Ortal Edri stood in front of the Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard and sang her heart out, performing “I’ll Stand by You” by The Pretenders. Beside her, among her audience was a man held holding a large cardboard sign that read: “Even $1.00 helps,” and in big, bold capital letters, “FOOD, WATER.”
Unlike many performers who appear on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Edri doesn’t do it for money. She does it for those who often go unseen — or rather, ignored: the transients who sit on the sidewalk and beg.
A man wearing a hat with a cardboard sign was clearly moved. He joined her as she sang, “I’ll stand by you, I’ll stand by you, won’t let nobody hurt you, I’ll stand by you.”
Edri has been singing for the homeless since she arrived in Los Angeles a couple of years ago. In Israel, she participated in a singing competition called “A Star is Born,” and in 2023 she auditioned for “America’s Got Talent.”
“I sang a Demi Lovato song, and “the audition gave me so much confidence that I said, ‘Come on, let’s go sing on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,’” Edri said.
Edri has a powerful voice that’s hard to ignore as when on the street she belts out songs by Celine Dion and Whitney Houston on the street. It feels like she’s been singing her whole life, but in an interview with The Journal, Edri revealed she only started singing at 18 — and had no idea she had such any talent. In fact, she hadn’t spoken at all since she was nine years old.
“My father committed suicide when I was nine, and I stopped talking,” she said. “I suffered such trauma that I didn’t speak at home or at school. They tried everything, including sending me to a psychologist, but I didn’t utter a word. When I was 17, I started talking a little with my mom — just simple things like, ‘Hi,’ ‘Good morning.’”
When she received her recruitment order for the IDF, her mom was happy. “She said, ‘Finally, you’ll have some friends,’ because I didn’t have any friends — I couldn’t talk.” So she enlisted, and while standing in military formation, she began humming a tune. The sergeant major approached her, and she was sure she was about to be disciplined. Instead, he said, “I want you to sing for us at basic training graduation.”
The 18-year-old soldier was shocked but decided to go for it. During the ceremony, she sang “Shir HaMa’alot” (“Song of Ascents”), a popular and uplifting psalm expressing spiritual yearning, gratitude, and hope for redemption.
Her performance earned enthusiastic applause and appreciation — and it made her commander realize her talent. With his support, she enrolled at Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts in Tel Aviv and began taking vocal training.
“I was able to combine my studies with my service,” Edri she said. “I used to travel in uniform to Thelma Yellin. It was the first time I had seen Tel Aviv. I didn’t understand why people were so impressed with me, and I thought to myself, it’s because I’m from the periphery.”
This was the first time in Edri’s life that she attended an extracurricular activity. Bit by bit, the shy girl gained confidence and new friends.
“We were very poor, so my mother couldn’t afford to send me to any classes as a child. We hardly had enough money for food. That’s why I’ve always had a soft spot for those less fortunate and wanted to do something for the homeless.”
Another first time Edri sang on the street was in London’s Piccadilly Square. She uploaded the video clips to her social media accounts and it immediately went viral, receiving millions of views. Her TikTok account now has 1.2 million followers, and her Instagram boasts 384,000 followers.
One video of her singing Beyoncé’s “Halo” to a man in a wheelchair earned 1.5 million views, while another clip of her performing Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing” garnered 7.9 million views. These videos caught the attention of several music industry professionals, including songwriter and producer Rickhard Nowels (who has worked with Dua Lipa, Stevie Nicks and Lana Del Rey) and acclaimed songwriter Diane Warren, who invited her to record with them.
Currently, Edri and her soon-to-be husband, Shamir Fink — a music producer — are working on her first album, “Insanity,” which will feature original songs. The two met 11 years ago and run a recording studio in Herzliya, Israel, which they plan to bring to the U.S. when they settle down.
Her mother, she said, is one of her biggest fans and supporters. “When I first told her I was going to audition for “A Star is Born,” she was skeptical and said, ‘I hope you’re not going to embarrass us on TV.’ But when she saw my first audition, she couldn’t believe it, she was so excited. Sometimes I can’t believe it myself — I have to pinch myself to see if it’s all real.”
Follow Edri on Instagram @ Ortal_edri
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