She may not have taken home the American Idol crown… But Jessica Sanchez is still singing to the rafters and impressing audiences with her dynamic voice.
Before the start of the game between the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, Sanchez performed an inspired rendition of the National Anthem that results in massive cheers from the crowd.
Before singing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the pint-sized singer from San Diego was asked by one of her followers on Twitter who she was cheering for. Her response? “im all about thunder tonight! ;)”
And the Thunder rolled in Game One… Teaming up with Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant took over the game and outscored LeBron James‘ team in the second half to beat the Heat 105-94.
The crowd even chanted “MVP” as Durant sealed the victory with two foul shots in the final 12 seconds of the game.
She may have ended up losing the American Idol crown to Phillip Phillips… But as she sang earlier this month, Jessica Sanchez is “not going” anywhere.
The 16-year-old half-Mexican songstress took her vocal talents to our nation’s capital to perform at the 2012 PBS National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, DC on Sunday.
During her first live post-Idol appearances, Sanchez performed twice on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
The pint-sized singer, dressed in a floor-length blue evening gown, kicked off the annual Memorial Day concert by performing the National Anthem.
Sanchez later returned to the stage, in a white lace knee-length dress and strappy white heels, to perform Yolanda Adams’ “The Prayer.”
She’s the last female finalist standing… But could Jessica Sanchez be the last contestant standing on American Idol? That’s the bold prediction made by Steven Tyler.
In the first round, which consisted of songs selected by the judges, Sanchez performed Mariah Carey’s “My All.” Jennifer Lopez chose the ballad, which she called one of her favorites, for its tenderness. And, the pint-sized singer with the big voice—dressed in an elegant navy blue mermaid dress, with her hair swept to one side—killed it, as la Lopez predicted.
“That was absolutely beautiful; perfectly the right song for you,” decalred judge Randy Jackson. “I think it’s one of the best times a Mariah song has been performed on TV.”
Meanwhile, Lopez said Sanchez sang the challenging song “so beautifully,” while Tyler predicted she’d be the last one standing at the end.
“When you sing, you make people hang on every night,” professed the Aerosmith front man.
In the second round, which consisted of songs chosen by the contestants, Sanchez took the biggest risk of the night by performing Aerosmith’s massive hit “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.”
Dressed in a brown jumper with a chunky turquoise and diamond necklace, Sanchez flawlessly performed the Diane Warren-penned song from the film Armageddon and got a standing ovation from the man who originally recorded the song back in 1998.
“You just took a great song and made it greater,” exclaimed Tyler. “Beautiful!”
Hearing Tyler’s critique, Lopez told Sanchez, “You do not know what a big deal that is!” and commented on the finalist’s colossal finish.
“That note at the end. Oh wow! Sent everyone into the heavens,” said Lopez.
In the final round, which consisted of songs chosen by the show’smentor Jimmy Iovine, Sanchez performed “I’ll Be There” by the Jackson 5. It’s a song Iovine believed would appeal to older audiences while allowing Sanchez to maintain her youth.
Dressed in a red blazer with sequined pockets, black pants and chunky ankle boots, delivered a Michael Jackson-esque rendition of the song that received mixed reviews.
“Perfect song, perfect voice,” said Tyler. “You nailed it!”
But while Lopez complimented the “perfect tone” in Sanchez’s voice, Jackson deemed the performance good, but not great.
“There was never a ‘moment’ moment,” said Jackson.
American Idol finalist Jessica Sanchez received a hero’s welcome when she returned to her hometown over the weekend…
The 16-year-old half-Mexican singer—the last female finalist standing in the singing competition—headed back to Chula Vista, California, as part of Idol’s hometown visits.
During her roll-out-the-red-carpet trip, Sanchez and her two younger brothers rode in a car past thousands of fans toward her destination: Eastlake High School’s stadium, where she performed her greatest Idol hits including Whitney Houston‘s “I Will Always Love You” on Saturday. She received a key to the city, with Chula Vista’s mayor declaring May 12 as “Jessica Sanchez Day.”
“I’m so happy to represent Chula Vista,” she said. “It was the people. I missed the people so much. I love you guys. Thank you for all the support.”
Later, at the USS Midway Museum, Sanchez performed Luther Vandross‘ “Dance With My Father” in an emotional tribute to her father, a U.S. Navy officer, whom she invited on stage. He’s scheduled to be deployed to Singapore.
Footage from Sanchez’s hometown visit will be shown during Wednesday’s performance episode.
The American Idol finale may be two weeks away… But that didn’t stop Jessica Sanchez from coasting to the finish line. Instead, the pint-sized phenom performed like a champion.
During Wednesday’s night two-hour episode, the 16-year-old half-Mexican singer seemed to be taking the motto “go big or go home” to heart by performing the iconic music of two divas: Etta James and Jennifer Holliday.
For her first performance—dedicated to songs from artists or bands from California or tracks about The Golden State—Sanchez performed a rousing rendition of Etta James’ “Steal Away.” Sitting atop a piano and dressed in a black and white top and pants with blue accessories, including a pair of sparkling earrings, Sanchez growled and rasped her way through the songs like a seasoned pro.
“You just nailed that,” declared Idol judge Steven Tyler, while Randy Jackson proclaimed, “Your vocals are ridiculous.” Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez complimented Sanchez on her grownup growl.
“It was in full effect tonight, by the way,” said la Lopez. “That was crazy, crazy, crazy some of the things you did in there.”
Later, Sanchez returned to the Idol stage to perform The Bangles’ “Eternal Flame” with fellow finalist Hollie Cavanagh, looking angelicwhile swinging on white fabric.
“You both have sweetness and you both have power,” said Lopez after Sanchez and Cavanagh duet, which received a standing ovation from the audience. “And I think showed up both of those things in that song.”
Then Sanchez and Cavanagh joined the other finalists, Joshua Ledet and Phillip Phillips, to perform Foreigner’s “Waiting fora Girl like You.”
But it was Sanchez’s last performance, as part of the “Songs I Wish I Wrote” theme, which proved to be the night’s most impressive.
Dressed in a color-block dress with a single sleeve, Sanchez tackled a monster song, Jennifer Holliday’s “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going,” a song that helped former American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson win an Academy Award. From the get-go, Sanchez wowed the audience with her mesmerizing rendition of the emotional tune that she’s been singing since she was 7—and earned a much-deserved standing ovation from the judges.
“With a performance like that… there’s just nothing to say,” confessed Lopez, who called Sanchez’s performance a “real moment.” “Your vocal ability, it’s not something that you see all the time.”
Meanwhile, Jackson complimented Sanchez on taking such a big risk.
“This is one of the hardest songs in the world to sing… It’s been sung like crazy on this stage,” explained Jackson. “And, you know what, you got up there and you just slayed it!”
Talk about a proud moment for American Idol finalist Jessica Sanchez…
During last night’s two-hour episode, the 16-year-old half-Mexican singer delivered two knockout performances and shined bright during her “girl power” trio with fellow female finalists Hollie Cavanagh and Skylar Laine.
During the first hour, which was dedicated to songs of the ‘60s, Sanchez tackled living legend Tina Turner’s trademark rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary.”
Guest mentor Steve Van Zandt—the guitarist for Bruce Springsteen‘s E Street Band and ex-Sopranos actor—initially tried to dissuade Sanchez from performing the song, but she ultimately won him over.
Dressed to the nines in a heavily chained body-hugging white dress and a pair of sky-high heels, the petite San Diego native delivered a spot-on vocal performance, complete with growls and a massive high note at the end. Sanchez even channeled some of Turner’s on-stage effervescence by shimmying and shaking across the stage.
“You’re so grown up there; it’s crazy! I always forget you’re 16 years old,” said Idol judge Jennifer Lopez. “You brought it out there. You were a little bit of Tina, a little bit of Beyonce, a little bit of I don’t know what up there!”
Sanchez later took the stage with Cavanagh and Laine to perform a lively rendition of Jackie Wilson‘s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher,” which proved to be a much better performance than Phillip Phillips and Joshua Ledet’s take on the Righteous Brothers‘ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.”
But it was Sanchez’s final performance, as part of the show’s British pop theme, which seriously set her apart from the competition. It was her latest American Idol “moment,” following her previous performances of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” and Beyonce’s “Sweet Dreams.”
Dressed in an intricate black and white dress and sprawled on the stage next to several LED candles, Sanchez delivered an earnest and emotional rendition of Joe Cocker‘s “You Are So Beautiful,” which she later admitted was sung with her mother in mind.
“You once again showed America just how beautiful your voice is… and what a great singer you are,” declared Idol judge Steven Tyler. “You’re gonna be No. 1 girl.”
She may only be 16 years old… But Jessica Sanchez proved to be the queen of the night on last night’s episode of American Idol.
During the first half of the show—which was dedicated to the music of Queen—the half-Mexican singer bravely performed a near-perfect rendition of the group’s iconic hit “Bohemian Rhapsody.
Wearing lightning bolt earring, hi-top sneakers and a bedazzled mini-skirt with a bold Native American print, Sanchez showed her exceptional vocal prowess in the first and last verses and demonstrated her rocker-side in the middle sections of the classic rock masterpiece.
AI judge Randy Jackson lover Sanchez’s performance, but suggested she channel Tina Turner. Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez wanted more “running around” and “hair throwing” during the hard-rocking section of the song.
But the constructive criticism didn’t stop Sanchez from coming back with a vengeance. For her second performance of the night, she turned out an emotional performance of Luther Vandross‘ “Dance With My Father.”
Wearing a simple-yet-stunning neon-dress, Sanchez dedicated the song to her father, who’s about to be deployed to Singapore. J. Lo thought it was the best she’d ever heard the song sung, while Jackson couldn’t find a thing to criticize about the performance.
“You’re so natural,” Randy Jackson said. “You know what was wrong with it? Absolutely nothing!”
The 16-year-old part-Mexican singer—who was saved by her Idol judges after receiving the lowest number of votes last week, despite her season-long status as the show’s frontrunner—was more than ready to turn the beat around with her incredible talent.
During her first at-bat, Sanchez—dressed in a billowy white jumpsuit cinched with a red belt, statement necklace, turquoise heels and tousled hair—performed a rousing rendition of Alicia Key’s “Fallin’” that received a long round of applause from the audience.
Following her performance, Randy Jackson called Sanchez’s talent “otherworldly,” while Steven Tyler talked about Sanchez’s impassioned “anger” in the song.
“To take your voice and throw it in there like you lost at love, and damn it you’re gonna do something about it. And that’s what that sounded like. That was the passion you released,” declared Tyler. “And everybody in America knows you can sing, as if they didn’t know it before.”
Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez complimented Sanchez on her ability to juggle while performing.
“The way with play with songs, the way you play with it, it’s just like you’re juggling balls in the air. It’s crazy, it’s insane,” professed Lopez. “And, I’m so glad that you’re still here with us. I’m glad we had a save and I’m glad we used it on you. You did a great!”
In the second round, Sanchez stepped up her game during her sassy rendition of Otis Redding‘s “Try a Little Tenderness.” Dressed in baggy purple pants and a black jacket, Sanchez showed a lot of energy throughout the performance, giving an urgent feeling performance with a lot of heart.
“I like the fact that you’re stepping out, I really appreciate that the most ‘cause God knows I know you can sing,” said Tyler. “It’s all about stepping out and winning these people’s hearts.”
In what could be considered a shock heard ‘round the nation, American Idol finalist Jessica Sanchez was thisclose to being eliminated on last night’s results show.
The 16-year-old part-Mexican singer, long considered “the one to beat” earned the lowest amount of votes after this week’s performance show, causing jaws to drop and drawing boos from the stunned studio audience.
While Sanchez’s fellow finalists were left in shock and awe, Sanchez began singing in a last-ditch effort to snag the judges’ save.
But before the San Diego-native could finish her rendition of Deborah Cox’s “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here,” Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson rushed the stage and took the microphone out of Sanchez’s hand.
Moments later, Jackson implored America to think before they vote.
“We are saving Jessica without any doubt. For myself, Steven and Jennifer, this girl is one of the best singers in America. Please everybody … vote for the best!”
It was the first time the judges had rushed to join an Idol hopeful on stage, following the use of their special “save” privilege, according to Ryan Seacrest.
When asked if she expected to be the lowest-vote-getting finalist of the night, Sanchez diplomatically replied: “No, not at all. I don’t expect anything. I just do what I do. Whatever happens, happens. I just want people to know I’ve been working hard my whole life.”
But Sanchez wasn’t the only frontrunner to end up in the unexpected bottom three. : Fellow one-to-watch Joshua Ledet, whose high-octane performance had wowed the judges the night before, was also in the bottom three.
“Everybody did a good job last night but that shouldn’t be the bottom three,” said Idol mentor Jimmy Iovine, sitting in the crowd.
