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Bianca Ryan

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Bianca Ryan
Bianca Ryan at the September 2014 premiere of We Are Kings
Bianca Ryan at the September 2014
premiere of We Are Kings
Background information
Birth nameBianca Taylor Ryan
Born (1994-09-01) September 1, 1994 (age 30)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
Instruments
Years active2006–present
LabelsSyco/Columbia
Music Forever
Tuned In Music
Websitebiancaryan.com

Bianca Taylor Ryan (born September 1, 1994)[1] is an American singer, songwriter, musician and actress from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ryan was the first winner of NBC's America's Got Talent at the age of eleven.[2] She auditioned for Talent in 2006 and amazed the judges with her big voice.[3] Singing two Broadway show tunes along the way, Ryan was announced as the winner of season one on August 17. Her eponymous first album was released later in 2006, followed by two Christmas albums. Two singles followed in 2007 and 2010; also in 2010, she made an acting appearance in a music video by The Wrecking. The video for her first new single in four years, a cover of the John Legend song "All of Me", was posted to her YouTube channel in March 2014.

In 2012, Ryan joined the cast of the independent film We Are Kings, portraying one of two down-on-their-luck teen musicians who are guided by an angel to save an elder bluesman from freezing to death.[4] The film premiered in September 2014, and her video for its single, "Broken Down House", was released in October.[5]

Early life

Bianca Ryan is the second of five children of Shawn and Janette Ryan. Her father, a fan of the Rolling Stones, named her after Mick Jagger's ex-wife.[a] She has an older brother, Shawn, and three younger siblings, Isabella, Jagger and Evangelina.[7][8] Ryan is "mostly" Irish[7] and calls herself a mix of Japanese, Irish, Italian, German and Cherokee. "I'm basically just America ... the melting pot."[9]

Ryan's singing talent came as something of a surprise to her family, given that she was an award-winning tap dancer as a child.[10] Ryan said she did not even attempt singing until she was eight years old and started enjoying LeAnn Rimes and country music. Shawn Ryan started sharing his record collection with his daughter, and Bianca "fell in love" with rhythm and blues and soul music.[11] She convinced him to take her to an audition for Star Search, where her performance of "Think" impressed the judges and shocked her father. "I'd never heard her sing like that."[12] During the Junior Singers competition, Bianca Ryan lost to Spensha Baker.[13] Ryan later won Amateur Kids Night on Showtime at the Apollo.[12]

Ryan has sung the Star-Spangled Banner for several professional sports teams in Philadelphia and New York.[14][15]

America's Got Talent

And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going
11-year-old Bianca Ryan auditions for America's Got Talent (Season 1), belting out a Broadway show tune to a rousing ovation
Problems playing this file? See media help.

While searching the Internet for auditions early in 2006, Ryan discovered that American Idol judge Simon Cowell was serving as executive producer for an upcoming competition titled America's Got Talent. For her televised audition, she chose the Dreamgirls show tune "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", surprising the audience and the judges with her powerful voice.[3] The video of her audition performance quickly became popular on YouTube.[16]

For the semi-finals of the show Ryan performed "Piece of My Heart". The judges praised her performance, but they did not think the song was right for Ryan.[17] She rebounded for her finals performance, singing "I Am Changing" (also from Dreamgirls); judge David Hasselhoff called her "the best" in the competition, while Piers Morgan predicted that she would win. During the finale results aired on August 17, 2006, Ryan was announced by emcee Regis Philbin as the winner of Talent's first season.[18]

Ryan made a brief appearance during the show's season two finale in 2007. In a video recorded during Live Nation's Nextfest tour, she wished good luck to the top two finalists.[19]

Career

Music

One week after her victory, Ryan announced on her website that she had flown to New York to meet with representatives from a record label and some of the recording industry's top songwriters.[20] The Northeast Times reported that same day that Ryan met with Grammy Award-winning producer David Foster and was being managed by Peter Rudge.[21]

Ryan signed a five-album record deal with SYCOmusic as part of Columbia Records on September 18, 2006.[20] She was the first U.S. artist to sign with SYCOmusic; during the press conference, Simon Cowell called Ryan "potentially one of the best singers I have ever heard in my life."[22] The following month, Ryan was in Los Angeles to record her first CD.

2007–2009: Albums

Bianca Ryan performs at Nextfest in 2007

Ryan's self-titled debut album was released on November 14, 2006, featuring cover versions of "The Rose" and "I Believe I Can Fly" and original songs like "I Wish That" and "Pray for a Better Day". Eight days later, the album debuted at No. 57[23] on the Billboard album charts, showcasing "her gargantuan chops and sweet charm". Matt Collar of Allmusic added that the arrangements were "grandiose" for someone of Ryan's age, but that they were "more than matched by her truly impressive vocal talent."[24] Los Angeles Daily News reviewer Sandra Barrera wrote that Ryan handled the songs "like the old pro that her big, powerful voice makes you think she is".[25]

One month later, the EP Christmas Everyday! was released as a promotional giveaway. She then joined several artists in a televised 2006 Christmas performance for President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush at the National Building Museum to benefit the Children's National Medical Center.[26]

Ryan's first concert tour took her across the United States as the special guest artist for Nextfest in 2007.[27] That August, she released the single "That's Not Me".[28]

In 2008, Ryan left SYCOmusic/Columbia Records; she released her second holiday-themed EP, True Meaning of Christmas, on November 3, 2009, on the indie Music Forever label.[29] This second collection, co-written with Anthony Marinelli and Siedah Garrett, included updated versions of "The Christmas Song" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"; the title track featured a duet with gospel pop singer Brent Jones.[30]

2010–present: Singles and songwriting

In 2010, Bianca Ryan wrote and recorded a song inspired by Twilight: New Moon called "In My Head".[31] The single was released digitally on August 21 through the indie label Tuned In Music and Media,[32] followed by performances at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey.[33]

Ryan was asked in October 2012 about the differences between her debut album and her future projects. She said that she didn't get to choose what songs went on her first CD, and while the experience she gained by working with people like David Foster and Kara DioGuardi was amazing, "I didn't feel like it was really me. ... You can relate to songs that you write."[34]

Ryan at the 2014 premiere of We Are Kings, her first co-starring role in a feature film

Ryan spent much of her teen years out of the spotlight. She explained in 2014 that she had put her career on hold to go back to school even though, as it turned out, she hated high school—besides "a couple of stalkers", she was mostly ignored by other students and didn't make any friends until after school was over.[35] Nevertheless, she "wanted to live a life, and have purpose and things to write about" due to her passion for writing music.[36] Ryan told fanlala.com in February that she's working with industry veterans like Quincy Jones on a new EP featuring her own work, which she called more "mainstream" than anything she had written before.[37] Ryan says her musical style is a blend of neo soul, R&B and pop.[38]

She also went back to work on her YouTube channel in 2014.[37] Her cover of "All of Me" was uploaded in March.[39]

Acting

Bianca Ryan made her acting debut in a walk-off appearance in the 2005 film 12 and Holding; her character is shown at a school function singing the final line of "Oh! Susanna", thanking the audience, and leaving the stage.[40] She returned to acting five years later, playing the lead role in the music video for "About to Fall" by The Wrecking.[41] In 2012, she joined the cast of We Are Kings, an independent, crowdsourced feature film. She and Jonathon Boogie Long portray two homeless musicians who join up with a runaway rapper (Pryce) to help an elder bluesman raise the money he needs to save his comatose wife and their repossessed blues club. Ryan and her co-stars wrote their own original songs for We Are Kings.[42] Her first single from the film, "Broken Down House", was released in November 2014.[5]

Upon the film's release, LA Weekly called Ryan, Long and Pryce "so bursting with talent that it's impossible to pick a favorite"[43] while the Los Angeles Times looked past the "discordant" acting to praise the "palpable, soulful authenticity" to the music.[44] "I could use an acting coach," Ryan admitted, "but, see, I'm honest."[45]

Discography

Albums
Year Album Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales threshold)
US AU DU IR SW GE
2006 Bianca Ryan 57[23] 46 45[46] 34 28 45[47]
  • US Sales: n/a
  • Worldwide sales: 200,000[48]
EPs
Year Album Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales threshold)
US AU DU IR SW GE
2006 Christmas Everyday!
  • Released: December 5, 2006
  • Label: SYCO/Columbia
 — — — — — —
  • US Sales: n/a
2009 True Meaning of Christmas
  • Released: November 3, 2009
  • Label: Music Forever
 — — — — — —
  • US Sales: n/a
"—" denotes the album did not chart.
Singles
Year Single Chart positions Album
Dutch Top 40 Dutch Single 100
2006 "You Light Up My Life" — — Bianca Ryan
2006 "Why Couldn't It Be Christmas Every Day?" 15[49] 32[50] Christmas Everyday!
2007 "That's Not Me" — —
2010 "In My Head" — —
2014 "All of Me" — —
2014 "Broken Down House" — —

Filmography

Film and television
Year Title Role Notes
2003 Star Search Herself (contestant)
2003 Showtime at the Apollo Herself (contestant) Winner of Amateur Kids Night
2005 12 and Holding Singing Girl
2006 America's Got Talent Herself (contestant) 6 episodes; season 1 winner
2014 We Are Kings Layla Knuckles Premiered September 19, 2014
Music videos
Year Title Artist Notes
2006 "You Light Up My Life" Bianca Ryan Released: November 2006[51]
2006 "Why Couldn't It Be Christmas Every Day?" Bianca Ryan Released: December 2006[52]
2010 "About to Fall" The Wrecking Released: September 8, 2010
2014 "All of Me" Bianca Ryan Released: March 3, 2014
2014 "Broken Down House" Bianca Ryan Released: November 6, 2014[5]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ In 2014, when an interviewer joked that "Bianca Ryan" sounded like a fake name, she admitted that she didn't like her name and had considered changing it.[6]

References

  1. ^ "Bianca Ryan: Biography". tv.com. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  2. ^ Mahan, Colin. "Talent shines in finale". tv.com. Retrieved August 20, 2006.
  3. ^ a b "Philly 11-Year-Old Wows Judges". nbc10.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2006. Retrieved August 21, 2006.
  4. ^ Hubner, Robert (February 15, 2002). "Bianca Ryan, Winner of America's Got Talent, to Star In Feature Film 'We Be Kings'". Christian NewsWire. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  5. ^ a b c "Broken Down House". Amazon.com. November 4, 2014. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  6. ^ Bianca Ryan by Decently Funny. SoundCloud. September 24, 2014. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  7. ^ a b O'Sullivan, Jeannie. "Bianca Hits the High Notes for the Eagles". Northeast Times. Archived from the original on May 15, 2007. Retrieved August 21, 2006.
  8. ^ Ryan, Bianca (August 19, 2012). "Every1 meet my new baby sis, Evangelina Abigail Ryan! ..." Twitter (official). Retrieved January 14, 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  9. ^ Bianca Ryan by Decently Funny, 11:52–12:01
  10. ^ "Free Family Fun Returns with Fam Jams!". globenewswire.com: Penn's Landing Corporation. May 21, 2008. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  11. ^ "Psych Word Radio Show: America's Got Talent Special (Part 1)". Psych Word Radio Show. 45:17–45:48. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  12. ^ a b "Bianca Ryan". Pop Blitz Magazine. April 2007. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  13. ^ "Watch Star Search Season y4 Episode 1 S4E1 Star Search Show #33". Online Video Guide. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  14. ^ Klein, Michael (August 18, 2006). "Mayfair Girl, 11, Takes America's Got Talent Prize ..." The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 10, 2015. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ Bianca Sings National Anthem for New York Rangers April 2006. YouTube (official). March 16, 2009. Retrieved January 14, 2015. {{cite AV media}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  16. ^ Klein, Michael (July 25, 2006). "Inqlings column: Phila.'s got talent: 11, and belting like Joplin". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 14, 2015 – via HighBeam Research. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  17. ^ "Semi-finals, Week 3". America's Got Talent. Season 1, Episode 8. 2006. Event occurs at 1:01:05. NBC.
  18. ^ Dehnert, Andy (August 18, 2006). "Bianca Ryan, 11, Wins America's Got Talent". Reality Blurred. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  19. ^ Seaton, Leslie (August 21, 2007). "America's Got Talent: Finale Recap". BuddyTV. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  20. ^ a b "Bianca Ryan the Official Site: News". biancaryan.com. Archived from the original on December 28, 2006. Retrieved August 21, 2006.
  21. ^ Fritsky, Lauren. "Million-Dollar Baby!". Northeast Times. Archived from the original on May 3, 2007. Retrieved September 2, 2006.
  22. ^ "Bianca Ryan, 12-Year-Old Winner of America's Got Talent, First U. S. Signing to Columbia Records/SYCO". PR Newswire. Retrieved December 29, 2013. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= requires |archive-url= (help)
  23. ^ a b "Bianca Ryan: Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  24. ^ Collar, Matt. "Bianca Ryan: Song, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  25. ^ Barrera, Sandra (November 23, 2006). "Bianca Ryan, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift CD Reviews". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved January 14, 2014 – via Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
  26. ^ Sanner, Ann. "Bushes Join 'Dr. Phil' at Christmas Show". ABC News. Archived from the original on October 18, 2007. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  27. ^ "Teen Titans On Tour". Pollstar. May 23, 2007. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  28. ^ "'That's Not Me': Bianca Ryan". amazon.com. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  29. ^ "True Meaning of Christmas: Bianca Ryan". amazon.com. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  30. ^ Marinelli, Anthony. "True Meaning of Christmas: About the Album". anthonymarinelli.com. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  31. ^ "Bianca Ryan Sings Her Original Song Written for the Twilight Saga". YouTube (official). August 18, 2010. Retrieved May 24, 2014. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  32. ^ "'In My Head': Bianca Ryan: MP3 Downloads". amazon.com. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  33. ^ "V: The Ultimate Variety Show at Trump Plaza". Atlantic City Weekly. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  34. ^ "Bianca Ryan Interview 2012". YouTube (official). 6:48–7:42. Retrieved December 29, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  35. ^ Bianca Ryan by Decently Funny, 44:11–46:27
  36. ^ Psych Word Radio Show: America's Got Talent Special (Part 1). 47:25–47:33.
  37. ^ a b "Exclusive Interview: Artist Bianca Ryan". fanlala.com. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  38. ^ Bianca Ryan by Decently Funny, 20:44–20:47
  39. ^ "All of Me: John Legend Cover (Bianca Ryan)". YouTube (official). March 3, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2014. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  40. ^ Cuesta, Michael (2005). 12 and Holding (motion picture). IFC Films.
  41. ^ "The Wrecking: New Music Video Features America's Got Talent Winner". The Adams Group. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  42. ^ "Hollywood Hits Central Illinois". cinewsnow.com. January 23, 2013. Archived from the original on March 8, 2013. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
  43. ^ Wilson, Chuck (September 16, 2014). "Film: We Are Kings". LA Weekly. Retrieved September 16, 2014. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  44. ^ Rechtshaffen, Michael (September 19, 2014). "Review: We Are Kings Has Heart of Blues but Misses Art of Filmmaking". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  45. ^ Bianca Ryan by Decently Funny, 1:03:37
  46. ^ "Bianca Ryan: Bianca Ryan". Dutch Charts. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  47. ^ "Bianca Ryan: Bianca Ryan". aCharts.us. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  48. ^ Lawson, Kyle (September 14, 2010). "Stardom Not Guaranteed for Talent Show Winners". Trib Total Media. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  49. ^ "Bianca Ryan: Why Couldn't it Be Christmas Every Day?". aCharts.us. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  50. ^ "Dutch Single Top 100". Dutch Charts. December 29, 2007. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  51. ^ "Music Videos for Bianca Ryan: "You Light Up My Life"". last.fm. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  52. ^ Bianca Ryan: "Why Couldn't It Be Christmas Every Day?". MTV. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
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Preceded by
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 America's Got Talent winner
Season 1 (Summer 2006) 		Succeeded by

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