Alexis Jordan

Alexis Jordan (born April 7, 1992) is an American singer and actress. Jordan was born in Columbia, South Carolina, as the last child of a mixed race mother and a Puerto Rican father. Her musical career started when she performed the opening act for American singer Smokey Robinson at a Stevie Wonder tribute concert. In 2006, she auditioned for the first season of America's Got Talent and sang Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing". She was later eliminated from the show and moved to Atlanta, Georgia, with her family. Jordan uploaded videos of her cover versions on her official YouTube account. She was discovered by Stargate, which flew Jordan to New York to record a few songs. She met American rapper Jay-Z and signed a recording contract with his new record company, StarRoc/Roc Nation.
In September 2010, Jordan released "Happiness", which peaked at number one on the US Hot Dance Club Songs. It was her first number-one single. "Happiness" was certified triple platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments of 210,000 copies. Jordan released her debut album Alexis Jordan a few months later. Around this time, Jordan was appearing in two television series. She was nominated for "Best International Act" and "Best Push Act" and won "International Hit of the Year" for her single "Happiness".
Life and career
1995-2008: Early life and career beginnings
Alexis Jordan was born in Columbia, South Carolina, on April 7, 1992. Jordan was born as the last child, she also has three older siblings. Her mother is of African American, Native American, and European descent, while her father is Puerto Rican. Jordan began writing songs when she was in third grade. When she was eleven years old, her family moved to Santa Clarita, California, so she could have a career in the arts. The following year, Jordan was the opening act for Smokey Robinson at a Stevie Wonder tribute concert.
In 2006, Jordan auditioned for the first season of America's Got Talent. At the auditions, she sang Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing" as a cover version. Jordan made it to the next round, but was eliminated from the show during the semi-finals. Jordan and her family then moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to be closer to the music industry. Jordan began uploading cover versions on her official YouTube account, and submitted demos to record companies across the nation. By 2008, Jordan's YouTube page had reached a million views. After seeing her uploaded videos, Stargate asked Jordan to record a few songs with them. They flew Jordan to New York. While Jordan was in the recording studio, rapper Jay-Z entered. After they talked, Jordan became the first artist to be signed with Sony Music label StarRoc/Roc Nation, which is owned by Jay-Z.
2010-present: Alexis Jordan and second album
After Jordan signed a record deal with Jay-Z's record studio, she released her debut single "Happiness" in September 2010. "Happiness" peaked at number one on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart, becoming Jordan's first number-one single. The song also peaked at number one in Norway and the Netherlands. It peaked at number three in Australia and the United Kingdom. The single was certified triple platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), for shipments of 210,000 copies. "Good Girl" was Jordan's second single, released in February 2011. It debuted at number six on the UK Singles Chart, giving Jordan her second top-ten hit in the United Kingdom. "Good Girl" peaked at number 15 in Ireland, and later became her second chart-topper on Billboards Hot Dance Club Songs in April 2011. Jordan released her self-titled debut album Alexis Jordan on February 25, 2011. The album debuted at number nine on the UK Albums Chart, and number 11 on the Australian Albums Charts.
Jordan's third single, "Hush Hush", was released on May 8, 2011. Jordan became a supporting act for English group JLS' tour in the United Kingdom for a month. She also appeared on T4 on the Beach in the United Kingdom, where she performed "Hush Hush" and "Good Girl" from her first album. Jordan recorded a duet with reggae singer Sean Paul for his single "Got 2 Luv U", which peaked at number one in Switzerland and Bulgaria. The editor of Take40 called Jordan one of the current "hottest artists", behind Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne.