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Jaci Velasquez

 
Artist: Jaci Velasquez
Jaci Velasquez

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Performed Songs By:

Michael Ochs, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Mark Heimermann, Chris Eaton, David Mullen

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Nic Gonzales
See Jaci Velasquez Lyrics
  • Active: '90s, 2000s
  • Genres: Gospel
  • Instrument: Vocals
  • Representative Albums: "On My Knees: The Best of Jaci Velasquez," "Beauty Has Grace," "Jaci Velasquez"
  • Representative Songs: "On My Knees," "Llegar a Ti," "If This World"

Biography

Jacquelyn Davette Velasquez, born in the early '80s, began singing at the age of ten and performed at the White House just three years later. It's hardly surprising, then, that after several more years performing and recording with her family's worship ministry, she gained a record contract on her own. By late 1995, Jaci Velasquez signed with the Christian recording label Myrrh and found a number one hit (on the CCM charts) with her Spanish-tinged single, "If This World." Her debut album, Heavenly Place, produced by Mark Heimermann, continued the Spanish inspiration and made Top Ten on the Christian charts for several months after its May 1996 release. A self-titled follow-up appeared in 1998, and a year later Velasquez resurfaced with Llegar a Ti. Released in 2000, Crystal Clear emphasized the Latin and pop elements in her style while retaining her CCM roots, and Mi Corazon appeared in spring 2001. But she was just getting started. With 2003's Unspoken, Velasquez dropped an album that was steeped in pop texture, but still unabashedly Christian-themed. Her fifth foray into the English language market, the album also employed songwriters outside of the CCM circle (including Senator Orrin Hatch, who co-wrote the title song), featured big-name producers (Emilio Estefan), and marked Velasquez's debut as a songwriter. With Unspoken, Velasquez made it clear that she wasn't just little Jaci anymore. Then in 2005, Velasquez moved even further a field of her teen pop roots with the alternative rock influenced Beauty Has Grace ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
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Wikipedia: Jaci Velasquez
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Jaci Velasquez

Background information
Birth name Jacquelyn Davette Velasquez
Born October 15, 1979 (1979-10-15) (age 30)
Origin Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
Genres CCM Rock Pop, Indie pop Latin Pop
Years active 1992 - Present
Labels Apostrophe Records/Word Distribution
Website JaciVelasquez.com

Jacquelyn Davette Velasquez (born October 15, 1979) is an American multi-Award winning & nominated Contemporary Christian Latin Pop singer in both English & Spanish.


Contents

Biography

Jaci has sold over 4 million albums, garnered three RIAA certified Platinum recordings, three RIAA certified Gold recordings, sixteen #1 radio hits, and has graced more than 50 magazine covers. Her resume includes ad campaigns for Pepsi, Doritos, Target, Frizz-Ease, and Helzberg Diamonds.

Velasquez grew up in an Evangelical church where her parents were singers, evangelists and pastors. She is of Mexican, Spanish and French ancestry.[1] When she was ten years old, her parents leased their Houston home and dedicated themselves to touring the United States with their Christian music and evangelism. It was while on the road that she was discovered by a representative of Myrrh Records.

Velasquez released her first album "Heavenly Place" in 1996 and five of the songs on that CD became #1 hits (she had two previous independent records). The album was later certified Platinum. She has since released six English-language albums, two of which were certified Gold. She has produced sixteen #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.

In 1998, she signed to Sony Latin and was introduced to Rudy Perez, 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 finally 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 #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 #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.

Currently, Velasquez is touring the U.S. with her husband's band Salvador. Her 13th studio album, "Love Out Loud," was released March 18, 2008.[2]

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.[3]

"Al Mundo Diré (I'll Tell the World)" is Velasquez's latest music video, and is part of the DVD Ofrenda de Navidad Lottie Moon 2008, a project from the International Mission Board. [4]

Velasquez is currently working on an upcoming English album, including songwriting with Marc Byrd. A brand new Spanish album, the first since 2003 is also in the works as confirmed on her Twitter page.[citation needed]

Personal life

Velasquez married Darren Potuck, of the band AutoVaughn, on August 16, 2003. They were divorced in 2005 for unspecified reasons.[3]

On December 17, 2006, she married Nic Gonzales in a private ceremony in Austin, Texas. Gonzales is a member of Salvador, a Christian group with whom she had been touring.[4]

Velasquez gave birth to a boy named Zealand David on November 3, 2007.[5] Jaci and her husband gave birth to their second son named Soren Arthur on February 20, 2009.[6]

Although she has before described herself as a "Non-denominational Christian," she stated in an interview with Morris Cerullo that "you're talking to an Assemblies of God's girl," concerning the power of prayer.[7]


Discography

Chart Performance

  • 2003 "No Hace Falta Un Hombre" Hot Latin Tracks #5
  • 2003 "No Me Rendire" Hot Latin Tracks #19
  • 2001 "Como Se Cura Una Herida" Hot Latin Tracks #1[8]
  • 2000 "De Creer En Ti [On My Knees]" Hot Latin Tracks #18
  • 2000 "Love Will Find You (Llegar A Ti)" Hot Dance Music/Club Play #24
  • 2000 "Solo Tu" Hot Latin Tracks #4
  • 2000 "Un Lugar Celestial" Hot Latin Tracks #40
  • 1999 "Llegar A Ti" Hot Latin Tracks #1

Filmography

Literature

  • A Heavenly Place (1996) (10,800 Units sold nationwide)
  • Los Evangelios Toman Vida: The Gospels Come to Life (2003)

References

  1. ^ Jaci Velasquez: Chasing Papi star with a blazing trail of album hits - Main Cover - Cover Story
  2. ^ Jaci Velasquez iTunes Success And Radio Tour It Came Upon A Midnight Clear Love Out Loud Warner Music Group | Christian Music | ChristianMusicPlanet.com
  3. ^ Jaci Velasquez Divorced
  4. ^ Austin Wedding for Jaci Velasquez, Nic Gonzalez
  5. ^ MySpace.com - Jaci Velasquez - Nashville, Tennessee - Pop / Latine / Christian - www.myspace.com/jacivelasquez
  6. ^ Jaci Velasquez and Nic Gonzales Welcome Sonn Soren Athrur Celebrity Baby Blog, March 2, 2009
  7. ^ [1]
  8. ^ [2]

External links

YouTube links


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