Mysteriously lost her hearing at age 9, but quickly recovered.
Has released 5 English language albums, and 4 Spanish ones.
She's a spokesperson for the Spanish portion of John Frieda ads.
She's been nominated for 1 Grammy, 1 Latin Grammy, 3 Latin Billboard Music Awards, and has been nominated and won many Dove Awards.
Father David Velasquez is part of the Christian trio The Galileans.
Her parents divorced in 2000; this deeply affected her.
Wrote an inspirational book ("A Heavenly Place"; "Un Lugar Celestial") that was available in both English and Spanish
Has released 16 #1 singles
'God So Loved' was the first single to achieve #1 status on all of Christian Research Report's radio charts
Recognized as the fastest selling solo debut recording artist in her genre
First solo artist in the history of Christian music to reach Gold status with a debut album prior to the release of a sophomore project
'Llegar A Ti' was the only debut single from any new artist to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart in 1999
With 'Llegar A Ti,' Jaci became the first Christian artist to go to #1 on any Billboard Latin chart
'Llegar A Ti' reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart and the Latin Pop chart
'Como Se Cura Una Herida' was the most played song of 2001 on Latin radio
Was the first artist to represent the Nashville music community and the Gospel music industry in the Best Latin Pop Performance category at the Grammy Awards
Was a guest columnist for Campus Life Magazine
Performed at the 2001 Presidential Inaugural Ceremonies
International spokesmodel for Frizz-Ease hair care products by John Frieda
Invited by President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush to perform in Washington, D.C. at the 2002 White House Salute to Gospel Music
Performed both the U.S. and Mexico national anthems at World Cup soccer match in 2002
The first album she remembers buying is U2's "The Joshua Tree"
Hobbies include rock climbing, photography, shopping and driving her car
Has 4 siblings: Mario, Julian, Mindy and Dion
Although she performs Latin music, she does not speak Spanish fluently.
Jaci Velasquez Detailed Biography
Jaci Velasquez is one of the world's most successful and beloved pop/ballad singers. As proof of her success, there are millions of albums sold, 16 number one radio hits and countless awards.
Velasquez began her career at 14, singing with her family in Houston. With her first Spanish-language album, 'Llegar A Ti' (Sony Discos), the artist, of Mexican and Spanish ancestry, surpassed the expectations of many, becoming a new and imposing presence in Latin pop music. Recorded between Miami and Nashville, Velasquez's second and most recent album in Spanish, 'Mi Corazón' (Sony Discos), was released in May 2001. The album gathers some of the Latin music industry's most important record producers, including Rudy Perez, Desmond Child, Emilio Estefan Jr., and Alejandro Jan.
Launched by her successful albums, Velasquez became the voice and image of the Target stores' publicity campaigns for Hispanic markets.
Last September, Velasquez released her fourth album, the inspirational 'Crystal Clear' (with 'Mi Corazón' producers Rudy Perez and Mark Heimermann), and has already put the finishing touches on an English-language Christmas album that should be out in the fall.
