Jessica Sanchez

Born to a Mexican-American father who served as a navy veteran and a Filipina mother, Jessica Sanchez grew up in Chula Vista, California, where her powerful voice quickly drew comparisons to Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. Singing from the age of two, she was already entering national contests and talent showcases—including Showtime at the Apollo and America's Got Talent—by the time she reached ten. In her early teens she began recording, releasing a cover of Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music" on Spin Move Records at fourteen and joining the 2010 YouTube edition of "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" to benefit earthquake victims. The next summer, at sixteen, she auditioned for American Idol and advanced to the final thirteen contestants on season eleven. Judges repeatedly singled out her interpretations of "I Will Always Love You," Billy Joel's "Everybody Has a Dream," and Beyoncé's "Sweet Dreams"; in April 2012 they exercised their sole save of the season after she landed in the bottom three. Sanchez ultimately finished second to Phillip Phillips, then appeared at PBS' National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, D.C., at the Manny Pacquiao–Timothy Bradley bout, and during the 2012 NBA finals. Her debut album, Me, You & the Music, arrived in 2013 with guest spots from Ne-Yo and Prince Royce; that year she also joined the cast of Glee and appeared on Zedd's re-recording of "Hourglass." In 2015 she issued the single "This Love," signed with Mayhem Management Group, and released her first holiday project, the Christmas with Jessica EP.