Idol’s Sanchez Receives Hero’s Welcome

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

American Idol finalist Jessica Sanchez received a hero’s welcome when she returned to her hometown over the weekend…

The 16-year-old half-Mexican singer—the last female finalist standing in the singing competition—headed back to Chula Vista, California, as part of Idol’s hometown visits.

During her roll-out-the-red-carpet trip, Sanchez and her two younger brothers rode in a car past thousands of fans toward her destination: Eastlake High School’s stadium, where she performed her greatest Idol hits including Whitney Houston‘s “I Will Always Love You” on Saturday. She received a key to the city, with Chula Vista’s mayor declaring May 12 as “Jessica Sanchez Day.”

“I’m so happy to represent Chula Vista,” she said. “It was the people. I missed the people so much. I love you guys. Thank you for all the support.”

Later, at the USS Midway Museum, Sanchez performed Luther Vandross‘ “Dance With My Father” in an emotional tribute to her father, a U.S. Navy officer, whom she invited on stage. He’s scheduled to be deployed to Singapore.

Footage from Sanchez’s hometown visit will be shown during Wednesday’s performance episode.

Sanchez’s Latest “Beautiful” Night on “American Idol”

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Talk about a proud moment for American Idol finalist Jessica Sanchez…

During last night’s two-hour episode, the 16-year-old half-Mexican singer delivered two knockout performances and shined bright during her “girl power” trio with fellow female finalists Hollie Cavanagh and Skylar Laine.

During the first hour, which was dedicated to songs of the ‘60s, Sanchez tackled living legend Tina Turner’s trademark rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary.”

Guest mentor Steve Van Zandt—the guitarist for Bruce Springsteen‘s E Street Band and ex-Sopranos actor—initially tried to dissuade Sanchez from performing the song, but she ultimately won him over.

Dressed to the nines in a heavily chained body-hugging white dress and a pair of sky-high heels, the petite San Diego native delivered a spot-on vocal performance, complete with growls and a massive high note at the end. Sanchez even channeled some of Turner’s on-stage effervescence by shimmying and shaking across the stage.

“You’re so grown up there; it’s crazy! I always forget you’re 16 years old,” said Idol judge Jennifer Lopez. “You brought it out there. You were a little bit of Tina, a little bit of Beyonce, a little bit of I don’t know what up there!”

Sanchez later took the stage with Cavanagh and Laine to perform a lively rendition of Jackie Wilson‘s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher,” which proved to be a much better performance than Phillip Phillips and Joshua Ledet’s take on the Righteous Brothers‘ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.”

But it was Sanchez’s final performance, as part of the show’s British pop theme, which seriously set her apart from the competition. It was her latest American Idol “moment,” following her previous performances of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” and Beyonce’s “Sweet Dreams.”

Dressed in an intricate black and white dress and sprawled on the stage next to several LED candles, Sanchez delivered an earnest and emotional rendition of Joe Cocker‘s “You Are So Beautiful,” which she later admitted was sung with her mother in mind.

“You once again showed America just how beautiful your voice is… and what a great singer you are,” declared Idol judge Steven Tyler. “You’re gonna be No. 1 girl.”

Rivera & Michele Perform a Moving Rendition of Whitney’s “How Will I Know”

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

It’s been a little more than two months since Whitney Houston’s untimely passing… But Naya Rivera, Lea Michele and their Glee co-stars are paying tribute to the late songstress.

Next week’s episode of Fox’s hit dramedy will be dedicated to Houston, with the cast performing eight songs from Whitney’s extensive catalog of music, including Rivera and Michele’s rendition of “How Will I Know.”

In the episode entitled “Dance with Somebody,” the 25-year-old half-Puerto Rican singer/actress and 25-year-old part-Spanish actress/singer partner with co-stars Amber Riley and Chris Colfer to perform their stirring, slowed-down version of Houston’s up-tempo classic.

Along with “How Will I Know,” the Glee cast will perform “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me),” “Saving All My Love For You,” “So Emotional,” “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay,” “I Have Nothing” and “My Love Is Your Love.”

Glee’s Whitney Houston tribute will air on Tuesday, April 24 at 8:00 pm on Fox.

Rivera to Sing Whitney’s Music

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

It looks like Naya Rivera will be lending her voice to some of Whitney Houston’s most iconic songs…

The 25-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress/singer—who recently received the Cause You’re Hot award at Logo’s NewNowNext Awards—will perform the late singer’s music during Glee’s upcoming tribute episode to Houston later this month.

Newly released photos from the episode—slated for April 24—offer a glimpse at Rivera’s character Santana performing with her on-screen love interest Brittany (Heather Morris) on the auditorium stage.

In another pic, Santana and Rachel (Lea Michele) join voices for a duet in the choir room, while Brittany sings in front of a grand piano.

Still no word on which Whitney songs Rivera and her costars on Fox’s hit dramedy will perform.

Images courtesy of Fox.

Sanchez Delivers Yet Another Standout Whitney Cover…

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

It’s quite rare for an American Idol finalist to perform one Whitney Houston song masterfully, let alone two. But that’s exactly what Jessica Sanchez has done this season…

During last night ’80s Night-themed performance show, the 16-year-old part-Mexican singer mastered her second Whitney song.

The pint-sized singer, who hails from San Diego, proved she isn’t only a balladeer by covering Houston’s uptempo “How Will I Know.” And, once again Sanchez—rocking an ‘80s-inspired cropped jacket, side ponytail and skinny jeans—nailed her performance and garnered an A-plus from the judges for her effortlessly pitch-perfect effort.

During rehearsals, guest mentor Gwen Stefani called Jessica’s voice “shockingly good” and added “it’s crazy how young she is.” Following her performance, judge Jennifer Lopez concurred.

“You’re such a little girl, but there’s, like, this woman up there at the same time,” mused Lopez.

In addition to singing solo, Sanchez joined voices with fellow finalist Joshua Ledet to perform Aretha Franklin and George Michael‘s “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me).” And, the perfectly paired duo didn’t disappoint; they out-grooved the rest of their competitors.

“This is one of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen on the show,” Randy Jackson declared, uttering his latest catchphrase: “They’ve gotta have it!”

Sanchez Shines Bright on Beyonce’s “Sweet Dreams”

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

After demonstrating her vocal prowess on Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,” it’s no surprise that Jessica Sanchez has successfully taken on Beyonce.

Looking all Sasha Fierce with her slicked-back hair, statement necklace and silver and black mini-dress complete with long train, the 16-year-old part-Mexican American Idol finalist showed America why she’s considered a frontrunner by performing a slowed-down version of Beyonce’s hit “Sweet Dreams.”

And Idol’s judges couldn’t help but applaud Sanchez’s reimagining of the song, which included a harptastic intro.

“It was really, really beautiful,” gushed Jennifer Lopez, who complimented Sanchez for holding back when she could’ve easily belted her signature high notes. “You left us wanting more!” Steven Tyler called it “delicious” and “beautiful,” while Randy Jackson talked about the 16-year-old’s impressive maturity, saying “You just innately have this unbelievable talent.”

Moments later, Sanchez returned to the stage to perform a Madonna medley with fellow finalists Hollie Cavanagh and Skylar Laine. Wearing a white tuxedo with black piping and black top, Jessica kicked off the performance with “Like a Prayer” and assisted the ladies on their renditions of “Borderline” and “Express Yourself.”

Sanchez Covers Whitney’s “I Will Always Love You”

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

It may only be the first week of the finals on American Idol, but Latweena singing sensation Jessica Sanchez has already cemented her status as one of this season’s frontrunners.

In a “go big or go home” moment, the 16-year-old San Diego-native gave the night’s most pitch perfect performance on Wednesday’s show, covering Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You.”

Dressed in a asymmetrical floor length dress in royal blue, Sanchez’s fluttered her fingers ever so gently on her handheld microphone while unleashing her power and vibrato on her cover of Houston’s iconic hit.

In the end, Sanchez received a standing ovation from the judges and the audience alike.

Jessica “just made 40 million people cry,” said judge Steven Tyler.

“Not only are you one of the best singers tonight — I think you’re one of the best singers in the whole competition!” announced Randy Jackson.

Spalding Shines in Oscars Tribute Performance

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a tradition during the Oscars telecast to pay respect to Hollywood’s fallen talents… And, Esperanza Spalding’s tear-jerking performance during the “In Memoriam” montage at Sunday’s Academy Awards proved to be fitting tribute.

The 27-year-old part-Mexican singer—who won Best New Artist at the 53rd Grammy Awards, making her the first jazz artist to win the award—sang a restrained and powerful rendition of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” while backed by the Southern California Children’s Choir.

During Spalding’s performance, the names and faces of Hollywood’s lost legends were projected in stark black and white behind her, including Whitney Houston, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Tim Hetherington and Jane Russell. The moving montage closed with a clip of Elizabeth Taylor as “Cleopatra.”

It was a pitch perfect performance that allowed millions around the world to see what Grammy voters had already seen in Spalding last year—a true talent with a glorious voice!

Spalding upcoming studio album Radio Music Society is scheduled to be released on March 20, 2012.

Mars Shines Bright at the Grammy Awards…

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

He may have come away empty-handed at the 54thGrammy Awards on Sunday… But Bruno Mars still managed to be the night’s golden boy!

The 26-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer took the Grammy stage at Los Angeles’ Staples Center for a high-octane performance of his song “Runaway” during the show.

Singing underneath a marquee emblazoned with his name, Mars—looking dapper in a 24-karat gold bowtie and blazer—helped lift the mood in the arena, which was grieving the death of Whitney Houston.

His performance may have focused on the party, but Mars still managed to show some love for Houston by giving her a shout-out mid-song.

“Yo, tonight we celebrate. We celebrate the beautiful Miss Whitney Houston,” shouted Mars from the stage. “Get off your rich asses and let’s have fun!”

Mars was backed by a full band—complete with a horn section—that paid homage to his love of music from the ’60s.

Mars’ hit song “Grenade” was nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance, while his album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, was up for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album.

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