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Biography
BLP sources|date=January 2007Infobox musical artist| name = Jaci Velasquez| image = Jaci Velásquez sings at the White House.jpg| background = solo_singer| birth_name = Jacquelyn Davette Velasquez| birth_date = birth date and age|1979|10|15| birth_place = Houston , Texas , United States| origin =| genre = Contemporary Christian music|Contemporary Christian , pop music|pop , Latin pop | years_active = 1992–present| label = InPop Records|InPop EMI Christian Music Group|EMI Christian Apostrophe/ Word Records|Word | website = URL| http://www.jacivelasquez.com Jacquelyn (Jaci) Davette Velasquez (born October 15, 1979) is an United States|American Contemporary Christian music|Contemporary Christian and Latin Pop singer—in both English language|English and Spanish language|Spanish languages.
Velasquez has sold almost five million albums around the world,cite web|url= http://www.billboard.com/#/news/ask-billboard-1003788893.story|title=Ask Billboard|work=Billboard|date=2008-04-11|accessdate=2011-12-30 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 Award s including Best New Artist and Female Vocalist of the Year. Velasquez has co-hosted a morning radio show since late 2010.
Biography
Early life
Jaci Velasquez was born in Houston, Texas . She is of Mexican people|Mexican , Spanish people|Spanish , French people|French , Scotland|Scottish , and Arab ancestry. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PCH/is_4_4/ai_113053490 Jaci Velasquez: Chasing Papi star with a blazing trail of album hits - Main Cover - Cover Story At the age of nine, she began traveling with her father, who by that time was a full-time singing evangelist. She began by singing backup to her parents, then later sang solo. It was while on the road that she was discovered by a representative of Myrrh Records .cite web|title=Jaci Velasquez Bio|url= http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608002928/Jaci-Velasquez.html|publisher=Net Industries|accessdate=22 September 2011
Career
BLP sources section|date=September 2011Velasquez released her national debut album Heavenly Place in 1996 and five of the songs on that CD became No. 1 hits (she had two previous independent records). 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 sophomore project. She has since released six 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 Corporation|Target , Doritos , John Freida's Frizz-Ease hair products and Helzberg Diamonds .
In 1998, she signed to Sony Latin 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 Colombia n 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 magazine|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& mdash;including the December 2003 issue of Right On! , wherein editor Cynthia Horner calls her a true role model to teens& mdash;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.cite web|url= http://www.america.gov/multimedia/photogallery.html#/30145/hispanic_arts |title=Photo Gallery |publisher=America.gov |date=2008-06-30 |accessdate=2011-09-16
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.cite web|title=Jaci Velasquez Announced As New Co-host of The Family Friendly Morning Show with Doug Griffin|url= http://www.todayschristianmusic.com/artists/jaci-velasquez/news/jaci-velasquez-announced-as-new-co-host-of-the-family-friendly-morning-show-with-doug-griffin/|publisher=Today's Christian Music/CCM magazine|accessdate=14 October 2011 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 upcoming album, Diamond , is scheduled for release on February 7, 2012.cite web|url= http://www.christiantoday.com/article/jaci.velasquez.signs.to.inpop.records/28482.htm |title=Jaci Velasquez signs to Inpop Records |publisher=Christian Today |date=2011-08-22 |accessdate=2011-09-16
Personal life
Velasquez married Darren Potuck, of the band AutoVaughn, on August 16, 2003. They were divorced in 2005 for unspecified reasons.cite web|url= http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/news/2005/jacivelasquez.html |title=Jaci Velasquez Divorced |publisher=Christianitytoday.com |date=2003-08-16 |accessdate=2011-09-16
On December 17, 2006, she married Nic Gonzales in a private ceremony in Austin, Texas . Gonzales is a member of Salvador (band)|Salvador , a Christian group with whom she had been touring.cite web|url= http://www.lovetripper.com/newswire07/010707-jaci-velasquez.html |title=Austin Wedding for Jaci Velasquez, Nic Gonzalez |publisher=Lovetripper.com |date=2006-12-17 |accessdate=2011-09-16
Velasquez gave birth to a boy in 2007. Her second son with her husband, Nic, was born in 2009. http://celebrity-babies.com/2009/03/02/jaci-velasquez-and-nic-gonzales-welcome-son-soren-arthur/ Jaci Velásquez and Nic Gonzales Welcome Sonn Soren Arthur Celebrity Baby Blog, March 2, 2009
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,"Citation needed|date=January 2011 concerning the power of prayer.
2006: On My Knees: The Best of Jaci Velasquez (a.k.a. Jaci Velasquez: Greatest Hits )
2007: Open House (Christmas EP)
2008: Love Out Loud
2012: Diamond
Chart performance
1999: "Llegar A Ti" Hot Latin Tracks No. 1cite web|url= http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/jaci-velasquez/chart-history/166906? f=363& g=Singles|title=Velasquez's Hot Latin Tracks chart history|publisher=Rovi Corporation / Billboard |accessdate=2011-12-30
2000: "De Creer En Ti (On My Knees)" Hot Latin Tracks No. 18
2000: "Love Will Find You (Llegar A Ti)" Hot Dance Music/Club Play No. 24cite web|url= http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/jaci-velasquez/chart-history/166906? f=359& g=Singles|title=Velasquez's Hot Dance Music chart history|publisher=Rovi Corporation / Billboard |accessdate=2011-12-30
2000: "Solo Tu" Hot Latin Tracks No. 4
2000: "Un Lugar Celestial" Hot Latin Tracks No. 40
2001: "Como Se Cura Una Herida" Hot Latin Tracks No. 1
2003: "No Hace Falta Un Hombre" Hot Latin Tracks No. 5
2003: "No Me Rendire" Hot Latin Tracks No. 19
Filmography
2003: Chasing Papi
2004: Doc (TV series) (one episode)
2003: Los Reyes Magos (The Three Wise Men)
2011: The Encounter
2011: Jerusalem Countdown
Bibliography
1996: A Heavenly Place (over 10,000 units sold)
2003: Los Evangelios Toman Vida: The Gospels Come to Life
2012: Coffee and Concealer
References
Reflist
External links
http://www.jacivelasquez.com Official Site
Jaci Velasquez Persondata | NAME = Velasquez, Jaci | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = October 15, 1979 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Houston , Texas , United States | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Velasquez, Jaci Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American pop singers Category:Christian religion-related songwriters Category:American people of Mexican descent Category:American people of Spanish descent Category:American people of French descent Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:American people of Arab descent Category:Word Records artists Category:Musicians from Houston, Texas Category:American performers of Christian music Category:American evangelicals Category:American Pentecostals Category:Assemblies of God people
