Dorado, Puerto Rico
Julissa was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Puerto Rican parents. She was the oldest of four siblings. Julissa debuted as a singer when she was twelve, with the choir of her church. At age 16, she started singing professionally with a local group called Generación Escogida. With them, she recorded several albums. During recordings, she met musician, songwriter, and producer Mike Rivera. They married on November 29, 1997 and moved to Dorado, Puerto Rico. Julissa and Mike have three children: John Michael, Alyrah, and Jayden.