Search - Jessica Sanchez :: Me, You & The Music

Born and raised in Chula Vista, California, Sanchez has worked on honing her vocal versatility for almost her entire life. She started singing when she was two and lists Mariah Carey, Etta James, and Ray Charles among her musical influences. At age ten she performed Aretha Franklin's Respect on an episode of Showtime at the Apollo. A year later, she competed on the premiere season of America's Got Talent, reaching the wild-card round before getting cut. Over the next few years, Sanchez performed at venues both large and small (including a 2008 San Diego Chargers game) and released a number of covers (such as Etta James's I'd Rather Go Blind ) through an independent record label. After nailing her American Idol audition in 2011, Sanchez climbed to the final two and landed her deal with Interscope soon after the season finale. Diving into the recording of her debut in Summer 2012, Sanchez took a break from the studio to tear through a rousing, choir-backed rendition of Marvin Gaye's All I Need To Get By at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.