Biography
Jaci Velasquez (born Jacquelyn Davette Velasquez on October 15, 1979) is an American Contemporary Christian and Latin pop singer and songwriter. Her first name is pronounced as "Jackie".
Velasquez has sold almost three million albums in the US, recorded three Platinum and three Gold albums, and recorded 16 singles that hit No. 1 plus six more that entered the top 10. She received nine Dove Awards, including Best New Artist and Female Vocalist of the Year, and a Latin Billboard Music Award in 2002 for her album Mi Corazón.
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Velasquez grew up attending church and her parents were singers. Her mother has Mexican ancestry; from both sides of her family, Velasquez also has Spanish, French, Jewish, Scottish, and Arabic ancestry. When she was ten years old, her parents sold their Houston home and dedicated themselves to touring the United States with their Christian music. It was while on the road that she was discovered by a representative of Myrrh Records.
In 1995, Velasquez sang at an Alvin, Texas church (ESMIRNA) where she met Mauricio Ruiz, a local immigration consultant, as well as his wife, Flora Ruiz. They made a large contribution in support of Velasquez and her parents. This helped her and her family to travel the United States and launch her singing career.
Velasquez released her first album, Heavenly Place, in 1996. Five of the songs on that album became #1 hits, and it was later certified Platinum. Since then she has released seven more English-language albums, two of which were certified Gold.
In 1998, she signed to Sony Latin and was introduced to Rudy Perez, who produced her 1st Spanish language crossover album Llegar a Ti. In 2001, she released her second Spanish-language album, 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.
Mi Corazón received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Latin Pop Album. "Como Se Cura Una Herida" charted at No. 1 simultaneously with the song "Adore" at No. 1 on the CCM (Inspirational) chart giving Velasquez two simultaneous No. 1s in two different markets. Her Latin music credits includes five Spanish-language releases, two 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 four Dove Awards for Spanish Language Album of the Year.
In August 2011, Velasquez signed with a new label, Inpop Records, and her album, Diamond, was released on February 7, 2012. She released her first Spanish-language lullaby album, Buenas Noches Mi Sol, in 2012 with Fisher-Price. She released a new project on March 31, 2017, through Integrity Music, consisting of an English-language album, Trust, and the Spanish-language version, Confío. At the 48th Dove Awards, Confío won Spanish Language Album of the Year.
In 2002 Velasquez started acting. Her first role was in Chasing Papi, a Hollywood movie. The movie also featured Sofia Vergara, Puerto Rico's Roselyn Sanchez, Mexico's Eduardo Verastegui, and Nicole Scherzinger in a cameo role. It was released in the United States in April 2003, reaching #11 at the box office and grossing $6 million in total. Velasquez appeared in the December 2003 issue of Right On! magazine, where editor Cynthia Horner called her a true role model to teens.
In November 2010, Velasquez became a radio co-host on the Family Friendly Morning Show with Doug Griffin, after being a guest host for several months. Velasquez starred in the Christian films The Encounter and Jerusalem Countdown, both released in 2011. In 2016, she played the drama teacher Mrs. Diaz in I'm Not Ashamed, a biographical drama film based on the journals of Rachel Joy Scott.
---DISCOGRAPHY, SINGLES AND VIDEOS---
CG= Christian Gospel Billboard Chart
HLT= Hot Latin Tracks Billboard Chart
TB2: The Billboard 200
TLA: Top Latin Albums Billboard Chart
HDCP: Hot Dance Music/Club Play
-Heavenly Place (1996) TB2=142 Platinum
*Un lugar celestial (a heavenly place).video.#1 CG
*On My kness .video. #1 CG
*If this world #1 CG
*We can make a difference #1 CG
*Flower in the rain. #1 CG
-Jaci Velasquez (1998) TB2=56 Gold
*God So Loved .video. #1 CG
*Look What Love Has Done #1 CG
*Show You Love #1 CG
*Speak For Me #1 CG
*You #1 CG
-Llegar A Ti (1999) TLA=4 Platinum
*Llegar a ti .video. #1 HLT
*De creer en ti .video. #18 HLT
*Sólo tú #4 HLT
*Un lugar celestial #10 HLT
*Love Will Find You (Llegar A Ti)#24 HDCP
-Crystal Clear (2000) TB2=29 Gold
*Adore .video. #1 GC
*Imagine me without you #1 CG
*Center Of Your Love #1 CG
*Everytime I fall #1 CG
*Just a prayer away #1 CG
-Mi Corazón (2001) TLA=7 Gold
*Como se cura una herida .video. #1 HLT
*Dejame quererte para siempre
-Christmas (2001) TB2=102
-Navidad (2001) TLA= 23
-Unspoken (2003) TB2=55
*You're My God
*Jesus Is
*Lost Without You
*Where I Belong
*Unspoken
-Milagro (2003) TLA=24
*No hace falta un hombre .video. #5 HLT
*Es amor
-Protagonistas de la música (special appearance)
*No Me Rendiré with Pablo Portillo #19 HTL
-Mi Historia Musical (2004)
-Beauty Has Grace (2005) TB2=195
*With all my soul
*I'm not looking down
*Lay it down
-On My Knees: The Best of Jaci Velasquez (2006)
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.