Syesha Mercado facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Syesha Mercado
Syesha Mercado at Walt Disney World.
Background information
Birth name	Syesha Raquel Mercado
Born	(1987-01-02) January 2, 1987 (age 38) Bridgeport, Connecticut
Origin	Sarasota, Florida, United States
Genres	R&B Soul Pop
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter Actress Model
Years active	2006–present

Syesha Raquel Mercado (born January 2, 1987) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and model. She became well-known after finishing third in the seventh season of American Idol. Before American Idol, Syesha also appeared on The One: Making a Music Star and won Florida Super Singer. She is inspired by famous singers like Whitney Houston, Etta James, Alicia Keys, Zap Mama, Lauryn Hill, and Aretha Franklin.

Syesha played the role of Deena Jones in the national tour of the musical Dreamgirls. This tour also went to Japan. It started at the famous Apollo Theater on November 7, 2009.

About Syesha Mercado

Her Early Life

Syesha Mercado was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on January 2, 1987. Her mother, Zelda, used to be a backup singer for Motown and is African American. Her father, José, is of Puerto Rican background. Syesha grew up in Bradenton and Sarasota, Florida.

She went to the Theatre Program at Booker High School for the Visual and Performing Arts. She graduated with a special certificate in performance from Sarasota, where she acted in many school plays. In 2005, she won "Best Supporting Actress" for her role as the Sour Kangaroo in Seussical the Musical at two theatre conferences. Syesha also appeared on the TV show The One: Making a Music Star in 2006.

Her Education

Syesha went to Daughtrey Elementary School and Manatee School for the Arts in Manatee County. When she was nine, she dreamed of becoming a gospel singer. She joined "Take Stock in Children," a scholarship program that helps students from low-income families go to college.

Syesha graduated from Booker High School in 2005. She studied theatre there. She also attended Florida International University in Miami, where she continued to study theatre.

Her Personal Life

Syesha Mercado is very good friends with Ramiele Malubay, another former American Idol contestant. In 2021, she went through a very challenging personal time. She has shared that dealing with this experience is a long healing process that will take a lifetime.

The One: Making a Music Star

Syesha Mercado was a contestant on the TV show The One: Making a Music Star in 2006. Here are some of her performances:

• : The show was canceled after the Top 10 week.

Florida Super Singer

Syesha also competed in and won Florida Super Singer. Here are her final performances:

• : The winner was chosen based on votes from 3 judges, text messages, and internet votes, totaling 2,000,000 votes.

American Idol Journey

Overview of Her Time on the Show

Syesha auditioned for the seventh season of American Idol in Miami, Florida. She sang "Think" by Aretha Franklin and all three judges said 'yes'. When she got to Hollywood, she lost her voice. She had to communicate by writing notes on paper. She sang "Chain of Fools" and made it into the Top 24.

Syesha was the only female contestant in the Top 3. She was voted off on May 14, which meant David Archuleta and David Cook went on to the finale. She joined Kimberley Locke and Jax as female contestants who were eliminated in the Top 3, allowing two male contestants to compete in the final.

Even though the judges often gave her good reviews, Syesha was in the bottom three or two five times. This tied the record for the most times in the bottom group at that time, with Nikki McKibbin from the first season. Later, Rayvon Owen from season fourteen was in that position six times. Some people, including American Idol judge Simon Cowell, thought her singing style was better suited for Broadway shows than for pop music.

Performances and Results

Here is a list of Syesha Mercado's performances and results during her time on American Idol:

• : Syesha was the first contestant saved from elimination in this round.
• : When the results were announced, Syesha was in the Bottom 3 but was declared safe second, after Chikezie was eliminated.
• : Syesha and Carly Smithson were both declared safe at the same time, as Michael Johns was eliminated.
• : Syesha was in the Bottom 2 but was declared safe when Carly Smithson was eliminated.

After American Idol

Mercado performing during the American Idols Live! Tour 2008.

After leaving American Idol, Syesha appeared on several TV shows. These included Live with Regis and Kelly, The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, and WSVN's Deco Drive.

The week after the American Idol finale, Syesha's songs were downloaded legally 18,000 times from iTunes.

She also joined the American Idols Live! Tour 2008. This tour ran from July 1, 2008, to September 13, 2008. On the tour, she sang "Umbrella" by Rihanna, "If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keys, and "Listen" by Beyoncé.

In November 2008, Syesha performed "One Rock and Roll Too Many" in the 6abc IKEA Thanksgiving Day Parade. She was also a guest host for WSVN 7 at the 37th annual Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat parade on December 13, 2008. She sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at a Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers football game on December 14, 2008. On December 20, 2008, she helped Habitat for Humanity build homes for families in Miramar, Florida.

In February 2009, she helped open the American Idol Experience attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios. On February 19, 2009, Syesha had her first live concert after the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2008. All the money from her concert went to the Amer-I-Can program. This program helps prevent gang involvement and was started by NFL star Jim Brown. She sang eight songs for a sold-out crowd of about 4,000 fans.

She sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" again for the opening day baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on April 6, 2009.

Syesha has been working on a new music album in Los Angeles. She has said it will be a mix of pop and R&B songs. Besides working on her album, she also takes acting lessons in her free time.

In 2011, Syesha acted in her first movie, Dreams, where she played the character Mia. She released a cover of "Love on Top" by Beyoncé online, which became very popular with two million views on YouTube. Syesha is also known for her acoustic and soulful cover of "Skyfall" by Adele.

Her Theatre Career

On June 25, 2009, it was officially announced that Syesha Mercado would play the main role of Deena Jones in the national tour of Dreamgirls. On November 4, 2009, Syesha appeared on The Wendy Williams Show to talk about the tour. The tour started on November 7, 2009, and finished on December 29, 2010.

After Dreamgirls, Syesha starred as Ti Moune in a new version of Once on This Island. This show was at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey. It opened on May 30, 2012, and ran until June 24.

Syesha also performed in the Chicago production of the Broadway musical Book of Mormon. She joined the cast later, taking over the role of Nabulungi during rehearsals.

From January to June 2014, Syesha played Nabulungi again in the Broadway production of The Book of Mormon. This was her first time performing on Broadway.

Her Music Releases

Singles

• "Christmas Melody" (2011)
• "Tears" (2017)

See also

In Spanish: Syesha Mercado para niños