Bianca Ryan
Encyclopedia
Bianca Taylor Ryan is an American singer and guitarist, who won the debut season
of NBC
's America's Got Talent
at age 11.
Ryan's self-titled first CD was recorded just after her 12th birthday and released on November 14, 2006; Bianca Ryan
broke into the Billboard 200
at #57. One month later, the EP
Christmas Everyday! was released as a promotional
giveaway.
She has since performed in such countries as Australia and Switzerland. Her first concert tour took her across the United States as the "special guest" artist for Live Nation
's Nextfest.
's ex-wife. Bianca has an older brother, Shawn, and two younger siblings, Isabella and Jagger. Bianca comes from a diverse ethnic family: Irish
, German, and Italian
ancestry from her father's side and her maternal grandmother is Japanese
.
For the 2006–2007 academic year, Ryan was a sixth-grader. "I'm in school most of the time," she said, "and keep up on my work when I have to go on the road."
Just before the release of her CD, Ryan's grandmother, Marie Ryan, who had struggled with Alzheimer's disease
for five years, died. The following week, Mayor John F. Street
proclaimed November 13 "Bianca Ryan Day" in Philadelphia and presented Ryan with a key to the city.
was serving as executive producer
for an upcoming competition titled America's Got Talent
. For her audition appearance, she chose the Dreamgirls showtune "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going
" (originally performed by Jennifer Holliday
), surprising the audience and the judges with her powerful voice. Simon Cowell
was so moved after seeing her performance that he announced during a press conference that, "Bianca Ryan is potentially one of the best singers I have ever heard in my life."
By March 2006, a copy of Ryan's audition had climbed into the 100 "Top Rated (All Time) in Music" videos at YouTube
.
For the semi-finals of the show Bianca performed "Piece of My Heart" made famous by Janis Joplin
. Although the judges loved the performance they didn't think the song was right for her. America's Got Talent's finale results aired on August 17, 2006, during which Bianca was announced as the winner of the first season of the show.
Ryan made a brief appearance during the show's second season
finale. In a video recorded during the Nextfest tour, she wished "the best of luck" to the top two finalists.
" and some of the recording industry's top songwriters. The Northeast Times
reported that same day that Ryan met with Grammy Award
-winning producer David Foster
and was being managed by Peter Rudge.
On September 18, 2006, Ryan signed a five-album record deal with SYCOmusic as part of Columbia Records
. Ryan is the first U.S. artist to sign with SYCOmusic.
The following month, Ryan was in Los Angeles to record her first CD, featuring cover version
s of "The Rose
" and "I Believe I Can Fly
" and original songs like "I Wish That" and "Pray for a Better Day".
Bianca Ryan
was released on November 14, 2006; eight days later, the album broke in at #57 on the Billboard
album charts, showcasing "her gargantuan chops and sweet charm," wrote Matt Collar of Allmusic. Though he called the arrangements "somewhat over-the-top pop creations" and "grandiose given Ryan's age, her musical aspirations are more than matched by her truly impressive vocal talent". Los Angeles Daily News
reviewer Sandra Barrera said that Bianca handled the songs "like the old pro that her big, powerful voice makes you think she is".
America's Got Talent (Season 1)
The first season of America's Got Talent premiered on June 21, 2006 and concluded on August 17, 2006. The audition tour took place in April 2006, stopping at Los Angeles, California, New York City, New York, Chicago, Illinois, and Atlanta, Georgia. Regis Philbin was the host for this season and...
of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
at age 11.
Ryan's self-titled first CD was recorded just after her 12th birthday and released on November 14, 2006; Bianca Ryan
Bianca Ryan (album)
Bianca Ryan is the debut album from America's Got Talent Season 1 winner Bianca Ryan.The album features cover versions of "The Rose" and "I Believe I Can Fly" and original songs like "I Wish That" and "Pray for a Better Day"...
broke into the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
at #57. One month later, the EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Christmas Everyday! was released as a promotional
Promotion (marketing)
Promotion is one of the four elements of marketing mix . It is the communication link between sellers and buyers for the purpose of influencing, informing, or persuading a potential buyer's purchasing decision....
giveaway.
She has since performed in such countries as Australia and Switzerland. Her first concert tour took her across the United States as the "special guest" artist for Live Nation
Live Nation
Live Nation is a live-events company based in Beverly Hills, California, focused on concert promotions. Live Nation formed in 2005 as a spin-off from Clear Channel Communications, which then merged with Ticketmaster in 2010 to become Live Nation Entertainment....
's Nextfest.
Personal life
Bianca is the second of four children of Shawn and Janette Ryan. Her father, a fan of the Rolling Stones, named her after Mick JaggerMick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
's ex-wife. Bianca has an older brother, Shawn, and two younger siblings, Isabella and Jagger. Bianca comes from a diverse ethnic family: Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
, German, and Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
ancestry from her father's side and her maternal grandmother is Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
.
For the 2006–2007 academic year, Ryan was a sixth-grader. "I'm in school most of the time," she said, "and keep up on my work when I have to go on the road."
Just before the release of her CD, Ryan's grandmother, Marie Ryan, who had struggled with Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
for five years, died. The following week, Mayor John F. Street
John F. Street
John Franklin Street was the 97th Mayor of the City of Philadelphia. He was first elected to a term beginning on January 3, 2000, and was re-elected to a second term beginning in 2004...
proclaimed November 13 "Bianca Ryan Day" in Philadelphia and presented Ryan with a key to the city.
America's Got Talent, 2006
While searching the Internet for auditions early in 2006, Ryan discovered that Idol judge Simon CowellSimon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
was serving as executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
for an upcoming competition titled America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
. For her audition appearance, she chose the Dreamgirls showtune "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going
And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going
"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is a torch song from the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, with lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger...
" (originally performed by Jennifer Holliday
Jennifer Holliday
Jennifer-Yvette Holliday is an African-American singer and Tony Award-winning actress. She started her career on Broadway in musicals such as Dreamgirls, and later became a successful recording artist...
), surprising the audience and the judges with her powerful voice. Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
was so moved after seeing her performance that he announced during a press conference that, "Bianca Ryan is potentially one of the best singers I have ever heard in my life."
By March 2006, a copy of Ryan's audition had climbed into the 100 "Top Rated (All Time) in Music" videos at YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
For the semi-finals of the show Bianca performed "Piece of My Heart" made famous by Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
. Although the judges loved the performance they didn't think the song was right for her. America's Got Talent's finale results aired on August 17, 2006, during which Bianca was announced as the winner of the first season of the show.
Ryan made a brief appearance during the show's second season
America's Got Talent (Season 2)
The second season of America's Got Talent, an American television reality show talent competition, premiered on the NBC network on June 5, 2007 with a two-hour episode. Tabloid talk show host Jerry Springer succeeded Regis Philbin as host. Piers Morgan and David Hasselhoff returned as judges,...
finale. In a video recorded during the Nextfest tour, she wished "the best of luck" to the top two finalists.
Career
On August 24, 2006, Ryan announced on her website that she had flown to New York to meet with representatives from a "major record labelRecord label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
" and some of the recording industry's top songwriters. The Northeast Times
Northeast Times
The Northeast Times is an American newspaper, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that primarily targets the Northeast Philadelphia community. After being owned by The Philadelphia Inquirer parent company, it was sold to a newly formed company, Broad Street Media.-External links:* *...
reported that same day that Ryan met with Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning producer David Foster
David Foster
David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
and was being managed by Peter Rudge.
On September 18, 2006, Ryan signed a five-album record deal with SYCOmusic as part of Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. Ryan is the first U.S. artist to sign with SYCOmusic.
The following month, Ryan was in Los Angeles to record her first CD, featuring cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of "The Rose
The Rose (song)
"The Rose" is a pop song written by Amanda McBroom and made famous by Bette Midler, who performed it in the 1979 movie, The Rose. Since then it has been covered by a variety of artists.-Bette Midler version:...
" and "I Believe I Can Fly
I Believe I Can Fly
"I Believe I Can Fly" is a 1996 song by R&B singer R. Kelly. The song was written, produced and performed by Kelly and was featured on the soundtrack to the 1996 film Space Jam. The song later appeared on Kelly's 1998 album R.....
" and original songs like "I Wish That" and "Pray for a Better Day".
Bianca Ryan
Bianca Ryan (album)
Bianca Ryan is the debut album from America's Got Talent Season 1 winner Bianca Ryan.The album features cover versions of "The Rose" and "I Believe I Can Fly" and original songs like "I Wish That" and "Pray for a Better Day"...
was released on November 14, 2006; eight days later, the album broke in at #57 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
album charts, showcasing "her gargantuan chops and sweet charm," wrote Matt Collar of Allmusic. Though he called the arrangements "somewhat over-the-top pop creations" and "grandiose given Ryan's age, her musical aspirations are more than matched by her truly impressive vocal talent". Los Angeles Daily News
Los Angeles Daily News
The Los Angeles Daily News is the second-largest circulating daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a branch of Colorado-based MediaNews Group....
reviewer Sandra Barrera said that Bianca handled the songs "like the old pro that her big, powerful voice makes you think she is".
Albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... ) |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Holiday |
AU Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
DU Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
IR Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
SW Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
GE Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
|||
| 2006 | Bianca Ryan Bianca Ryan (album) Bianca Ryan is the debut album from America's Got Talent Season 1 winner Bianca Ryan.The album features cover versions of "The Rose" and "I Believe I Can Fly" and original songs like "I Wish That" and "Pray for a Better Day"...
|
57 | — | 46 | 52 | 1 | 28 | 45 |
|
| 2007 | Christmas Everyday!
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|
| 2009 | The True Meaning of Christmas
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|
| 2010 | TBA
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|
| "—" denotes the album didn't chart. | |||||||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dutch Radio + Records Chart | Dutch Mega Top 50 Mega Top 50 The Mega Top 50 is a Dutch music chart, originally started on May 23, 1969 as the Hilversum 3 Top 30. Throughout the years, the chart has had several names and lengths:*1969 - 1974: Hilversum 3 Top 30... Chart |
Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... Chart |
|||
| 2006 | "Why Couldn't It Be Christmas Every Day? Why Couldn't It Be Christmas Every Day? "Why Couldn't It Be Christmas Every Day?" is a song by Bianca Ryan from her self-titled debut album. Though not officially released as a single by Columbia Records, radio stations in several countries played the song in 2006 as part of their Christmas-themed programming... " |
1 | 52 | 15 | Bianca Ryan Bianca Ryan (album) Bianca Ryan is the debut album from America's Got Talent Season 1 winner Bianca Ryan.The album features cover versions of "The Rose" and "I Believe I Can Fly" and original songs like "I Wish That" and "Pray for a Better Day"... /Christmas Everyday! |
| 2007 | "That's Not Me" | - | - | - | n/a |
Feature films
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 12 and Holding | Singing Girl | Released May 19, 2006 |
Other
| Year | Type | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Music Video | About to Fall - The Wrecking | Released September 8, 2010 |
Television
- Star SearchStar SearchStar Search is a television show that was produced from 1983-95, hosted by Ed McMahon, and created by Alfred Masini. A relaunch was produced in 2003-04. The show was originally filmed at the old Earl Carroll Theatre at 6230 Sunset Blvd...
- Showtime at the Apollo
- The Tom Joyner ShowThe Tom Joyner ShowThe Tom Joyner Show is a lively paced, one-hour, live-action, comedy-variety show hosted by Tom Joyner. Often featured are high profile celebrities and musical artists.-External Link:*...
- America's Got TalentAmerica's Got Talent (Season 1)The first season of America's Got Talent premiered on June 21, 2006 and concluded on August 17, 2006. The audition tour took place in April 2006, stopping at Los Angeles, California, New York City, New York, Chicago, Illinois, and Atlanta, Georgia. Regis Philbin was the host for this season and...
– six appearances (June 28, July 26, July 27, August 16, August 17, 2006, and August 21, 2007) - The Ellen DeGeneres ShowThe Ellen DeGeneres ShowThe Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
– two appearances (September 13 and November 16, 2006) - The CW Morning ShowThe CW Television NetworkThe CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
– November 16, 2006 - Today – November 16, 2006
- The Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
– November 5, 2006 - MarthaMartha (TV series)Martha, also known as The Martha Stewart Show, is an American, weekday one-hour talk show hosted by Martha Stewart. Previously airing in first-run syndication, the show began exclusively airing on cable network Hallmark Channel since September 13, 2010.-History:The program originally debuted on...
– November 20, 2006 - Walt Disney World Christmas Day ParadeWalt Disney World Christmas Day ParadeThe Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade is an American television special that airs on Christmas Day on the ABC, taped primarily inside the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, approximately one month prior to Christmas Day...
– December 25, 2006 - 49th Pepsi 400 (from Daytona International SpeedwayDaytona International SpeedwayDaytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, one of the most prestigious races in NASCAR. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, Grand-Am and Motocross...
), July 7, 2007