Heather Marie Russell (born August 10, 2000) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Her sound is predominantly pop/soul & contemporary R&B music. She was signed to Syco Records at the age of 10 by Simon Cowell. Russell and her father co-wrote the song "Crazy Glue" which Jessica Sanchez, '' American Idol'' 2011 contestant, covered on her debut EP.

Early life

Russell was born on August 10, 2000, in Toronto, Canada. Her parents Monica Cidade and James Russell (divorced), who are also musicians, raised her with her younger brother Robin. She expressed that she wanted to be a singer/songwriter at the age of 5 at which time she started taking piano lessons and began to write songs with her father.

Career

After one month on YouTube, her original song "Beautiful" garnered the attention of

Rob Fusari Rob Fusari, also known as 8Bit, is an American record producer and songwriter. He has worked with Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Will Smith, Whitney Houston and Lady Gaga. Early life Rob Fusari was born between 1967 and 1968. And raised in Livingston, ...

, who then signed Russell to a production deal. Fusari introduced Heather to Simon Cowell and had her flown to London to meet him. Upon meeting, and witnessing her performance, Cowell signed Russell on the spot to a temporary recording contract with Syco Entertainment. She then signed for talent representation with Rob Light at CAA. The Syco Entertainment recording contract ended in 2012 allowing Russell to dedicate her time with Rob Light at CAA. Since the age of 11, Russell has worked with producers and writers Babyface,

, Walter Afanasieff,

Evan Bogart Evan Bogart (born January 23, 1978), better known as E. Kidd Bogart, is an American songwriter, music publisher, record executive and film & television producer. He is the son of Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart and former music manager Joyc ...

, Neffu, Smith Carlson, Onree Gill and Howard Benson. In 2013, she worked with BBox Entertainment which then signed a distribution agreement with

Kobalt Label Services Kobalt Music Recordings is a division of Kobalt Music Group. KLS provides record label services to artists, receiving a share of revenues, while allowing artists to retain ownership of their master recordings. The company was founded in 2012 wh ...

in the spring of 2015. BBOX/Kobalt released Russell's debut EP, ''Phases'', in October 2015. The video for "Got This Feeling" premiered with Tiger Beat Magazine and was featured on Us Weekly. Russell's single, "Got This Feeling", was used in an episode of '' Pretty Little Liars'' on January 12, 2016.

Influences

Growing up, Russell was introduced to different genres of music including soul, R&B, pop, rock and jazz standards such as Alicia Keys, The Beatles,

Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man (song), Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo ...

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

, Bruno Mars, David Bowie, The Eagles, Ella Fitzgerald,

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, sh ...

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...

, Lady Gaga,

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...

, Queen,

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

, and Whitney Houston.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Heather 2000 births Living people Canadian women singer-songwriters Singers from Toronto 21st-century Canadian women singers American Idol participants 21st-century Canadian singer-songwriters