Jessica Elizabeth Sanchez

   As one of the final two contestants on season 11 of American Idol, Jessica Sanchez rose to glory by belting out soaring ballads by the likes of Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston.

  Born August 4, 1995 and raised in Chula Vista, California, to parents, Editha (née Bugay) and Gilbert Sanchez. Her father is a Mexican American, originally from Texas, and is a US Navy veteran. Her mother is a Filipina from Samal, Bataan in the Philippines

 Sanchez has worked on honing that vocal versatility for almost her entire life. “I started singing when I was two,” says Sanchez, who lists Mariah Carey, Etta James, and Ray Charles among her musical influences. Now, with her forthcoming debut album for 19 Recordings/Interscope Records, the 17-year-old songstress elevates her vocal artistry to a whole new level and channels her powerhouse pipes into high-energy, beat-soaked dance-pop.

 Now gearing up for her album’s release in Spring 2013 and joining the cast of “Glee”, Sanchez is ecstatic to share her own music with the world. “The fact that I get to put out something that’s all my own is so exciting,” she says. “Music has always been what I want to do with my life, and these songs are all me.”