Raised in church with a family of pastors and ministers, including her father Elder Robert Richards and Gospel-singing mother Debbie Richards, DeLeon’s spiritual upbringing launched the Chicago native into music when she first took the stage at the Chicago Gospel Festival to perform before 20,000 at the age of 5.
This launched her on a world tour, opening in Japan for the Mighty Clouds, then throughout the U.S., Germany, Europe, Asia, West Indies, and more, as well as regular performances for the military and USO.
By age 9, she was the youngest person ever to be nominated for a Grammy, and the youngest Gospel artist ever signed to a major recording company, recording seven CDs and two DVDs.
Going on to graduate from Lake Forest College with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor degree in Communications, she’s the founder and president of her own music company, DeMari Music and Entertainment, as well as DeMari Publishing, and Florida boutique real estate agency DeLeon Sheffield Company, servicing elite clients worldwide.
Additionally, she and her husband, the extremely outspoken World Series champion Gary Sheffield, own Sheffield Management and Entertainment Group, representing MLB All-Star players.
DeLeon has decades of experience in the entertainment industry and nearly nine years of experience in radio hosting Sunday morning radio for iHeart Radio, making her the perfect addition to 101.5 The Vibe.
More recently, DeLeon launched a lifestyle television show on A&E, Sheffield Real Estate, which followed DeLeon as she navigated day-to-day life, juggling the fast-growing real estate business with her mother and business partner, while bringing real positivity to ‘real’-ity television as seen on multiple streaming platforms across the world.
Prior to her reality show, DeLeon was featured on Brewster Place, has made numerous appearances on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, The 700 Club, NBC, CBS, ABC, WGN, and a variety of cable networks, and occasionally as a co-host for Daytime on WFLA
With Gary, DeLeon is a proud parent to their three very active boys as they try to balance their family and careers with poise and strength, ‘keeping God number one as the glue that keeps it all together.’
She also supports several charitable organizations, including the Sheffield Family Foundation, created in 2019 to enrich, influence, and inspire the lives of youth by providing resources, exposure, and opportunities with arts, sports, and educational programs.
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