Jessica Andrews

Biography

Jessica Danielle Andrews was born on December 29, 1983, in Huntingdon, Tennessee. She's the daughter of Jessie and Vicki Andrews, and has an older sister, Kellie. When Jessica was very young, her parents noticed something wrong with her back; Jessica's pediatrician dismissed their concerns, but Jessie and Vicki got a second opinion.

In 1990, it was discovered that Jessica had a bone growing through her spine -- if it wasn't removed, she would soon be paralyzed. Luckily, the operation to remove the bone was successful, and Jessica completely recovered.

jessica andrews sings dolly parton

Jessica found comfort in music during her ordeal. But her first steps into the music world came a few years later, when Jessica was in the fourth grade. She was supposed to dance in a talent show, but her sister Kellie encouraged Jessica to sing.

After belting out Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You," Jessica won first prize. From then on, Jessica performed whenever and wherever she could, from local fairs and carnivals to family gatherings.

jessica releases heart shaped world

After a few years of honing her talent, Jessica got her big break. A mutual friend introduced her to producer Byron Gallimore (who had worked with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, among others), who was immediately impressed.

Once he knew what direction Jessica wanted to take, he invited the head of DreamWorks Records Nashville, James Stroud, to hear her. Stroud, uncharacteristically, offered Jessica a deal on the spot.

Work soon began on Jessica's debut album, Heart Shaped World, which was released to much acclaim in 1999. At the same time, Jessica was tapped to contribute a song to The Prince of Egypt: Nashville; that song, "I Will Be There For You," became the first single from Heart Shaped World.

On the strength of such releases, Jessica, in May 2000, was named the top new female vocalist by the Academy of Country Music.

jessica andrews releases who i am

The next year, Jessica released her sophomore record, called Who I Am. The title track became Jessica's first No. 1 single, and later became the theme for the TV show Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye.

Jessica was also nominated for another Academy of Country Music Award. With these professional successes came some personal changes for Jessica. After finishing her homeschooling, Jessica moved out on her own, and started seeing fellow country singer-songwriter Marcel Chagnon in January 2002.

jessica andrews third album now

In 2003, a worldlier Jessica released Now, featuring the moderate hit "There's More to Me Than You." Meanwhile, Jessica continued to tour and make appearances; aside from performances at the 2005 CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Jessica has been less visible to the public lately, reportedly working on her fourth album.

"This is the beginning of the journey for me," Jessica said of Now in 2003, "and I want to be sharing [my music] with [my fans] for a long time." So it won't be long before Jessica Andrews is back and better than ever.