Jacquelyn "Jaci" Davette Velasquez (/ˈdʒæki/; 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 three million albums in the US,[1] recorded three Platinum and three Gold albums, and recorded 16 singles that hit No. 1 plus six more that entered the top 10.[2] 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,[2] as well as three Grammy nominations, and an American Music Award nomination in the category of "Favorite Latin Artist" in 2002.[3]
From 2010 to 2016, Velasquez co-hosted “The Family-Friendly Morning Show”, a syndicated morning radio program with Doug Griffin.
Biography
Early life
Velasquez was born in Houston and is of Mexican descent.[4] She grew up in an evangelical church where her parents were both singers and pastors. Although she has described herself as a "non-denominational" Christian she later said in an interview with Morris Cerullo, "you're talking to an Assemblies of God's girl".[citation needed]
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 and then later sang solo, releasing three independent records. It was while on the road that she was discovered by a representative of Myrrh Records.
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. She was 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. Since then she released seven more English-language albums, two of which were certified Gold. Five Latin albums garnishing amazing success with Llegar A Ti going double-platinum and Mi Corazón going platinum. She 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, Target, Doritos, John Freida's Frizz-Ease hair products, and Helzberg Diamonds.[3]
In 1998, she signed to Sony Discos for a four-album deal and was introduced to Rudy Pérez, 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 her 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. She received a Latin Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the song.
Velasquez in 2001
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 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.[5]
Her Latin music credits 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 for Spanish Language Album of the Year. In September 2008, she 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.[6]
In August 2011, Velasquez signed with a new label, Inpop Records, and her album, Diamond, was released on February 7, 2012.[7] She released her first Spanish-language lullaby album, Buenas noches mi sol, in 2012 with Fisher-Price.[8] She released a new project on March 31, 2017, through Integrity Music, consisting of an English-language album, Trust, and the Spanish-language version, Confío.[9][10] At the 48th Dove Awards, Confío won Spanish Language Album of the Year[11]
In November 2010, Velasquez began co-hosting the Family Friendly Morning Show with Doug Griffin after being a guest host for several months.[2] The show aired on over 100 U.S. radio stations for four hours each weekday morning.[2] In 2016, she played the drama teacher Mrs. Diaz in I'm Not Ashamed, a 2016 biographical drama film which is based on the journals of Rachel Joy Scott.[13]
Personal life
Velasquez married Darren Potuck, of the band AutoVaughn, on August 16, 2003. They were divorced in 2005.[14]
On December 17, 2006, she married Nic Gonzales in a private ceremony in Austin, Texas. Gonzales is a member of Salvador, a Christian group with whom she had been touring.[15] Their first son Zealand was born in 2007 and their second son Soren in 2009.[16]
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.[17]
