Jessica Elizabeth Sanchez (born August 4, 1995) is an American singer from San Diego, California. She was the runner-up on the eleventh season of the reality singing show, American Idol. She is the first female and fourth recipient of the judges' save. She is the first recipient of the save to reach the finale. Prior to appearing on American Idol, Sanchez competed in the first season of America's Got Talent at the age of 11. She's got a worldwide fanbase on which whom she calls “blujays”.

Early life
Family

Sanchez was born in Chula Vista, California on August 4, 1995 to parents, Editha (née Bugay) and Gilbert Sanchez. She was raised in Eastlake, Chula Vista, along with two younger brothers. Her father, a Mexican American, originally from Texas, is a US Navy veteran who fought in the Iraq War,[specify] served in Afghanistan, . Her mother is a Filipina, originally from Samal, Bataan. Her maternal grandfather, Eddie Bugay, is a retired US Navy sailor. Inspired by her Roman Catholic grandmother, she carries a rosary everywhere, and prays quietly before going on stage.

She is a former student of Eastlake Middle School in Chula Vista. Back in her eighth grade, her favorite subjects were science, physical education, and choir. Her teacher remembers Sanchez as a humble girl, for when word spread at school that she sang the national anthem at a San Diego Chargers home game, she did not brag and preferred to stay in the background. She was selected for full scholarship training at the Theater of Arts in Hollywood and is currently a homeschooled high school student in 11th grade.

She started singing at the age of 2, and aspires to be a mainstream singer who can "belt but sing upbeat songs". Eminem and Beyonce are her favorite male and female artists, while Jennifer Hudson is her favorite American Idol contestant. Other musical influences include Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Etta James, Christina Aguilera, and Michael Jackson.

Early career

Showtime at the Apollo

At the age of 10 Sanchez was runner up next to Jonathan Liberato on a Tv show, Sanchez got a standing ovation for performing Aretha Franklin's "Respect" on Showtime at the Apollo. The host Whoopi Goldberg called her back on stage to accept a second round of applause.
America's Got Talent

Sanchez competed on the first season of America's Got Talent at the age of 11. Despite a successful audition, she was not seen on the show until during the wild card round of the semi-finals when judge Brandy Norwood chose her to comeback for a chance to compete for the finals. Norwood predicted, "You’re gonna be huge, I promise," after seeing her perform "I Surrender" by Celine Dion. The show's executive producer and former American Idol judge Simon Cowell named her "one of the best I have ever heard."
National Football League

On September 22, 2008, Sanchez sang The Star-Spangled Banner before a San Diego Chargers versus New York Jets matchup. She got invited again to sing the national anthem on September 27, 2009 before a San Diego Chargers versus Miami Dolphins matchup.

Single releases

In October 2009, Sanchez recorded a cover of "Don't Stop the Music" by Rihanna for iTunes with independent record label Spin Move Records. The following spring, Sanchez recorded another single with Spin Move Records, a cover of Etta James' "I'd Rather Go Blind" for YouTube and exclusive download on the label's website.
We Are the World remake

Sanchez was one of the singers in Lisa Lavie's collaboration video "We Are the World 25 for Haiti (YouTube Edition)" for charity relief for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, along with American Idol season 10 finalist Thia Megia.[27] The video's participants were collectively recognized as "Persons of the Week" on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer on March 19, 2010.[28][29]
American Idol
Main article: American Idol (season 11)
Overview
This section is too long. Consider either splitting it into new page or sub-sections or summarizing it.

On July 8, 2011, Jessica auditioned for the eleventh season of American Idol in her hometown of San Diego, California. Her group performance with Deandre Brackensick and Candice Glover with an updated version of Buddy Holly's "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" got a standing ovation from the three judges. Randy Jackson was astonished by Jessica's performance, and her group advanced to the next round. Later, she advanced to the semi-finals.

In the semi-finals, Sanchez performed Jennifer Hudson's "Love You I Do" from the film Dreamgirls where she got the only standing ovation of the evening from the three judges. Jackson called it "one of the best of the last two nights". Jennifer Lopez stated, "the whole thing is really really so beyond your years". Steven Tyler commended her "exceptional timing" and added, "Your voice is perfect, your pitch is perfect." She was one of the top five female vote getters that advanced to the top 13. Her rendition of "I Will Always Love You" sung on Whitney Houston night on March 7, 2012 got rave reviews with Tyler saying, "You may be the one." and a speechless Lopez called her "just amazing". Jackson responded, "You not only are the best vocal of the night, I think you are one of the best singers in this whole competition!" and named Sanchez "one of the best talents in the whole country". CNN's HLN News Now reported that she brought the judges to their feet. With the lone standing ovation of the night just as before, her name became a worldwide trend on Twitter the following day. When the video of the performance was uploaded to Youtube, it received five million views in three days.

For her top 11 performance, Sanchez received constructive criticism from the judges for her rendition of Gloria Estefan's version of Vicki Sue Robinson's "Turn the Beat Around". Jackson said, "The problem for me was the song choice. You got the big old voice. The song does not allow you to show that". Lopez agreed, "your voice has such a strong vibrato, which is so beautiful on certain songs", while Tyler advised "you can't stray too far from what I think you sing the best which is ballads."

On Billy Joel night, Sanchez earned another standing ovation from the judges after singing "Everybody Has a Dream". Tyler said, "When God was giving out vocal cords, you were so at the front of the line". Lopez noted, "that was a defining moment for you", while Jackson lauded it as "flawless" and "perfection". The next week, Sanchez acknowledged her personal idol by singing a slow tempo of Beyonce's "Sweet Dreams". Lopez described it as a "really beautiful rendition", Tyler called it "delicious", while Jackson declared "you're one of the best singers I've heard in many years. Unbelievable. Sensational". In the top 8 round, she introduced her alter ego, "BeBe Chez", to cover an upbeat Whitney Houston song "How Will I Know". Lopez raved about her "powerhouse vocals", while Tyler said, "Your voice is so fantastic. Everything you do is beautiful. Everything you do is great." For his part, Jackson stated, "You did an amazing job ... I can't believe the maturity in you." Her duet of George Michael and Aretha Franklin's "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" with fellow contestant Joshua Ledet got a standing ovation from the judges, prompting Jackson to declare "Two of the greatest singers to ever hit this competition ... This is one of the greatest performances I have seen on this show".

For the top 7 Week on April 11, 2012, she sang Jazmine Sullivan's "Stuttering" to which, Jackson declared, "you set the bar really high ... That was superb. That was at the highest degree". Tyler affirmed, "every time I hear you sing, I forget where I am", with Lopez commenting, "you have, probably more than anybody, an amazing opportunity to really take this American Idol audience on a ride like they've never been" and urged her to go for impactful performances. The following night revealed that she received the lowest number of votes leaving the judges stunned while the audience erupted in disapproval. She began to sing Deborah Cox's "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here", when Lopez ran on stage and cut her off mid-performance. The three judges declared on stage that they are unanimous in using their one-time "Judges' Save", a veto that was introduced beginning in the eighth season. A visibly upset Jackson chided, "This girl is one of the best singers in America, ever ... Please everybody, please vote for the best. It's about finding the best." This made her the first female and the fourth finalist in American Idol history spared from elimination.

For the second week of top 7, Sanchez pleased the judges with her take on Alicia Keys’ "Fallin'". "Your talent is so other worldly. I don’t even know if you know how good you really are and how great you can even be," Jackson remarked. "With talent like yours, you have the right to get mad at a song. That was the passion that you released," was Tyler's response. Lopez concurred, "I’m glad you’re still here and we had a save and used it on you." Her rendition of Otis Redding’s "Try a Little Tenderness" left Lopez critiquing, "The vocal ability is so great, that we need to start connecting with you here [heart]. Just the voice is not gonna do it". Tyler noted, "I like that fact that you’re stepping out. It's all about stepping out and winning these people's hearts". Jackson echoed similar comment saying, "Where you should grow now is really just in connecting with the emotion with the lyrics."

On Queen night, Sanchez performed Bohemian Rhapsody. Tyler opined that rock music is not her forte. Still, he remarked, "Freddie Mercury would have been proud to hear that." Lopez agreed that the vocal was beautiful but "needed a bit more of that rock performance". "You hit the high notes, you sounded beautiful," said Jackson but he wanted her to channel a little Tina Turner. Her rendition of Luther Vandross' Dance with My Father earned rave reviews. "The tenderness, the feeling, your vocal ability, everything. The feeling, more than anything, is what makes me say that it was the most beautiful I've ever heard it," Lopez gushed. "Your voice is so different than anybody else is. It kind of touches on Whitney," Tyler enthused and added it was a joy and honor to watch her evolve on the show. Jackson thought it was beyond reproach saying, "Now you got that feeling in there, and that's what was always a little bit missing for me. But now, you're making that connection."

After the conclusion of the top 4, she is the last surviving female contestant in the Idol competition. Sanchez has received six unanimous standing ovations for her competitive performances from the judges, four from solo performances, one for group performance, and one for a duet. She also received a partial standing ovation on Top 3 performance show (from Steven Tyler. This made her one of the front-runners in the competition.

On Top 3 Performance, Jessica Sanchez sung three songs, "My All" by Mariah Carey (Lopez's choice), "I'll Be There" by The Jackson 5, Iovine's choice, and "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith. For "My All", Tyler predicted she would win the competition, "When you sing, you make people hang on your every note. "I hope you get used to encores. And on another crazy note, I think you'll be the last person standing there." For "I'll Be There", Tyler said, "Perfect song, perfect voice, you nailed it, delicious" and Lopez stated "It was perfect for the tone in your voice. You almost sounded like Michael." Jackson did not like the performance, saying, "Once again, we're at the end here, and you're on the stage with all these other dynamic singers. There was never a moment moment." For "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", she received a standing ovation from Steven Tyler, who said "You just took a great song and made it greater. Thank you Diane Warren for writing that for me and for getting her to sing it as well as you did...beautiful." Lopez also loved the performance, saying: "That was amazing. That note in the end! Oh, wow. Sends everybody into the heavens. Really, really great job, baby!" Jackson said, "I was waiting on a big moment and dude, you delivered man."

In the Top 2 finale, Sanchez performed three songs including Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing", which was chosen by Simon Fuller, the show's creator. The following night in the results show, she finished as the runner-up of the season after 132 million votes were cast by the viewers.

Performances/results

Episode Theme Song choice Original artist Order # Result
Audition Auditioner's Choice "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" Aretha Franklin N/A Advanced
Hollywood Round, Part 1 First Solo "Get Me Bodied" Beyoncé N/A Advanced
Hollywood Round, Part 2 Group Performance Not aired N/A Advanced
Hollywood Round, Part 3 Second Solo Not aired N/A Advanced
Las Vegas Round Songs from the 1950s
Group Performance "It Doesn't Matter Anymore"
with DeAndre Brackensick & Candice Glover Buddy Holly N/A Advanced
Final Judgment Final Solo "The Prayer" Celine Dion & Andrea Bocelli N/A Advanced
Top 25 (12 Women) Personal Choice "Love You I Do" Jennifer Hudson 11 Advanced
Top 13 Whitney Houston "I Will Always Love You" Dolly Parton 12 Safe
Top 11 Year They Were Born "Turn the Beat Around" Vicki Sue Robinson 2 Safe
Top 10 Billy Joel "Everybody Has a Dream" Billy Joel 9 Safe
Top 9 Their Personal Idols Solo "Sweet Dreams" Beyoncé 7 Safe
Trio "Like a Prayer" / "Borderline" / "Express Yourself"
with Hollie Cavanagh & Skylar Laine Madonna 11
Top 8 Songs from the 1980s Solo "How Will I Know" Whitney Houston 7 Safe
Duet "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)"
with Joshua Ledet Aretha Franklin & George Michael 10
Top 7 Songs from the 2010s Solo "Stuttering" Jazmine Sullivan 4 Saved1
Trio "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)"
with Hollie Cavanagh & Joshua Ledet Kelly Clarkson 9
Top 72 Songs from Now & Then "Fallin'" Alicia Keys 5 Safe
"Try a Little Tenderness" Ray Noble Orchestra 12
Top 6 Queen "Bohemian Rhapsody" Queen 1 Safe
Contestant's Choice "Dance with My Father" Luther Vandross 7
Top 5 Songs from the 1960s Solo "Proud Mary" Creedence Clearwater Revival 5 Safe
Trio "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher"
with Hollie Cavanagh & Skylar Laine Jackie Wilson 9
British Pop "You Are So Beautiful" Billy Preston 11
Top 4 California Dreamin' Solo "Steal Away" Jimmy Hughes 4 Safe
Duet "Eternal Flame"
with Hollie Cavanagh The Bangles 6
Quartet "Waiting for a Girl Like You"
with Hollie Cavanagh, Joshua Ledet & Phillip Phillips Foreigner 7
Songs They Wish They'd Written "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" Jennifer Holliday 11
Top 3 Judges' Choice "My All" Mariah Carey 2 Safe
Contestant's Choice "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" Aerosmith 5
Jimmy Iovine's Choice "I'll Be There" The Jackson 5 8
Finale Simon Fuller's Choice "I Have Nothing" Whitney Houston 1 Runner-Up
Favorite Performance "The Prayer" Celine Dion & Andrea Bocelli 3
Winner's Single "Change Nothing" Jessica Sanchez 5

^Note 1 Sanchez received the lowest number of votes; however, the judges decided to use their one save of the season to allow her to remain in the competition.
^Note 2 Due to the judges using their one save on Sanchez, the top 7 remained intact for another week.

Post-Idol

Sanchez sang the U.S. National Anthem and "The Prayer" at the PBS' National Memorial Day Concert from the west lawn of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. on May 27, 2012.

Although yet to be officially announced, Jessica is presumed to have signed a record deal with Interscope Records. An official artist page made for her on the label's website is now featured, as well as an official website with the official banner of Interscope Records and Universal Music Group displayed at the bottom.

Sanchez performed the U.S. National Anthem during the Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley fight on Saturday, June 9, 2012 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sanchez also sang the U.S. National Anthem during the 2012 NBA finals Heat vs. Thunder.

During the American Idol's Live! 2012 Tour Press Junket, Jessica confirmed to interviewers that she was in fact working on her debut album due in October.

It has been confirmed that Sanchez is "in talks" for a multi-episode arc for the fourth season of Glee.

Discography

Compilation albums
Title Details Peak chart positions Sales
US US Heat CAN
Jessica Sanchez: Journey to the Finale

Release date: May 24, 2012
Label: 19
Formats: Digital download

126 1 —

US: 6,000[70]

American Idol: Season 11 Highlights EP

Release date: July 3, 2012
Label: 19
Formats: Walmart exclusive EP


Tours

2012: American Idols LIVE! Tour 2012