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Bianca Taylor Ryan (born September 1, 1994) is an American musician, singer and songwriter from
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, Pennsylvania. Ryan was the first winner of NBC's ''
America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribut ...
'' at the age of eleven. Singing two Broadway show tunes along the way, Ryan was announced as the winner of season one on August 17. Her self-titled first album was released later in 2006, followed by two Christmas albums. Two singles followed in 2007 and 2010. After a break to finish her education, Ryan recorded a cover of the John Legend song " All of Me" and posted the video to her YouTube channel in March 2014. Her original song "Alice" was self-released in May 2015. Following a delay due to health problems, Ryan premiered her single "One Day" in May 2017; since then, she has written and released singles including "Man Down" and "Remember". Her EP ''The Reintroduction, Pt. 1'' was released in January 2019. Following the release of several singles, a second Christmas EP was made available in November 2020, followed by a series of videos made for the holidays. Ryan has acted in the feature film ''
12 and Holding ''12 and Holding'' is a 2005 American coming of age, coming-of-age drama film directed by Michael Cuesta and starring Conor Donovan, Jesse Camacho, Zoe Weizenbaum, and Jeremy Renner. The film is distributed by IFC Films and was released on May 19, ...
'' (2005) and played the lead role in a music video by
The Wrecking The Wrecking is an American rock band from Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is h ...
in 2010. The independent film ''
We Are Kings ''We Are Kings'' is an independent feature film directed by Toby Hubner and starring Sammy Blue, Bianca Ryan, Rita Graham, Jonathon "Boogie" Long and Pryce. The film was crowdsourced beginning with a Kickstarter campaign. It premiered in L ...
'' premiered in 2014, featuring Ryan as one of two down-on-their-luck teen musicians who are guided by an angel to save an elder
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
man from freezing to death. Ryan co-wrote much of the film's music, and the video for her song "Broken Down House" was released in October.


Early life

Bianca Ryan is the second of five children of Shawn and Janette Ryan, who moved from
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
to Philadelphia when Bianca was three years old. Her father, a fan of
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
, named her after
Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...
's ex-wife. Ryan is "mostly" Irish and calls herself a mix of Japanese, Irish, Italian, German and
Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
. "I'm basically just America ... the
melting pot The melting pot is a monocultural metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements "melting together" with a common culture; an alternative being a homogeneous society becoming more heterogeneous throug ...
."''Bianca Ryan by Decently Funny'', 11:52–12:01 Ryan's singing talent came as something of a surprise to her family, given that she was an award-winning tap dancer as a child. Ryan said she did not even attempt to sing until she was eight years old and started enjoying
LeAnn Rimes Margaret LeAnn Rimes Cibrian (born August 28, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She originally rose to success as a country music artist at age 13 with 1996's "Blue". She has since crossed over into pop, contemporary Chris ...
and country music. Shawn Ryan started sharing his record collection with his daughter, and Bianca "fell in love" with
rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...
and
soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became po ...
. Eventually, she began rehearsing nightly with her father. Ryan convinced him to take her to an audition for '' Star Search'', where her performance of "
Think In their most common sense, the terms thought and thinking refer to conscious cognitive processes that can happen independently of sensory stimulation. Their most paradigmatic forms are judging, reasoning, concept formation, problem solving, an ...
" impressed the judges and shocked her father. "I'd never heard her sing like that." During the Junior Singers competition, Bianca Ryan lost to
Spensha Baker Spensha Baker is an American singer from San Antonio, Texas. She is best known for coming in fourth place on the fourteenth season of ''The Voice''. Career Spensha Baker started her singing career at a very young age as a 2004 contestant on ''S ...
. Ryan later won Amateur Kids Night on ''
Showtime at the Apollo ''Showtime at the Apollo'' (formerly ''It's Showtime at the Apollo'' and ''Apollo Live'') is an American variety show that first aired in syndication from September 12, 1987 to May 24, 2008. In 2018, the series returned on Fox with Steve Harvey h ...
''. Ryan has sung the
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for several
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teams, including the
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, the
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and its Westchester affiliate, and the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
.


''America's Got Talent''

In 2006, Ryan learned that ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'' judge Simon Cowell was serving as executive producer for an upcoming competition titled ''
America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribut ...
'', and the tryouts in New York City were happening on the same day as a family outing in the city. Ryan almost left without performing when she looked at the other contestants and saw a lady with a beard "probably about, like, two feet long," juggling
torches A torch is a stick with combustible material at one end, which is ignited and used as a light source. Torches have been used throughout history, and are still used in processions, symbolic and religious events, and in juggling entertainment. In ...
. She decided to stay when her father told her the grand prize was
US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
1 million.''Bianca Ryan by Decently Funny'', 13:15–14:20 For her televised audition, she chose the '' Dreamgirls'' show tune " And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", surprising the audience and the judges with her powerful voice. The video of her audition performance quickly became popular on YouTube. For the semi-finals of the show Ryan performed " Piece of My Heart". The judges praised her performance, but they did not think the song was right for Ryan. She rebounded for her finals performance, singing "
I Am Changing "I Am Changing" is a song from the second act of the long-running Broadway musical ''Dreamgirls''. Written by Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen, the song was performed by the character Effie White, originally portrayed on Broadway by Jennifer Holliday ...
" (also from ''Dreamgirls''); judge
David Hasselhoff David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952), nicknamed "The Hoff", is an American actor, singer, and television personality. He has set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. Hasselhoff first gained recognition on ''The You ...
called her "the best" in the competition, while Piers Morgan predicted she would win. During the finale results aired on August 17, 2006, 11-year-old Bianca Ryan was announced by emcee Regis Philbin as the winner of
season one Season One may refer to: Albums * ''Season One'' (Suburban Legends album), 2004 * ''Season One'' (All Sons & Daughters album), 2012 * ''Season One'' (Saukrates album), 2012 See also * * * Season 2 (disambiguation) * Season 4 (disambiguat ...
of ''America's Got Talent''. Ryan made a brief appearance during the show's
season two Season 2 may refer to: * ''Season 2'' (Infinite album) * ''2econd Season ''2econd Season'' is the second and most recent album by Atlanta-based rapper Unk. Release It was released on November 4, 2008. Guest Performers The album features gu ...
finale in 2007. In a video recorded during
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's Nextfest tour, she wished good luck to the top two finalists.


Career


Music


2006–2009: ''Bianca Ryan'' and holiday albums

One week after her victory, Ryan announced on her website that she had flown to New York to meet with representatives from a record label and some of the recording industry's top songwriters. The '' Northeast Times'' reported the same day that Ryan met with
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 pres ...
-winning producer David Foster and was being managed by Peter Rudge. Ryan signed a five-album record deal with Sycomusic as part of
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
on September 18, 2006. She was the first
U.S The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
. artist to sign with SYCOmusic; during the press conference, Simon Cowell called Ryan "potentially one of the best singers I have ever heard in my life." The following month, Ryan was in Los Angeles to record her first CD. The self-titled debut was released on November 14, 2006, featuring
cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
s of " The Rose" and "
I Believe I Can Fly "I Believe I Can Fly" is a song written, produced, and performed by disgraced American singer R. Kelly from the soundtrack to the 1996 film ''Space Jam''. It was originally released on November 26, 1996, and was later included on Kelly's 1998 a ...
", and original songs like "I Wish That" and "Pray for a Better Day". Eight days later, the album debuted at No. 57 on the
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
album charts, showcasing "her gargantuan chops and sweet charm". Matt Collar of ''
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
'' added that the arrangements were "grandiose" for someone of Ryan's age, but they were "more than matched by her truly impressive vocal talent." ''
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'' reviewer Sandra Barrera wrote that Ryan handled the songs "like the old pro that her big, powerful voice makes you think she is". One month later, the EP ''Christmas Everyday!'' was released as a promotional giveaway. She then joined several artists in a televised 2006 Christmas performance for President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
and
First Lady First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...
Laura Bush Laura Lane Welch Bush (''née'' Welch; born November 4, 1946) is an American teacher, librarian, memoirist and author who was First Lady of the United States from 2001 to 2009. Bush previously served as First Lady of Texas from 1995 to 2000. ...
at the
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to benefit the
Children's National Medical Center Children's National Hospital (formerly Children's National Health System, DC Children's Hospital, Children's National Medical Center) is a nationally ranked, freestanding, 323-bed, pediatric acute care children's hospital located in Washington D ...
. Ryan's first concert tour took her across the United States as the special guest artist for Nextfest in 2007. That August, she released the single "That's Not Me"."That's Not Me". A1. . (Columbia Records). 2007. In 2008, Ryan left SYCOmusic/Columbia Records; she released her second holiday-themed EP, ''True Meaning of Christmas'', on November 3, 2009, on the indie Music Forever label.''True Meaning of Christmas''. . (Music Forever). 2009. This second collection, co-written with
Anthony Marinelli Anthony Marinelli (born March 19, 1959) is an American musician, composer and conductor. In his early career, he composed and performed accompaniment on the synthesizer for albums including Michael Jackson's ''Thriller'' (1983). Marinelli has ...
and
Siedah Garrett Deborah Christine "Siedah" Garrett (born June 24, 1960) is an American singer and songwriter who has written songs and performed backing vocals for many recording artists in the music industry, such as Michael Jackson, the Pointer Sisters, Brand N ...
, included updated versions of " The Christmas Song" and " Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"; the title track featured a duet with gospel pop singer Brent Jones.


2010–present: Singles, videos and EPs

In 2010, Bianca Ryan wrote and recorded a song inspired by '' Twilight: New Moon'' called "In My Head". The single was released digitally on August 21 through the indie label Tuned in Music and Media, followed by performances at Trump Plaza in
Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.
. Ryan was asked in October 2012 about the differences between her debut album and her future projects. She said she didn't get to choose what songs went on her first CD, and while the experience she gained by working with people like David Foster and Kara DioGuardi was amazing, "I didn't feel like it was really me. ... You can relate to songs that ''you'' write." Ryan spent much of her teen years out of the spotlight. She explained in 2014 that she had put her career on hold to go back to school even though, as it turned out, she hated high school—besides "a couple of stalkers", she was mostly ignored by other students and didn't make any friends until after school was over.''Bianca Ryan by Decently Funny'', 44:11–46:27 Nevertheless, she "wanted to live a life, and have purpose and things to write about" due to her passion for writing music.Psych Word Radio Show: ''America's Got Talent'' Special (Part 1). 47:25–47:33. Ryan described her musical style as a blend of
neo soul Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contempo ...
, R&B and pop.''Bianca Ryan by Decently Funny'', 20:44–20:47 Ryan announced in February that she was working with industry veterans like Quincy Jones on a new EP featuring her own work, which she called more "mainstream" than anything she had written before. She started her own record label, Bianca Ryan Records LLC, to promote her artistic freedom as well as make a profit. "I could literally sell 1% of what I would sell with a record company and finally make money off my music to where I can fund other projects". She also went back to work on her YouTube channel in 2014. Her cover of " All of Me" was uploaded in March. In 2015, Ryan created a music video for "Alice", an original song she had written years earlier. The video was funded in part by a
Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...
project and was self-released in May 2015. It features dancer
Chloe Lukasiak Chloe (; ), also spelled Chloë, Chlöe, or Chloé, is a feminine name meaning "blooming" or "fertility" in Greek. The name ultimately derives, through Greek, from the Proto-Indo-European root ', which relates to the colors yellow and green. T ...
, who called the video her favorite project since leaving '' Dance Moms''. The single was released via Ryan's own label through
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
, Google Play and ReverbNation. Her cover of " God Bless the Child" was released on iTunes in July. Ryan was a featured performer at the Hollystock Music and Arts Festival in Mount Holly, New Jersey, in August 2015. Performances in November included the
Macy's Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...
Christmas Window unveiling and the
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/
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Thanksgiving Parade, both in Philadelphia. Her plans were put on hold in October 2016 due to health problems that required several surgeries. Her first performance following her recovery was at the Nashville Christmas Parade on December 3. Ryan's single "One Day" was released in May 2017. Two follow-up singles, "What I Gotta Do" and "Man Down", were released in June; "Man Down" was called "the ultimate breakup anthem" by ''
TigerBeat ''Tiger Beat'' is an American internet teen fan magazine originally published by The Laufer Company, and marketed primarily to adolescent girls. The magazine had a paper edition that was sold at stores until December 2018. History and profile ' ...
''. Also in June, Ryan was the subject of an artist profile produced by
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
. Ryan intended to release two EPs in 2017, but her plans were delayed. Instead, she chose to release singles, including "Don't Wanna Come Down" in October, and "Remember" in May 2018, featuring an official video using old family footage. Live appearances in 2018 included co-headlining the Houpalooza Music Festival on June 16 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 in ...
, Texas, part of the Women's Empowerment Movement Tour. Nick Cannon was a co-host; performers included
Flo Rida Tramar Lacel Dillard (born September 16, 1979), better known by his stage name Flo Rida (, ), is an American rapper and singer. His 2007 breakout single " Low" was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the record for digital dow ...
, and Paul Anthony of Full Force. Ryan joined
season six A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pola ...
winner
Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. (born August 11, 1974) is an American jazz singer from Logan County, West Virginia. He received national attention for winning the sixth season of the NBC reality show '' America's Got Talent''. Landau has released a t ...
for his Christmas Tour of Champions in December, making several stops in Murphy's native
West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
. ''The Reintroduction, Pt. 1'' was released on January 6, 2019; Ryan's single "They Wanna Be Us Now" went on sale one day later. The accompanying video, shot the previous August in Los Angeles, was uploaded on May 1, 2019; it features ''America's Got Talent'' alumnus Merrick Hanna as Bully No. 1 and Zoephia Decker-Knealing as young Bianca. In November 2020, Ryan released the Christmas EP ''What the World Needs Now Is Love'' with six songs, including the title track and an updated version of "Why Couldn't it Be Christmas Every Day?" '' Dance Moms''
Lilliana Ketchman Lilliana Belle Ketchman (born June 23, 2008), known professionally as Lilly K, is an American YouTuber, model, dancer and aspiring actress. She is known for her appearances on Lifetime's ''Dance Moms'' beginning in season six, and for h ...
returned for a series of music videos created for the holiday season.


Return appearances on ''America's Got Talent''

In October 2018, Bianca Ryan announced that she would compete in the new spinoff series '' America's Got Talent: The Champions'', taped in advance in
Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. I ...
, for broadcast in January 2019, and featuring 50 total winners and finalists from across the ''
Got Talent ''Got Talent'' is a British talent show TV format conceived and owned by Simon Cowell's SYCOtv company. It has spawned spin-offs in over 69 countries, in what is now referred to as the 'Got Talent' format, similar to that described by Fremantle ...
'' franchise including Britain, Ukraine and Australia. Ryan was the first act to perform on the premiere episode, singing " Say Something" to a standing ovation. Afterward, the judges praised Ryan for overcoming both her setbacks and her nerves; Simon Cowell credited her for the success of the franchise and said he was "thrilled" to see her return. Two acts out of ten made it to the finals:
Susan Boyle Susan Magdalane Boyle (born 1 April 1961) is a Scottish singer. She rose to fame in 2009 after appearing as a contestant on the third series of ''Britain's Got Talent'', singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from '. Boyle's debut studio album, ''I D ...
won judge
Mel B Melanie Janine Brown (born 29 May 1975), commonly known as Melanie B or Mel B, is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the girl group Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Sc ...
's Golden Buzzer, while Ryan finished second in the fan voting to
Preacher Lawson Preacher Lawson (born March 14, 1991) is an American comedian. He is known for being a finalist on the 12th season of '' America's Got Talent''. He returned for '' America's Got Talent: The Champions'', where he finished in 5th place overall. ...
. Ryan was a guest performer during the first live results show of AGT's 14th Season, along with contortionist Sofie Dossi, violinist Brian King Joseph and card magician & season 13 winner
Shin Lim Liang-Shun Lim (born September 25, 1991), known professionally as Shin Lim, is a Canadian-American magician, recognized for his use of card manipulation and sleight of hand. He is known for elaborate close-up card magic routines, during which h ...
. Ryan released her single "Plastic Lovers" the same day.


Broadway

Ryan sang in the 2017 Broadway production "Home For the Holidays", which ran from November 17 through December 30 at the August Wilson Theatre. Vocal performers included ''American Idol'' season 12 winner
Candice Glover Candice Rickelle Glover (born November 22, 1989) is an American R&B singer and actress who won the twelfth season of ''American Idol''. Glover is the first winner to have auditioned three times before being cast for the live shows. Her debut a ...
, ''The Voice'' season six winner
Josh Kaufman Josh Kaufman (born November 9, 1976) is an American soul singer and singer-songwriter. A native of the Tampa Bay area in Florida, Kaufman is based out of and resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is best known for winning the season 6 of NBC's '' ...
, and Peter and
Evynne Hollens Evynne Hollens ( Smith) is a female vocalist who lives and works in her native Eugene, Oregon. She was one of the co-founders of the University of Oregon’s female a cappella group, Divisi, with which she sang for five years. Her name is the fir ...
. Kaitlyn Bristowe served as host; actor/singer
Danny Aiello Daniel Louis Aiello Jr. () (June 20, 1933 – December 12, 2019) was an American actor. He appeared in numerous motion pictures, including ''The Godfather Part II'' (1974), ''The Front'' (1976), ''Once Upon a Time in America'' (1984), ''Hide in ...
shared holiday memories. Reviews were mostly negative; ''
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'' writer Michael Giltz called the show a train wreck, and said Ryan's voice was shaky and she appeared uncomfortable on stage. Joe Dziemianowicz of the ''
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'' made the same observation. Ryan's performance invited mixed comparisons to
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 ...
: Frank Scheck of ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' called her a "desperate" wannabe; Heather Violanti of ''Theatre Is Easy'' offered a similar opinion, though she called Ryan "confident and capable"; and ''ZEALnyc'' critic Megan Wrappe said Ryan does Carey proud with "a voice that fluctuates amazingly between breathy and a soulful powerhouse". Scott Harrah of ''StageZine'' noted Ryan's occasional pitch problems and overdone hand gestures, but praised her "impressive vocals".


Acting

Ryan made several early attempts at an acting career, trying out unsuccessfully for such projects as '' Camp Rock'' and ''
Hannah Montana ''Hannah Montana'' is an American teen sitcom created by Michael Poryes, Rich Correll and Barry O'Brien that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between March2006 and January2011. The series centers on Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus), a ...
''. She made her debut in a walk-off appearance in the 2005 film ''
12 and Holding ''12 and Holding'' is a 2005 American coming of age, coming-of-age drama film directed by Michael Cuesta and starring Conor Donovan, Jesse Camacho, Zoe Weizenbaum, and Jeremy Renner. The film is distributed by IFC Films and was released on May 19, ...
;'' her character is shown at a school function singing the final line of " Oh! Susanna", thanking the audience, and leaving the stage. She returned to acting five years later, playing the lead role in the music video for "About to Fall" by
The Wrecking The Wrecking is an American rock band from Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is h ...
. In 2012, Ryan joined the cast of ''
We Are Kings ''We Are Kings'' is an independent feature film directed by Toby Hubner and starring Sammy Blue, Bianca Ryan, Rita Graham, Jonathon "Boogie" Long and Pryce. The film was crowdsourced beginning with a Kickstarter campaign. It premiered in L ...
'', an independent,
crowdsourced Crowdsourcing involves a large group of dispersed participants contributing or producing goods or services—including ideas, votes, micro-tasks, and finances—for payment or as volunteers. Contemporary crowdsourcing often involves digita ...
feature film. She portrayed one of two homeless musicians who join up with a runaway rapper to help an elder bluesman raise the money he needs to save his comatose wife and their repossessed blues club. Ryan and her co-stars wrote their own original songs for ''We Are Kings.'' Her first single from the film, "Broken Down House", was released in November 2014."Broken Down House". A1. . (Various Artists). 2014. Upon the film's release, ''
LA Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin, who served as president and editor until 1991. Voice Media Group sold the paper in late 2017 to Semanal Media LLC, whose paren ...
'' called Ryan, Long and Pryce "so bursting with talent that it's impossible to pick a favorite" while the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' looked past the "discordant" acting to praise the "palpable, soulful authenticity" of the music. Ryan admitted in 2014 that she could benefit from an acting coach;''Bianca Ryan by Decently Funny'', 1:03:37 in 2017 she said she had matured and would like to try acting again.


Beauty products

Ryan has long been interested in makeup and starting a line of beauty products. In December 2018, she launched her lipstick line Ciao Bianca with 23 shades, including some named after her songs.


Health

Ryan underwent two vocal surgeries and an abdominal surgery in 2016 after a doctor told her that she was a high-risk candidate for
esophageal cancer Esophageal cancer is cancer arising from the esophagus—the food pipe that runs between the throat and the stomach. Symptoms often include difficulty in swallowing and weight loss. Other symptoms may include pain when swallowing, a hoarse voice ...
. One of her vocal cords was paralyzed, and she was told she might never sing again. That surgery was successful and she felt like she was given a 'new' voice. The second surgery came after an
ENT Ents are a species of beings in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world Middle-earth who closely resemble trees; their leader is Treebeard of Fangorn forest. Their name is derived from an Old English word for giant. The Ents appear in ''The Lord of ...
told her she had developed blood vessels on her vocal cords; it too was successful. Being out of the public eye during these setbacks left her feeling "like I had just disappeared and everybody was just forgetting bout me" The premiere of her song "One Day" was originally set for 2016, but Ryan revisited the lyrics following the surgeries and other roadblocks, "and I can finally say it is my story."


Discography

Studio albums * '' Bianca Ryan'' (2006) Extended plays * ''Christmas Everyday!'' (2006) * ''True Meaning of Christmas'' (2009) * ''The Reintroduction, Pt. 1'' (2019) Soundtrack albums * ''
We Are Kings ''We Are Kings'' is an independent feature film directed by Toby Hubner and starring Sammy Blue, Bianca Ryan, Rita Graham, Jonathon "Boogie" Long and Pryce. The film was crowdsourced beginning with a Kickstarter campaign. It premiered in L ...
'' (2014)


Filmography


See also

* ''America's Got Talent'' (season 1)


Notes


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Bianca 1994 births Living people America's Got Talent winners American child singers American musicians of Japanese descent American people of Irish descent American women musicians of Japanese descent Child pop musicians Columbia Records artists Musicians from Philadelphia Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts alumni Singers from Pennsylvania 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers