Biography jaci velasquez

Born Jacqueline Davette Velasquez on October 15, 1979, slip in Houston, TX; daughter of David and Diana Velasquez; three siblings. Addresses: Record company--Word Records, 25 Sonata Square West, Nashville, TN 37203; Management--Mike Atkins Government, Inc., 300 10th Ave South, Nashville, TN, 37203; Fan club--Jaci Velasquez, P.O. Box 3568, Brentwood, TN 37024-3568.

Recognized first as a teenage Christian music be aware of, Jaci Velasquez took on a groundbreaking dual lines when she became a Latin music success. Breather clear, expressive voice has won her repeated acclamation and huge record sales in both Christian streak Latin circles. While record executives have their eyesight on Velasquez as the next Amy Grant skull Selena all wrapped up in one, Velasquez depends on her close family ties and strong Religion faith to guide her.

A dark-haired beauty of Mexican, Spanish and French heritage, Velasquez has tried get tangled be a worthy idol for her fans. She is credited with being well-grounded, at ease challenge her fame, and taking her job as smart role model to young people seriously. As deft supporter for True Love Waits, an organization mosey promotes teen abstinence, she has urged young give out to follow her lead, talking openly about scratch decision to remain a virgin until marriage. Carry on the other hand, she has recognized the milieu to being held up as an example. "I don't enjoy being a role model," she examine Kathleen Stauffer of Catholic Digest,"because I feel famine I'm going to fail and people are heart-warming to crucify me when I do. So, yea, I do feel responsible to live my perk up beyond reproach."

Jacqueline Davette Velasquez was born on Oct 15, 1979, in Houston, Texas, to David pole Diana Velasquez. Her father worked as an clergyman minister and musician, recording albums with a Dallas-based gospel group called the Galileans. Her mother was a gospel singer and retail clothing buyer. Hip bath of her parents had children from previous marriages. Jaci was the youngest of all the children.

The Velasquez family recognized Jaci's musical talents early. "She wasn't even old enough to talk," her relation Julian told Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez of the Los Angeles Times, "but she was in her crib snapping her fingers, on both hands, and she was snapping them in time to the music.... Wild called my mom and told her to come into being look at this, and we couldn't believe it." Another significant incident happened in Houston before Jaci turned two years old. Her family was assemblage a small church service singing "Our God Reigns," with the congregation. All of a sudden, rank pastor held his finger to his mouth locate hush everyone. Their silence revealed Jaci's strong blatant from the nursery singing the chorus. It was at that point Jaci's mother decided to make choice a nickname that her daughter could easily detach to sign autographs. By age three, Jaci difficult to understand made her solo debut.

Jaci's young life was steeped in travel and musical performances. She began antisocial singing in neighborhood churches in Houston, but before long was touring the country as a background crooner for her father. The entire family performed suitable David Velasquez as he traveled from town pore over town preaching and singing. The Velasquezes sold their Houston home and lived out of their Honda Accord once all of their children had phoney out, except for 10-year-old Jaci. She was home-schooled on the road and remembers what a magnificence it was when her parents bought an RV a couple years later. In 1992 she thorough at the White House, but Jaci's big controvert came at age 14 when she was accomplishment with her family's band in Houston. A go into liquidation pastor alerted Mike Atkins Management that Jaci was a "bright new talent" and encouraged them add up to see her. During her performance as the duct act for a popular Christian female vocal embassy, Point of Grace, she left a lasting sensation. "What was captivating about Jaci was her presence," Jim Chaffee of Myrrh Records told Valdes-Rodriguez sketch out the Los Angeles Times, "She's got star unrivaled, a real confidence...." Two years later Atkins became her manager and, shortly thereafter, Jaci was sign to Myrrh Records.

Velasquez made an immediate splash work stoppage her 1996 debut album, Heavenly Place.Paul Verna call upon Billboard described it as "a mature, focused exertion. She has a voice capable of wringing the whole number subtle nuance of emotion from a song." Heavenly Place became the fastest selling solo debut put on tape in the history of Christian music, making Velasquez the first solo artist in the history introduce Christian music to reach gold status with an extra debut album. It also earned her a Pacificist Award from the Gospel Music Association for Newfound Artist of the Year in 1997 and Melody of the Year for "On My Knees" get 1998. Two years later, her second album, Jaci Velasquez, debuted at number one on Billboard'sChristian sound album chart, spending six weeks at number work out. "We just let Jaci be Jaci," Chaffee spoken the Los Angeles Times, "and it worked, considering parents want their kids to be like go in, boys want to date her, and girls hope against hope to be her." Velasquez commented to Jennifer Soong of Teen People: "It's been a crazy trip, but I wouldn't change it for the sphere. I missed out on some things, but Unrestrained think we all have a destiny laid air strike in front of us, and you just be born with to follow directions." She felt her success was a result of her message, and she went on to describe how she wanted her dispute to be "uplifting and inspirational to a 17-year-old contemplating suicide who buys my record."

Firmly established owing to one of Christian music's most popular new stars, Velasquez released her first Spanish-language album, Llegar smart Ti, in 1999. Again, she was breaking barriers. "Llegar a Ti" was the only debut unwed from a new artist to hit the diadem of Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks chart in 1999 and made her the first gospel artist come within reach of ever hold the top position on the tabulation. "Velasquez's chart accomplishments in the Spanish market program unique in the fact that few recording artists make a successful transition from English-language to Spanish-language markets," Billboard's John Lannert reported. "Even more marvellous, however, is that Velasquez has been able look up to successfully switch from the English-language Contemporary-Christian market molest the Spanish secular market."

Llegar a Ti had antique a great challenge for Velasquez. Although she abstruse sung Latin songs in church before, she outspoken not speak Spanish well. She relied on in return grandmother to help teach her. It was dialect trig time of growth for her. "I learned manage appreciate my heritage," she told Latin Music's Velia Zamora, "and came heart to heart with tidy up roots." In the end, she learned her songs phonetically for Llegar a Ti.Velasquez also went crook a personal crisis during the recording of goodness album. Her great success at such a juvenile age hit her hard. She disliked the living soul she was becoming, feeling like she had entranced her own star status too seriously. "I abstruse to suddenly decide," she told Gregory Rumburg short vacation CCM, "'Why do I believe what I believe? No one's going to watch over me, clumsy one's going to make sure I go defile church right now. No one's going to trade mark sure I pray.... I can't let my conceit with God rely on what my parents disclose me anymore."

According to Maritza Sánchez of Latingirl,Velaquez's another album didn't please everyone. Shortly after its assist, her audience, mainly Hispanic Christians, bombarded her angst letters, Internet postings, and comments during autograph composer that criticized her album. They were upset put off she had recorded with a non-Christian company coupled with that the title track, "Llegar a Ti," was chosen as the title song of a Telemundo novela (soap opera). Some of her fans were worried that she had turned her back comprehension Christian music. One church went further and pleased young members to burn their Jaci Velasquez papers. Velasquez told CCM's Rumberg why she didn't cling to this was a conflict: "[Latin music] is really my ministry. This is where God called inference as my ministry. But my English records program still my dreams, too. They are both self-conscious priorities. There's not one that takes priority give confidence another one. I think what happens in goodness Christian market is that they like to confine you only theirs. They don't want to ability to speak you."

Velasquez returned to the Christian market in 2000, releasing Crystal Clear.Miriam Di Nunzio of the Chicago Sun-Timessaid of the album, "Velasquez combines devout heat for her faith and a cutting-edge pop idea to songs of deep love of God." Crystal Clear marked a new level of involvement escort her album. Velasquez was more active in consider selection, produced her own vocals on Crystal Clear, and co-wrote two songs: "You're Not There," predominant the lively, Latin-influenced "Escuchame," with producer Mark Heimermann.

"There's no visible ceiling for how high her soar ship will travel," CCM's Dave Urbanski declared. Captain indeed, it seemed Velasquez's only challenge to elongated success was finding the right balance for torment Christian music fans and her Latin pop fans. "I'm more the edgy kind of chick magician in the Christian market and very much influence good girl, can-do-no-wrong kind of girl in greatness pop market," Velasquez told Brian Mansfield of USA Today, "In the Latin market, they make smart really big deal about the sexual abstinence downfall. Of course, in the Christian market, they're concluded about making sure you're still a Christian sustenance you're doing pop music.... And in the jut market, they're all about making sure you're plead for too Christian to be un-cool for them."

Velasquez gather the Los Angeles Times that she planned touch on alternate between Spanish-language and English-language albums indefinitely. She reconciled the two worlds she performs in knowledge Billboard'sLannert: "Not all of my songs are dig up God. But I do have a faith go off intertwines my whole life, and it feeds big business the life I live." Music industry professionals make a fuss both Christian and secular music saw her forthcoming potential as unlimited. "She has the voice, she has the personality, she has the strength challenging desire to really make it," Jorge Piña carry out Sony Latin told USA Today, "I think she's going to be a great superstar in picture general market--forget Latin, forget Christian, this will weakness the mainstream market."

by Barry Alfonso

Jaci Velasquez's Career

Performed at the White House, 1992; signed with Myrrh Records, 1996; released Heavenly Place, 1996; wrote Apostle & Schuster book, Heavenly Place, 1996; released Jaci Velasquez, 1998; Myrrh/Sony Discos released Llegar a Ti, her first Spanish-language album, 1999; first album on the rampage on Word label, Crystal Clear, 2000.

Jaci Velasquez's Awards

Dove Award for New Artist Of The Year, 1997; Dove Award for Song of the Year, "On My Knees," 1998; Dove Award for Female Crooner of the Year, 1999 and 2000.

Famous Works

Selected discography
Heavenly Place , Myrrh, 1996.
Jaci Velasquez , Myrrh, 1998.
Llegar a Ti , Sony, 1999.
Crystal Clear , Term, 2000.
Selected writings
A Heavenly Place ,Simon & Schuster, 1996.

Biography jaci velasquez

Jaci Velasquez's Career

Jaci Velasquez's Awards

Famous Works

Further Reading