Bianca Ryan

Bianca Ryan
Bianca Ryan at Live Nation's Nextfest concert in Irvine, California, July 2007
Background information
Birth name	Bianca Taylor Ryan
Born	September 1, 1994 (1994-09-01) (age 15)
Origin	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres	Gospel, Pop, R&B
Occupations	Singer, guitarist, songwriter
Years active	2003–present
Labels	SYCO Music/Columbia Records (2006-2008)
Website	http://www.biancaryan.com

Bianca Taylor Ryan (born September 1, 1994) is an American singer and guitarist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who won the debut season of NBC's America's Got Talent at age eleven.^[1]

Ryan's self-titled first CD was recorded just after her 12th birthday and released on November 14, 2006; Bianca Ryan broke into the Billboard 200 at #57.^[2] One month later, the EP Christmas Everyday! was released as a promotional giveaway.

She has since performed in such countries as Austria and Switzerland.^[3] Her first concert tour took her across the United States as the "special guest" artist for Live Nation's Nextfest.^[4]

Biography

Bianca Ryan is the second of four children of Shawn and Janette Ryan. Her father, a fan of the Rolling Stones, named her after Mick Jagger's ex wife. Bianca has an older brother, Shawn, and two younger siblings, Isabella and Jagger.^[5] Ryan has Irish ancestry from her father's side and her maternal grandmother is Japanese.^[6][7]

At age seven, Ryan developed an interest in the R&B and gospel music genres, and recalls practicing in her family's basement only to hear her father ask, "How did you learn to sing like that?"

Ryan counts Yolanda Adams, Mariah Carey, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Holliday and Patti LaBelle among her favorite singers. Adams was her voice coach for the America's Got Talent finals.^{[citation needed]}

For the 2006–2007 academic year, Ryan was a sixth-grader at School Lane Charter School in Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania. "I'm in school most of the time," she said, "and keep up on my work when I have to go on the road."

Just before the release of her CD, Ryan's grandmother, Marie Ryan, who had struggled with Alzheimer's disease for five years, died.^[8] The following week, Mayor John F. Street proclaimed November 13 "Bianca Ryan Day" in Philadelphia and presented Ryan with a key to the city.^[9]

America's Got Talent, 2006

	"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" 11-year-old Bianca Ryan auditions for America's Got Talent (Season 1), belting out a Broadway show tune to a rousing ovation.
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While searching the Internet for auditions early in 2006, Ryan discovered that Idol judge Simon Cowell was serving as executive producer for an upcoming competition titled America's Got Talent. For her audition appearance, she chose the Dreamgirls showtune "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" (originally performed by Jennifer Holliday), surprising the audience and the judges with her powerful voice.^[10]

By April 2007, a copy of Ryan's audition had climbed into the 100 "Top Rated (All Time) in Music" videos at YouTube.^[11]

At the semi-finals of the show, the judges loved the performance but said that the song wasn't right for her. America's Got Talent's finale results aired on August 17, 2006, during which Ryan was announced as the winner of the first season of the show.

Ryan made a brief appearance during the show's second season finale. In a video recorded during the Nextfest tour, she wished "the best of luck" to the top two finalists.^[12]

Career

On August 24, 2006, Ryan announced on her website that she had flown to New York to meet with representatives from a "major record label" and some of the recording industry's top songwriters.^[13] The Northeast Times reported that same day that Ryan met with Grammy Award-winning producer David Foster and was being managed by Peter Rudge.^[14]

On September 18, 2006, Ryan signed a five-album record deal with SYCOmusic as part of Columbia Records.^[13] Ryan is the first U.S. artist to sign with SYCOmusic.^[15]

The following month, Ryan was in Los Angeles, California, to record her first CD, featuring cover versions of "The Rose" and "I Believe I Can Fly" and original songs like "I Wish That" and "Pray for a Better Day".

Bianca Ryan was released on November 14, 2006; eight days later, the album broke in at #57 on the Billboard album charts, showcasing "her gargantuan chops and sweet charm," wrote Matt Collar of Allmusic. Though he called the arrangements "somewhat over-the-top pop creations" and "grandiose given Ryan's age, her musical aspirations are more than matched by her truly impressive vocal talent".^[16] Los Angeles Daily News reviewer Sandra Barrera said that Bianca handled the songs "like the old pro that her big, powerful voice makes you think she is".^[17]

Discography

Albums

Singles

Filmography

Feature films

Television

• Star Search (Fact: She appeared on the show with soon-to-be American Idol runner-up David Archuleta.)
• Showtime at the Apollo
• The Tom Joyner Show
• America's Got Talent – six appearances (June 28, July 26, July 27, August 16, August 17, 2006, and August 21, 2007)
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show – two appearances (September 13 and November 16, 2006)
• The CW Morning Show – November 16, 2006
• Today – November 16, 2006
• The Oprah Winfrey Show – November 5, 2006
• Martha – November 20, 2006
• Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade – December 25, 2006
• 49th Pepsi 400 (from Daytona International Speedway), July 7, 2007

References

Footnotes

Press

• Associated Press (August 17, 2006). "Pa. Girl Wins America's Got Talent". abcnews.go.com. http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=2327782. Retrieved 2006-12-16. 
• Sanner, Ann (Associated Press) (December 10, 2006). "Bushes Join 'Dr. Phil' at Christmas Show". abcnews.go.com. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2715163. Retrieved 2006-12-16. 

External links

Philadelphia portal

• Official website
• Bianca Ryan at the Internet Movie Database
• Bianca Ryan at TV.com