Singer and Actress:Jaci Velasquez!
Jacquelyn “Jaci” Davette Velasquez (born October 15, 1979 in Houston, Texas) is an American Contemporary Christian and Latin pop singer—in both English and Spanish languages.Velasquez has sold almost five million albums around the world, recorded three Platinum and three Gold albums, and recorded 16 singles that hit No. 1 plus six more that hit the top-10. She has received seven Dove Awards including Best New Artist and Female Vocalist of the Year. Velasquez has co-hosted a morning radio show since late 2010.Jaci’s first two album releases Heavenly Place and Jaci Velasquez (1996 and 1998 respectively) both went Gold and every single from the two albums went to the top of the AC airplay charts. In 1999, showing her allegiance and appreciation for her Mexican/Spanish background, she made her first Latin album, Llegar a Ti, going Platinum in Latin communities and hence expanding her popularity even further.
After reaching out to her roots, Jaci’s goal became influencing her peers; young people around the world. She wished to spread the word on abstinence (yes we know, very disappointing), becoming a spokeswoman for the group True Love Waits. In 2000, she released her most popular album to date, Crystal Clear, which blended pop and true Latin music with the help of Christian pop producer Mark Heimermann and Latin producer Rudy Perez (he has worked with artists like Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin and Christina Aguilera). It is in this album that she showed true diversity, presenting tracks with subjects ranging from her Christian beliefs to love and family.
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Velasquez released her national debut album Heavenly Place in 1996 and five of the songs on that CD became No. 1 hits. The album was later certified Platinum. Velasquez has been distinguished as the fastest selling solo debut recording artist in her genre and the first solo artist in Christian music history to reach gold status with a debut album, prior to release of second project. She has since released six more English-language albums, two of which were certified Gold. She has produced sixteen No. 1 Christian radio hits and six other top-10 singles, and has won seven Dove awards, including New Artist of the Year and two Female Vocalist of the Year wins. Jaci has covered over 50 magazines as well as been a spokes-model for Pepsi, Target, Doritos, John Freida’s Frizz-Ease hair products and Helzberg Diamonds.In 1998, she signed to Sony Discos and was introduced to Rudy Pérez, who produced her first Spanish-language crossover album Llegar a Ti. After that, Velasquez was able to achieve the crossover appeal she desired, building a fan base among Hispanics as well as other Americans. Her first single, “Llegar a Ti”, topped the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks and became the first Christian song to top the chart. The song also gave her a Latin Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Female Vocal Performance (which ultimately went to Colombian singer Shakira).In 2001, she released her second Spanish effort: Mi Corazón. The album’s lead single, “Como Se Cura Una Herida,” topped the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks, and became one of the biggest singles of the year, receiving multiple award nominations and wins. The album received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Latin Pop Album.Her Latin music success includes four Spanish-language releases, three No. 1 Latin Billboard Singles, two Platinum albums, a Premio Lo Nuestro Award for New Artist of the Year, two Billboard Latin Music Awards, and three Dove Awards for Spanish Language Album of the Year.Velasquez was given a chance in 2002 to act in her first Hollywood movie, Chasing Papi.
As well as Velasquez, this movie featured Colombia’s Sofia Vergara, Puerto Rico’s Roselyn Sanchez, and Mexico’s Eduardo Verastegui, as well as Nicole Scherzinger in a cameo role. It was released nationwide in the United States in April 2003. The movie reached as high as No. 11 at the box office, and it grossed $6 million in total. Velasquez has appeared in over 50 magazines—including the December 2003 issue of Right On!, wherein editor Cynthia Horner calls her a true role model to teens—and has sung for President George W. Bush multiple times.On September 2008, Velasquez was chosen by the State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs as one of the 15 Prominent Hispanic-Americans in the Arts in America.In June 2010 she also started working on and recording her first Spanish project since 2003 with Juan Carlos Rodriguez, from the Christian Latin pop duo Tercer Cielo, as well as writing a new book. Velasquez has also currently returned to acting and is starring in two new films, The Encounter and Jerusalem Countdown, both with 2011 scheduled releases.Velasquez began co-hosting the “Family Friendly Morning Show” with Doug Griffin beginning in November 2010 after being a guest host for several months. The show airs on over 100 radio stations in the United States for four hour each weekday morning.On August 11, 2011 Jaci signed with Inpop Records and her album, Diamond, was released on February 7, 2012.On September 4, 2012 Velasquez released her first Spanish-language lullaby album, Buenas noches mi sol with Fisher-Price.
Her accomplishments are numerous and yet a large segment of the population remains in the dark of all she has done at the age of 22. A singer, songwriter, author, and spokeswoman, Jaci Velasquez is truly a Latin sensation with looks to match.From supplying her voice for the Nickelodeon show Tiana to being the spokeswoman for Frizz-Ease hair products, she is constantly putting herself out there. With work underway for another album, hopefully she will finally get the mainstream radio play she so deserves.Her one surprising downside is her lack of relationship experience. She has had but a precious few boyfriends since the age of 17 and, owing to her busy schedule, finds it quite hard to maintain a strong bond with anybody but her family, although currently, she is spoken for.
