Jackie Evancho facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jackie Evancho
Evancho performing in 2024
Background information
Born	(2000-04-09) April 9, 2000 (age 25) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres	Classical crossover pop
Occupation(s)	Singer
Labels	JE Touring Sony Masterworks Portrait Columbia Syco

Jackie Evancho (born April 9, 2000) is an American singer. She became famous at a young age for singing classical crossover songs. This style mixes classical music with pop. Since 2009, she has released many albums and EPs (shorter albums). Three of her albums reached the top 10 on the Billboard charts. She has also had three special concerts shown on PBS television.

In 2010, when she was ten, Jackie became very well known. She finished second on the TV show America's Got Talent. Her holiday EP, O Holy Night, came out that year. It made her the best-selling new artist of 2010. She was also the youngest artist to have a top-10 album in US history. Plus, she was the youngest solo artist to sell a million copies (go platinum) in the US.

In 2011, her first full album, Dream with Me, reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. She became the youngest artist to reach the top 5 in the UK. Billboard named her the top Classical Albums Artist of 2011. Later that year, she released a Christmas album, Heavenly Christmas. She also became the youngest person to sing a solo concert at Lincoln Center in New York City. This was part of her first concert tour.

Jackie released Songs from the Silver Screen in 2012. This was her third album to debut in the top 10. She also appeared in the 2012 movie The Company You Keep. Other albums include Awakening (2014) and Two Hearts (2017). Her 2019 album, The Debut, was her eighth in a row to reach No. 1 on the US classical albums chart. In 2022, she released Carousel of Time. In 2017, Jackie sang the US national anthem at a presidential inauguration. She has toured to support each of her albums. In 2020, she was a contestant on The Masked Singer. In 2024, Jackie released a new EP called "Solla."

Early Life and Family

Jackie Evancho was born on April 9, 2000, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her parents are Lisa and Michael Evancho. She has an older sister, Juliet, and two younger siblings, Zachary and Rachel. Jackie grew up in a Catholic family near Pittsburgh.

She started school in the Pine-Richland School District. But as her singing career grew, she often studied online. She graduated from Pine-Richland High School in 2018.

When Jackie was young, she watched the movie The Phantom of the Opera. She loved it and started singing the songs at home. Her parents didn't realize how special her voice was until her first talent show. She was almost eight years old and came in second place.

After that, Jackie began taking voice lessons. She sang at events, churches, and nursing homes, mostly in Pennsylvania. She also started a YouTube channel. In 2008–09, she sang in the Children's Festival Chorus of Pittsburgh. In 2009, she played the main role in a school musical of Little Red Riding Hood.

In 2009, Jackie competed in the USA World Showcase Talent Competition in Las Vegas. She placed second there too. She also won other talent contests in Massachusetts. That same year, she sang "Ave Maria" on a PBS TV special with composer Tim Janis. Janis found her after seeing her on YouTube. Jackie sang at many events in Pennsylvania in 2009 and 2010. She even sang The Star-Spangled Banner at a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game in 2010.

Singing Career Highlights

Early Recordings and America's Got Talent

Evancho performing with David Foster in 2011

Jackie first got the attention of music producer David Foster in 2009. She was a runner-up in his talent contest. In October 2009, she sang at a "David Foster & Friends" concert.

In November 2009, Jackie released her first independent album, Prelude to a Dream. It had mostly classical crossover songs like "Con te partirò" and "Amazing Grace". The album appeared on the Billboard charts in August 2010. This was after her first performance on America's Got Talent. Her parents later removed the album because Jackie's voice had improved so much since she recorded it.

Jackie tried out for America's Got Talent (AGT) twice before. In 2010, she finally got on the show by winning its YouTube competition. On August 10, 2010, she sang "O mio babbino caro" in the quarter-finals. Everyone was amazed. Some people wondered if she was lip-syncing. To prove she wasn't, Jackie sang a short vocal exercise live.

For the semi-finals, she sang "Time to Say Goodbye". She made it to the Top 10. There, she performed "Pie Jesu" and moved on to the Final 4. Her last song in the competition was "Ave Maria". At the AGT finale, Jackie sang "Time to Say Goodbye" with guest artist Sarah Brightman. Jackie finished as the runner-up, coming in second to singer Michael Grimm. Many viewers felt Jackie should have won. Up to 16 million people watched these performances. A week after the finale, Jackie sang and was interviewed on The Tonight Show.

After AGT, Jackie performed in 10 cities on the America's Got Talent: Live Tour. She also signed a record deal with SYCO music and Columbia Records. She performed in Las Vegas with David Foster.

O Holy Night and Dream with Me

Jackie Evancho in February 2011

Jackie's first release with a major record label was an EP called O Holy Night. It came out on November 16, 2010. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. This made Jackie the best-selling new artist of 2010. She was also the youngest solo artist ever to debut in the top 10. The EP sold 239,000 copies in its first week. It was certified platinum, meaning it sold over a million copies. This made Jackie the youngest solo artist to go platinum in the US.

Jackie promoted the album with TV interviews and performances. She appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, and The View. She also performed at the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting and the National Christmas Tree lighting.

Her second full album, Dream with Me, came out on June 14, 2011. David Foster produced it. The album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. It reached No. 1 on the Classical Albums Chart and was certified gold. With this album, Jackie became the youngest artist to debut in the UK's top 5. The album has popular songs, classical songs, and new songs. Jackie even helped write the lyrics for the title track. It also includes duets with Barbra Streisand and Susan Boyle.

Jackie promoted the album on TV and at concerts. Her first solo TV concert special was for the 2011 PBS Great Performances series. It was called Dream With Me In Concert. This special was the most watched program of the year on PBS. It helped raise a lot of money for PBS stations. Jackie was the youngest person to have a special on this series. The concert was filmed in April 2011 and hosted by David Foster.

In July 2011, Jackie started her first solo tour across the United States. She performed 18 concerts with orchestras. This included a concert in New York City in November 2011. She was the youngest person ever to sing a solo concert at Lincoln Center. The tour continued into June 2012.

Christmas Albums and Movie Songs

Jackie Evancho in December 2011

Jackie's 2011 Christmas album, Heavenly Christmas, was released on November 1, 2011. It included traditional Christmas carols like "The First Noël" and "White Christmas". It also had newer songs like "Walking in the Air" from The Snowman. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Albums chart.

Her fourth full album, Songs from the Silver Screen, came out on October 2, 2012. This album had songs from popular movies. These included "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and "My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic. The album also featured guest artists like Joshua Bell and Chris Botti.

A PBS special called Jackie Evancho: Music of the Movies featured many of the same songs. Jackie started a 42-stop tour to promote the album in August 2012. The album debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. This made Jackie the second artist ever to have three top 10 albums at such a young age.

Awakening and Later Albums

Jackie Evancho in 2014 promoting Awakening

Jackie released her fifth album, Awakening, on September 23, 2014. She promoted it with a concert tour and a third PBS special. The album featured classical pieces and classical crossover versions of modern songs. These included U2's "With or Without You" and Within Temptation's "Memories".

Awakening debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 chart. It was No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Albums chart. This was Jackie's fifth album in a row to reach No. 1 on that chart.

Her sixth album, Someday at Christmas, came out on October 28, 2016. It was her third holiday album. It included new songs and collaborations with artists like Plácido Domingo. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Albums chart. This was her sixth consecutive No. 1 on that chart.

Jackie released her seventh album, Two Hearts, on March 31, 2017. It had classical crossover songs and five pop songs. Jackie co-wrote four of the pop songs. This was the first time she had written her own songs for an album. She promoted the album with a tour. In April 2017, she performed ten shows at Café Carlyle in New York City. She was the youngest artist to perform there. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Albums chart. This was her seventh consecutive No. 1.

Recent Music and Tours

On April 12, 2019, Jackie released her eighth album, The Debut. It focused on songs from 21st-century Broadway musicals and movies. This album was her eighth in a row to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Albums chart.

Jackie started a US tour in April 2019 to promote The Debut. The tour was paused in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and started again in 2022.

In 2020, Jackie began recording an album of Joni Mitchell songs. She released this album, called Carousel of Time, on September 9, 2022. Before the album, she released four singles, including "River" and "Both Sides Now". She performed these songs on TV shows.

Jackie Evancho in 2024

Jackie performed concerts featuring songs from Carousel of Time in New York City and other cities in late 2022.

On May 3, 2024, Jackie released an EP called Solla. She wrote all six songs on the disc. The first song, "Behind My Eyes," reached No. 22 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. She performed concerts in June 2024 featuring songs from Solla and her older favorites.

Other Performances and Activities

Charity and Special Events

Jackie has sung the American national anthem at many important events. These include a memorial for the victims of United Flight 93 and the 2011 NHL Winter Classic. In 2011, she sang at a charity event to help end the Canadian seal hunt. She became an ambassador for a Humane Society of the United States program that helps children protect animals.

In February 2011, she performed her first full concert as a main singer in Houston, Texas. She also sang at Muhammad Ali's "Celebrity Fight Night" charity event to fight Parkinson's disease.

Jackie has recorded with famous artists like Tony Bennett and David Foster. She performed in Japan for the Imperial family in 2012. In February 2012, she sang at the US National Prayer Breakfast. She also performed in Russia at a big economic forum.

In 2012, Jackie sang at the So The World May Hear Gala. This event helps the Starkey Hearing Foundation provide hearing aids to people who need them. She also performed with Tony Bennett in California. Jackie worked with WhyHunger and Sephora to sell a product. The money from it went to help end world hunger.

In 2013, Jackie performed at "One Night for One Drop" in Las Vegas. This event helps the One Drop Foundation bring clean water to people worldwide. She sang "Bridge Over Troubled Water" while barefoot in water on the stage. She also performed with José Carreras in Taiwan. Jackie sang the national anthem on A Capitol Fourth in 2013.

She led a benefit concert called Jackie Evancho & Friends: We are Hope in Salt Lake City. This concert helped programs that teach music and art in US public schools. She also sang at Carnegie Hall for a Christmas benefit concert.

Jackie Evancho in concert, April 2014

In 2014, Jackie performed for Susan G. Komen for the Cure to help breast cancer research. She also sang at the Songwriters Hall of Fame awards dinner. In November, she sang John Lennon's song "Imagine" at the United Nations. This was to launch the UNICEF #Imagine program.

In 2015, Jackie made a video to support the Humane Society's fight against seal hunting. She also sang with Andrea Bocelli in Thailand. A reviewer said her voice was "close to the sound of an angel." She performed at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia when Pope Francis visited.

In January 2016, Jackie performed at a charity event for abused women and children. She sang the national anthem at the Pittsburgh Pirates' home game. She also released an original pop song called "Apocalypse." Billboard said she was trying a "brand-new sound."

Jackie sang the US national anthem at the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump in January 2017. She said her decision to perform was not about politics. On the same day, she released a recording called Together We Stand. It had three songs: "The Star-Spangled Banner", "America the Beautiful", and "God Bless America". Jackie said profits from this release would go to charities that support her sister Juliet. Juliet is transgender and supports rights for transgender students. Jackie led a TV special in August 2017 called "Growing Up Evancho." It focused on her family's life and their work for transgender rights.

In 2018, Jackie performed at a benefit to help preserve Mission San Juan Capistrano in California. In 2019, she sang at a concert in Pittsburgh to help homeless LGBTQ young adults. She also sang at the dedication of Christ Cathedral in California.

In 2020, Jackie competed on season three of The Masked Singer as "Kitty."

Jackie continues to give Christmas concerts. In December 2021, she performed "Home for the Holidays" in Pennsylvania. In late 2024, Jackie is opening for the band Echosmith on their US tour. She also performed with the San Francisco Symphony in December.

Acting and Modeling

As a young child, Jackie performed in several musicals. She played the main role in Little Red Riding Hood. She also appeared as an extra in the 2010 movie She's Out of My League.

In 2011, she guest-starred in an episode of the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place. Her character sang "America the Beautiful" while in school detention.

Jackie played Isabel in the 2012 movie The Company You Keep. Isabel is the eleven-year-old daughter of a lawyer played by Robert Redford. Redford also directed the film. A reviewer said Jackie "showed she's more than a singing prodigy with her earnest sweetness."

Jackie modeled for GUESS Kids in 2012 and for Justice Girls Clothing in 2014. She has also appeared in other advertisements.

Discography

Billboard magazine named Jackie Evancho the No. 1 Classical Albums Artist of 2011. Three of her albums were in the top four on the Billboard 2011 year-end Classical Albums chart. She was also a top artist on other Billboard charts in 2011 and 2012. Her albums Two Hearts and The Debut were her seventh and eighth albums in a row to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Albums chart.

Images for kids

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  Jackie Evancho in concert in June 2012

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  Jackie Evancho in concert, April 2014

See also

In Spanish: Jackie Evancho para niños