Jackie “Jax” Cole plays the piano during her American Idol Season 14 audition. (FOX Photo)
The 18-year-old sat behind a piano and delivered a slowed down, soulful pop version of The Beatles’ classic, “I Wanna Hold Your Hand.”
And her performance drew rave reviews, not to mention a unanimous vote to send her on to Hollywood.
Harry Connick Jr. called her audition really strong and said “there isn’t anybody we’ve heard who sounds remotely like you.”
Jennifer Lopez liked her mix of shyness and confidence, adding “you feel like the real thing.”
And Adam Lambert said Jax has “the it thing.”
During her pre-audition clip, we actually learned more about Jax’s dad than the gal from East Brunswick, N.J.
That’s because dad is a retired New York City firefighter; he’s retired because he was injured at the 9/11 recovery site.
But here’s a little more about Jax.
First off, her real name is Jackie Cole. And she might be just 18, but she’s been performing for quite some time.
She was formerly lead singer of a teen pop band called Meadowland, which released a five-track EP called “Turning Back the Clock” in 2010. “Mr. Right” seems to have been the most popular song among the five.
Eventually, Meadowland gave way to a band called Jax, though Jackie doesn’t appear to have released any music under that name.
She told the Idol judges she also writes music and told Good Day New York she spends much of her free time in her “man cave studio” in her basement.
“I grew up on classic rock. My roots are blues. But I’m a pop singer,” she says in a get-to-know-Jax video you’ll find on her Facebook page. “I love everything (musically), but I think pop is the universal language everyone can enjoy.”
She also says she’s been singing as long as she can remember and believes she was born to entertain.
“I feel more comfortable on stage than in my own bedroom,” she says.
Here are some Jax links, followed by a couple samples of her music.
Facebook
YouTube
Twitter: @Jax
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