Bianca Taylor Ryan

Bianca Taylor Ryan (born September 1, 1994) is an American singer and guitarist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who won the debut season of NBC's America's Got Talent at age eleven[1].

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 [2]. One month later, the EP Christmas Everyday! was released as a promotional giveaway.

She has since performed in such countries as Austria and Switzerland [3]. Her first concert tour took her across the United States as the "special guest" artist for Live Nation's Nextfest

Biography

Bianca Ryan is the second of four children of Shawn and Janette Ryan. Her father, a fan of the Rolling Stones, named her after Mick Jagger's ex wife. Bianca has an older brother, Shawn, and two younger siblings, Isabella and Jagger [5].

At age seven, Ryan developed a preference in the R&B and gospel music genres, and recalls practicing in her family's basement only to hear her father ask, "How did you learn to sing like that?" Neighbor Denise Bauchens told the Northeast News Gleaner that while she was sweeping her patio one day in 2004, heard Ryan's voice [6].

Ryan counts Yolanda Adams, Mariah Carey, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Holliday and Patti LaBelle among her favorite singers. Adams was her voice coach for the America's Got Talent finals.

For the 2006-2007 academic year, Ryan was a sixth-grader at School Lane Charter School in Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania. "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 [7]. The following week, Mayor John F. Street proclaimed November 13 "Bianca Ryan Day" in Philadelphia and presented Ryan with a key to the city [8].


America's Got Talent, 2006 "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 showtune to a rousing ovation.


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While searching the Internet for auditions early in 2006, Ryan discovered that Idol judge Simon Cowell 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.[9]

By April 2007, a copy of Ryan's audition had climbed into the 100 "Top Rated (All Time) in Music" videos at YouTube [10].

At the semi-finals of the show, the judges loved the performance but said that the song wasn't right for her. America's Got Talent's finale results aired on August 17, 2006, during which Ryan 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 [11].


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 label" and some of the recording industry's top songwriters [12]. The Northeast Times reported that same day that Ryan met with Grammy Award-winning producer David Foster and was being managed by Peter Rudge [13].

On September 18 2006 Ryan signed a five-album record deal with SYCOmusic as part of Columbia Records[12]. Ryan is the first U. S. artist to sign with SYCOmusic [14].

The following month, Ryan was in Los Angeles, California, to record her first CD, 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".

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" [15]. Los Angeles Daily News reviewer Sandra Barrera went a step further, calling Bianca Ryan "an album filled mostly with really bad covers". Still, she wrote, "Ryan tackles these kinds of has-beens like the old pro that her big, powerful voice makes you think she is" [16].

Leaves Columbia Records Bianca has withdrawn from her contract with Sony Records. Comments on the forums of her website indicate dissatisfaction with management that was assigned to her by Sony. She continues to perform regularly, while looking for a record company that she feels will have the right image for her career.


Discography


AlbumsAlbum information
Bianca Ryan
Released: November 14, 2006
Chart positions: #57 US
U.S. Sales: 91,000
Sales Worldwide: 130,000+
Christmas Everyday!
Released: December 5, 2007
Chart positions: N/A
U.S. Sales: N/A



SinglesYear Single Chart Positions[17] Album
Dutch Radio + Records Chart Dutch Mega Top 50 Chart Dutch Top 40 Chart
2006/2007 "Why Couldn't It Be Christmas Every Day?" 1 52 15 Bianca Ryan & Christmas Everyday!
2007 "That's Not Me" - - - -



Filmography


Feature filmsYear Film Role Notes
2006 12 and Holding Singing Girl Released May 19, 2006