Leslie in 2010, pic by Prphotos

Birth Name: Anthony Ryan Leslie

Place of Birth: Washington, D.C., U.S.

Date of Birth: September 25, 1978

Ethnicity:
*father – African-Barbadian and Irish
*mother – Surinamese/Guyanese [Dutch, Chinese, African, possibly other]

Ryan Leslie is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and entrepreneur. He is also known as Castor Troy.

Ryan is the son of Evangeline Mooi and Clement Leslie. His father was raised in Trinidad, and has African-Barbadian and Irish ancestry. His mother, whose family is from Suriname and Guyana, is of Dutch, Chinese, African, and possibly other, ancestry. His parents are Salvation Army officers and practicing Christians.

He is the founder of the media company Next Selection. He is known for working with Next Selection Bad Boy/Atlantic Recording artist Cassie.

He has said:

I spent the first nine months of my life in a children’s home in Suriname, and that’s because my grandmother is a missionary from China. My grandfather is a missionary from Holland who went to Suriname. They met, they started a children’s home and when my mother became pregnant with me, she was still finishing college. My grandparents took me from her and for the first nine months of my life, while she finished college, I was raised in a children’s home in Suriname…. My parents followed in the footsteps of their parents on both sides, and today still serve as officers in the Salvation Army.

An article about Ryan’s family, with pictures, can be seen here.

Ryan’s maternal grandfather was named Major Franklin Sumter. Franklin was born in Suriname.

Ryan’s maternal grandmother was Joyce Lew-A-Loy (the daughter of Benjamin Lew-A-Loy and Rosaline Wong). Joyce was born in Guyana. Benjamin was born in Shunde, Guangdong, China. Rosaline was the daughter of John Wong, from Hong Kong, and of Rebecca Saul, who was of African descent.

Ryan is a second cousin, once removed, of Canadian actor D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai. Ryan’s maternal great-grandparents, Benjamin Lew-A-Loy and Rosaline Wong, were also D’Pharaoh’s maternal great-great-grandparents.

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