Francesca Battistelli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Francesca Battistelli
Battistelli in 2008
Background information
Birth name	Francesca Battistelli
Born	(1985-05-18) May 18, 1985 (age 40) New York City, U.S.
Genres	CCM, pop, soul
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, actress
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Fervent, Warner Bros.

Francesca Battistelli (born May 18, 1985) is an American Christian singer and songwriter. She writes and performs songs that share messages of faith and hope.

Francesca started her music journey as an independent artist, releasing her first album, Just a Breath, in 2004. Her first major studio album, My Paper Heart, came out in 2008. Her song "I'm Letting Go" became popular on Christian radio. In 2009, she received her first Grammy Award nomination for her song "Free to Be Me". She later won a Grammy Award in 2016 for her song "Holy Spirit" from her album If We're Honest.

About Francesca Battistelli

Early Life and Music Start

Francesca Battistelli was born on May 18, 1985, in New York City. She grew up in a family where both her parents loved musical theater. This meant she was always around music and performing.

When she was just six years old, Francesca saw a musical called The Secret Garden on Broadway. This show made her realize she wanted to spend her life performing. She even thought she would become an actress in musicals!

At 15, Francesca joined an all-girl pop group called Bella in Orlando, Florida. They sang and danced, which she really enjoyed. After the group ended, Francesca started playing the guitar and writing her own songs. This was a big step towards her career as a singer-songwriter.

Her Music Career

Francesca released her first album, Just a Breath, in 2004 as an independent artist. This means she released it herself, without a big record company.

In 2008, she signed with Fervent Records. She released an EP (a shorter album) called I'm Letting Go EP. All the songs from this EP were later included on her first major album, My Paper Heart, which came out in July 2008. Her first song played on the radio from this album was "I'm Letting Go".

One of her most famous songs, "Free to Be Me", was partly inspired by a real-life event. She accidentally backed her car into a lawyer's car, which led to the line in the song: "'cause I got a couple dents in my fender." This song was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2009.

Francesca started touring across the U.S. in 2008. She performed her own concerts and also toured with other Christian music artists like Big Daddy Weave, Aaron Shust, and NewSong. She also performed at big Christian music festivals.

Her songs quickly became popular. "I'm Letting Go" reached the top 3 on Christian radio charts. "Free to Be Me" went to number 1 and stayed there for nine weeks!

Francesca joined the Winter Jam 2009 tour, which is one of the biggest annual Christian music tours. Her song "It's Your Life" was featured on popular TV shows like Jon & Kate Plus 8 and The Biggest Loser. This song was also used in the movie Soul Surfer.

She continued to release new music. Her second studio album, Hundred More Years, came out in 2011. In 2012, she released Christmas, an album of classic holiday songs. Her third studio album, If We're Honest, was released in 2014.

In 2016, Francesca toured with Bethel Music. She also released a Greatest Hits album in 2017, celebrating her first ten years in music. In 2018, she released "The Breakup Song", which was the first song from her fourth studio album, Own It.

Acting Roles

Besides singing, Francesca Battistelli has also acted in movies.

• In 2015, she starred in the Christian sports drama film Woodlawn.
• In 2021, she appeared in the Christian drama film God's Not Dead: We the People.

Music Style

Francesca Battistelli's music mixes different styles. Her sound is often described as soulful piano-pop. It combines elements of jazz, rock, gospel, and R&B.

She has said that when she started writing music, she wanted to create something real and honest for the Christian music scene. She hoped her music would be something that even people who weren't Christian could enjoy.

Personal Life

Francesca Battistelli is married to Matt Goodwin. She met him when he was playing drums for the band NewSong on the Winter Jam tour. They got married on August 22, 2009. They live in Nashville, Tennessee, and have seven children.

Albums

• Just a Breath (2004)
• My Paper Heart (2008)
• Hundred More Years (2011)
• Christmas (2012)
• If We're Honest (2014)
• Own It (2018)
• This Christmas (2020)

Awards and Recognition

Francesca Battistelli has received many awards and nominations for her music.

• She won a Grammy Award in 2016 for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for "Holy Spirit".
• She has also won several Dove Awards, which celebrate Christian music. These include Female Vocalist of the Year and Artist of the Year.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Francesca Battistelli para niños