Jacquelyn "Jaci" Davette Velasquez (Spanish ''Jaci Velásquez'', born October 15, 1979) is an American actress and

contemporary Christian Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...

and Latin pop singer and songwriter, performing in both English and Spanish. 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 a Latin Billboard Music Award in 2002 for her album "Mi Corazón", eight Dove Awards, including Best New Artist and Female Vocalist of the Year, as well as three Grammy nominations, and an American Music Award nomination in the category of "Favorite Latin Artist" in 2002. Since late 2010, Velasquez has co-hosted a morning radio show with Doug Griffin.

Biography

Early life

Velasquez was born in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

, Texas. She is of Mexican descent. She grew up in an evangelical church where her parents were both singers and pastors. Although she had described herself as a " non-denominational", she later stated in an interview with

Morris Cerullo Morris Cerullo (October 2, 1931 – July 10, 2020) was an American Pentecostal evangelist. He traveled extensively around the world for his ministry. He hosted ''Victory Today'', a daily television program, and published more than 80 books. Cer ...

that "you're talking to an Assemblies of God's girl". At the age of nine, she began traveling with her father, who by that time was a full-time singing evangelist. She began by singing backup, then later sang solo, releasing three independent records. It was while on the road that she was discovered by a representative of

Myrrh Records __NOTOC__ Myrrh Records (also known as Myrrh Worship) was an American Christian music record label. According to ''Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music'', the label was instrumental in developing a popular following for contemporary Christian ...

Music career

Velasquez released her national debut album '' Heavenly Place'' on May 13, 1996; five of its songs became No. 1 hits. The album was later certified Platinum. Velasquez has been distinguished as the fastest selling solo debut recording artist in her genre and the first solo artist in Christian music history to reach gold status with a debut album. She has since released seven more English-language albums, two of which were certified Gold. Five Latin albums garnishing amazing success with

Llegar A Ti ''Llegar a Ti'' ("Get to You") is the first Spanish release by contemporary Christian music singer Jaci Velásquez. The album peaked at No. 4 on the Top Latin Albums chart while the title track reached No. 1 on both the ''Billboard'' Hot Latin T ...

going double-platinum and Mi Corazón going platinum. She has produced sixteen No. 1 Christian radio hits and six other top-10 singles, and has won nine Dove awards, including New Artist of the Year and two Female Vocalist of the Year wins. Velasquez has also done ad campaigns for

Pepsi Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi wa ...

Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, f ...

Doritos Doritos () is an American brand of flavored tortilla chips produced since 1964 by Frito-Lay, a wholly owned subsidiary of PepsiCo. The original Doritos were not flavored. The first flavor was Toasted Corn, released in 1966, followed by Taco in ...

, John Freida's Frizz-Ease hair products and

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. In 1998, she signed to

Sony Discos Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC (often referred to as Sony Music Latin) is a record label owned by Sony Music. The label focuses on artists of Latin music. History In 1979, CBS Records (now Columbia Records) ended its partnership with ...

for a four-album deal and was introduced to

Rudy Pérez Rudy Amado Pérez (born May 14, 1958) is a Cuban-born American musician, songwriter, composer, producer, arranger, sound engineer, musical director and singer, as well as entertainment entrepreneur, and philanthropist. His area of specialty is b ...

, who produced her first Spanish-language crossover album ''Llegar a Ti'' which topped the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart, the first Christian track to top that chart of its kind. This album enabled Velasquez to achieve crossover success by building a fan base among Hispanics. Her first single, "Llegar a Ti," topped the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks and became the first Christian song to top that chart. The song also gave her a

Latin Grammy Award The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been ...

nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Jacivelasquez

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. The album received a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

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 success 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 A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Award ...

for Spanish Language Album of the Year. In September 2008, Velasquez was chosen by the State Department's Bureau of International Information Programs as one of the 15 Prominent Hispanic-Americans in the Arts in America. In August 2011, Velasquez signed with a new label,

Inpop Records Inpop Records is an independent contemporary Christian music record label based in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. It was launched in July 1999 by Australians Peter Furler, Dale Bray, and Wes Campbell. The name was derived from the idea of wanting t ...

, and her album, ''

Diamond Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, ...

'', was released on February 7, 2012. Velasquez released her first Spanish-language lullaby album, ''Buenas noches mi sol'', in 2012 with Fisher-Price. Velasquez released a new project on March 31, 2017, through

Integrity Music Integrity Music is part of the David C Cook nonprofit group. Founded as a direct-to-consumer music club in 1987 as ''Integrity Music'', Integrity was at the forefront of contemporary worship music's widespread popularity of praise and worship mu ...

, consisting of an English-language album, ''Trust'', and the Spanish-language version, ''Confío''. At the 48th

, ''Confío'' won Spanish Language Album of the Year

Acting career

Velasquez made her acting debut in the 2003 film ''

Chasing Papi ''Chasing Papi'' is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Linda Mendoza (in her feature film directorial debut) and starring Roselyn Sánchez, Sofía Vergara, Jaci Velasquez, and Eduardo Verástegui. The women discover that their boyfriend ha ...

'', which also featured

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Roselyn Sanchez Rosalyn may refer to: *Rosalyn (song), "Rosalyn" (song), song by Pretty Things People *Rosalyn Borden (1932–2003), American actress *Rosalynn Carter, wife of former President of the United States Jimmy Carter *Rosalyn Gold-Onwude (born 1987), Am ...

, and

Eduardo Verastegui Eduardo is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the male given name Edward. Another version is Duarte. It may refer to: Association football * Eduardo Bonvallet, Chilean football player and sports commentator * Eduardo Carvalho, Portuguese footb ...

, as well as

Nicole Scherzinger Nicole Scherzinger (; born Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Valiente, June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality. She is best known as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, one of the best-selling g ...

in a cameo role. It was released nationwide in the United States in April 2003. The movie reached No. 11 at the box office, and grossed $6 million worldwide. Velasquez also starred in the Christian films '' The Encounter'' and '' Jerusalem Countdown'', both released in 2011. In November 2010, Velasquez began co-hosting the ''Family Friendly Morning Show'' with Doug Griffin after being a guest host for several months. The show airs on over 100 U.S. radio stations for four hours each weekday morning. In 2016, she played the drama teacher Mrs. Diaz in ''

I'm Not Ashamed ''I'm Not Ashamed'' is a 2016 American Biographical film, biographical drama film directed by Brian Baugh and based on the journals of Rachel Scott, the first victim of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in Columbine, Colorado. Scott, playe ...

'', a 2016 biographical drama film based on the journals of

Rachel Joy Scott Rachel Joy Scott (August 5, 1981 – April 20, 1999) was an American student who was the first fatality of the Columbine High School massacre, in which 11 other students and a teacher were also murdered by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who th ...

Personal life

Velasquez married Darren Potuck, of the band AutoVaughn, on August 16, 2003. They were divorced in 2005. On December 17, 2006, she married Nic Gonzales in a private ceremony in

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

. Gonzales is a member of Salvador, a Christian group with whom she had been touring. Their first son Zealand was born in 2007 and their second son Soren in 2009. Velasquez and her husband were featured in an episode of the home remodeling reality TV show ''Renovation Realities'' which aired December 6, 2014, on the

DIY Network Magnolia Network is an American basic cable network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and Chip and Joanna Gaines. It broadcasts personality-based lifestyle programs related to topics such as home construction, renovation, and cuisine. The channe ...

Discography

* ''My Favorite Songs'' (1990) * ''Help Me'' (1992) * ''Keep the Fire Burning'' (1994) * '' Heavenly Place'' (1996) * ''

Jaci Velasquez Jacquelyn "Jaci" Davette Velasquez (Spanish ''Jaci Velásquez'', born October 15, 1979) is an American actress and contemporary Christian and Latin pop singer and songwriter, performing in both English and Spanish. Velasquez has sold almost ...

'' (1998) * ''

'' (1999) * ''

Crystal Clear Crystal Clear may refer to: Music and film * ''Crystal Clear'' (Jaci Velasquez album), 2000 * ''Crystal Clear'' (David Dunn album), 2015 ** ''Crystal Clear'' (EP), a 2014 EP by David Dunn * "Crystal Clear", a 1988 song from '' World Without E ...

'' (2000) * '' Mi Corazón'' (2001) * ''

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

'' (2001) * ''Navidad'' (2001) * '' Unspoken'' (2003) * ''

Milagro Milagro means "miracle" in Spanish. Milagro may refer to: Places: *Milagro, Ecuador, a city * Milagro Canton, Ecuador, of which the city is the canton seat * Milagro River, Ecuador *Milagro, Navarre, Spain, a town and municipality * El Milagro, Q ...

'' (2003) * '' Beauty Has Grace'' (2005) * ''

Love Out Loud ''Love Out Loud'' is the sixth studio album by Jaci Velasquez, released on March 18, 2008. Album background On the heels of the tenth anniversary celebration of her debut platinum selling album, '' Heavenly Place'', Velasquez returned to the ...

'' (2008) * ''

'' (2012) * ''Buenas Noches mi Sol / Canciones De Cuna'' (2012) * '' Trust/Confío'' (2017)

Filmography

* 2003: ''

'' * 2004: ''

Doc DOC, Doc, doc or DoC may refer to: In film and television * ''Doc'' (2001 TV series), a 2001–2004 PAX series * ''Doc'' (1975 TV series), a 1975–1976 CBS sitcom * "D.O.C." (''Lost''), a television episode * ''Doc'' (film), a 1971 Wester ...

'' (one episode) * 2003: '' Los Reyes Magos'' (''The 3 Wise Men'') * 2011: '' The Encounter'' * 2011: '' Jerusalem Countdown'' * 2014: ''Rumors of Wars'' * 2015: ''

VeggieTales ''VeggieTales'' is an American Christian media, computer generated musical children's animation, and book franchise created by Phil Vischer and Mike Nawrocki under Big Idea Entertainment. The series sees fruit and vegetable characters retell ...

: Noah's Ark'' * 2016: ''

'' * 2017: ''

A Question of Faith ''A Question of Faith'' is a 2017 American Christian drama film. This film was released on September 29, 2017, by Pure Flix Entertainment. Plot When tragedy strikes three families, their destiny forces them on a converging path to discover God's ...

'' * 2020: ''Cover Me'' * 2020: ''Acquitted by Faith''

Bibliography

* 1996: ''A Heavenly Place'' (over 10,000 units sold) * 2003: ''Los Evangelios Toman Vida: The Gospels Come to Life'' * 2012: ''Coffee and Concealer''

Awards

Latin Grammy Award Nominations * 2000 Best Female Pop Vocal Performance ''Llegar A Ti'' * 2004 Best Female Pop Vocal Album ''Milagro''. * 2017 Best Christian Album ''Confío''. Dove Awards * 1997 New Artist of the Year * 1998 Song of the Year, "On My Knees" * 1999 Female Vocalist of the Year * 2000 Special Event Album of the Year, "Streams" * 2000 Spanish-language Album of the Year, "Llegar a Ti" * 2000 Female Vocalist of the Year * 2002 Spanish-Language Album of the Year "Mi Corazon" * 2003 Spanish-Language Album of the Year "Navidad" * 2017 Spanish-Language Album of the Year "Confio" American Music Awards Nominations * 2002 Favorite Latin Artist ''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards * 2002 Female Pop Album: "''Mi Corazon'' Premio Lo Nuestro * 2000 for New Artist of the Year Premios Arpa *2018 Best Female Vocal Album of the Year "Confio"

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Velasquez, Jaci 1979 births Living people American film actresses 21st-century American actresses 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers American women pop singers American Latin pop singers Christian music songwriters American actresses of Mexican descent American people of Spanish descent American people of French descent American people of Scottish descent American people of Arab descent Word Records artists Musicians from Houston American performers of Christian music 21st-century Christians 20th-century Christians American evangelicals American Pentecostals Assemblies of God people Actresses from Houston Myrrh Records artists Spanish-language singers of the United States 20th-century American women singers 21st-century American women singers Women in Latin music