Weekend Edition. Until September of 2012, Celeste was the co-host of the national morning news show, The Takeaway, from PRI and WNYC. She anchored presidential coverage in 2012 for PBS World Channel.

In 2014, Celeste narrated the documentary “Packard: The Last Shift” for the Detroit Free Press. She has won numerous awards for reporting from the Associated Press and SPJ. She was selected twice to be a Getty/Annenberg Journalism Fellow and was selected as a fellow with the Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources. She was also among the first fellows in Reporting on Native Stories for National Native News. For many years, she was a mentor and managing editor for NPR’s Next Generation Radio Project, training young reporters and editors in broadcasting.

Celeste graduated from the Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts in 1987. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona and her Master’s of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Michigan in 1998.

She appears on the CD “Classically Blue” from gospel artist Lea Gilmore. She has performed at the National Gallery of Art, the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies in Little Rock, the Distinguished Artist Series at the Church of the Red Rocks, Colorado College, the Detroit Institute of Arts, Yavapai College, Wagner College and Wayne State University, among many other locations. She has also performed with the Michigan Opera Theatre, the Sedona Repertory Company, the Harlequin Players, the Sedona Arts Center, the Great Lakes Lyric Opera, and many other professional companies.

Ms. Headlee has always been vocal in her support of her grandfather, William Grant Still. She has performed his music in concerts and recitals for more than 15 years in several different states and has given many lectures on his music for high schools and universities. Celeste was also the editor of the second edition of the book, William Grant Still and the Fusion of Cultures in American Music, for which she compiled the first complete thematic catalog of Still’s works. She also sang Still’s “Levee Land” on the CD “Music of Afro-American Composers,” produced by the Northern Arizona University Wind Symphony.

As a renowned expert and highly sought-after speaker, Celeste Headlee's expertise is in high demand. To book Celeste Headlee for your next event, conference, or workshop, please contact our speaker booking agency. Our experienced team will work closely with you to understand your specific needs and help secure Celeste Headlee's participation. With our professional guidance and seamless booking process, you can ensure a memorable and impactful experience for your audience. Don't miss the opportunity to engage your audience with Celeste Headlee's compelling insights and inspire positive change within your organization. Fill out the booking request form to take the first step in securing Celeste Headlee for your next speaking engagement.