Vanessa Andrea auditions for Season 14 of American Idol. (FOX Photo)
She’s a stay-at-home-mom and all three of her children were age 3 and under at the time she auditioned for Idol.
Keith Urban is her celebrity crush. One of his concerts was the first she ever attended, and she recalls crying the whole time.
She also teared up with emotion at the mention of the song “For You,” because it conjured up feelings about her husband, who’s serving in the Air Force. That means the family moves often. They’re now stationed in North Dakota.
But perhaps the best reason to remember her audition was her fine rendition of “Some Kind of Wonderful,” which earned her a unanimous vote to advance to Hollywood.
Jennifer Lopez was particularly impressed, complimented her vocals, her style and her confidence.
What the show didn’t show: In her Facebook bio, Vanessa says her musical journey began at age 11. Her mom was learning to play old country songs on the guitar, and Vanessa decided to teach herself the basics of the instrument.
And here’s a humorous tidbit from that bio: “At 12 years old she picked the guitar up an brought it to school to impress a young boy she liked who played guitar also. She ended up ditching the boy and never stopped playing guitar.”
By 19, she was playing everywhere and anywhere, the bio says, including with an 80s-style rock band called Radio Assault Orchestra. She’s been involved with several bands since, but says those stints were always short-lived because her “ultimate goal isn’t to sing someone else’s songs; it’s to sing hers.”
In 2012, she released a song called “Don’t Let Me Go,” which is still available on iTunes. She’s also previously auditioned for both Idol and The Voice. Today, she classifies herself as a country/folk/pop/rock singer.
Here are some Vanessa links, followed by samples of her music.
Facebook
YouTube
Twitter: @VanessaAmusic
3 Comments
Vanessa is the next BOMB SHELL! She is an amazing singer/songwriter! I love her sound. I want to hear more of her all the time on the radio. This is what radio and television need. She’s fresh, soulful, passionate. Her short clip on Idol left me wanting to see more. Her personality and ad libbing made me laugh and cry. She not only is a great singer but I see her being a great actress too. She would be amazing in both arenas. I see her being the next long-lived singer/actress bringing back singing/comedy skit shows like the great Carol Burnett Show, Lilly Tomlin Skits, The Mandell Sisters, Hee Haw, SNL Skits, and much more. I want to see more music videos on VHI and CMT! You rock Vanessa! I love you!
Sincerely,
Vanessa’s #1 Fan,
Diane!
im a audio engineer and have recorded most of the top talent in gospel music. In her first audition I felt she was at least in the top ten or higher. She would have been my number one. I was floored when she didn’t go through.
Wow,
This is such an amazing article, thank you so much 🙂