Jessica Elizabeth Sanchez (born August 4, 1995) is an American singer-songwriter. She rose to prominence following her finish as the runner-up on the eleventh season of American Idol.
Early life
Jessica Elizabeth Sanchez was born in Chula Vista, California, on August 4, 1995, to Edita Sanchez (née Bugay), whose family is from Samal, Bataan, in the Philippines, and Gilbert Sanchez, a Mexican American originally from Texas and is an aviation ordnanceman First Class Petty Officer in the United States Navy Reserves. She is the eldest of three children, having two younger brothers. Sanchez was raised in Eastlake, Chula Vista.
Career
2006–2011: Career beginnings
In 2005, Sanchez performed "Respect" by Aretha Franklin on the music television show Showtime at the Apollo. In 2006, she competed on the first season of NBC's talent show competition America's Got Talent, in which she became a wildcard act but ultimately did not qualify for the grand finals. During the 2008 NFL season, Sanchez performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" prior to the San Diego Chargers' match against the New York Jets. In 2009, she recorded a cover "Don't Stop the Music" by Rihanna for iTunes with independent record label Spin Move Records. Sanchez collaborated with the label once again in 2010 for a cover of "I'd Rather Go Blind" by Etta James for YouTube and was released as an exclusive download on the label's website. Earlier same year, she collaborated with Brandon Kane for the single "Just You and Me". Additionally, she was among the fifty-seven singers who contributed in a YouTube edition of the charity single "We Are the World 25 for Haiti", which was produced by Lisa Lavie.
2012: American Idol
On July 8, 2011, Sanchez auditioned for the eleventh season of American Idol in San Diego, California. She progressed through subsequent rounds prior to being eliminated in the twenty-eighth episode on April 12, 2012, which the judges overturned by drawing the "Judges' Save" for her to remain in the competition. Sanchez ultimately finished as the runner-up in the grand finals behind Phillip Phillips on May 23, 2012. She subsequently performed three songs ("The Star-Spangled Banner," "God Bless America", and "The Prayer") at the PBS' National Memorial Day Concert from the west lawn of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., on May 27, 2012. On June 29, 2012, it was announced that Sanchez signed a record deal with Interscope Records. She later performed "You're All I Need to Get By" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, where she was accompanied by God's Appointed People Choir at the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina on September 6, 2012. Furthermore, the performance was succeeded by four events towards the end of the year: the City of Hope Spirit of Life Awards Gala on October 10, 2012, the 26th Annual Carousel Ball of Hope on October 23, 2012, the 2012 Brittania Awards on November 7, 2012, and Trevor Live on December 2, 2012.
Performances and results
2013: Me, You & the Music
"Tonight", the lead single from Sanchez's debut studio album, was released on March 22, 2013. The song featured vocals from Ne-Yo. The duo previously performed "Tonight" on the twenty-first episode of the twelfth season of American Idol March 21, 2013. The song enjoyed minor domestic commercial success, where it debuted and peaked at number 48 on the Digital Songs chart. Elsewhere, "Tonight" debuted and peaked at number 42 on the ARIA Top 100 Singles Chart in Australia. On April 1, 2013, she performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" for former United States president Barack Obama and his family at the White House for the Easter Egg Roll. Sanchez released her debut album Me, You & the Music on April 30, 2013. The album underperformed, debuting and peaked at number 26 on the Billboard 200 chart and sold 14,000 copies in its first week. Due to Me, You & the Music's aforementioned results, Sanchez quietly parted with Interscope Records.