Ypsilanti’s own Lee Osler, who at this point needs no further introduction, produced more than perhaps the greatest city anthem of the 20th century, and that’s his daughter: the extremely talented and up and coming R&B singer, LaWanda Lee.

LaWanda has been corresponding with us on the Back to Ypsilanti thread, linking to her myspace page and also to an interview video that hypes her upcoming album. LaWanda thanked us for still loving her dad’s song, and told us that she was one of the little ones riding on the float during the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival as Lee sang his song. In the interview, LaWanda is asked about her influences and before mentioning India.Arie, Jill Scott, and Erika Badu, she first mentions her father. I thought that it was great to remain grounded and thankful to her family - she tells the interviewer that she grew up in a musical family, sang in church, and was in the studio with her dad at age five.

LaWanda is dropping her first album soon, called “First Born”, and performs regularly in the Detroit area. Hopefully she’ll keep us updated to how it’s going - but we wish her the best of luck.