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Jacqueline Grace Named September “Best Vocalist Of The Month”
With Her Song “One Voice”
By Dale Kawashima
Jacqueline Grace, a promising pop singer & songwriter
based in San Diego, CA, has won the September SingerUniverse “Best Vocalist Of
The Month” Competition, for her performance of her song “One Voice.” This song
is featured on her new 11-song album, A Global Soul, which she released
independently in July (2009).
Jacqueline Grace
“One Voice” is a contemporary pop/R&B ballad, which is
in the vein of hit ballad anthems by Christina Aguilera (“Fighter”) and
Beyonce. It has a positive lyric message, about how “one voice” (one person) can
help make a difference. This recording provides a good showcase for Grace’s clear,
expressive vocals, and is expertly produced by Josquin des Pres (a prominent San Diego producer/studio owner), Brett Michael Wiesman and Grace.
Grace was born in New York City, and then moved with her
family to Chula Vista (near San Diego) at a young age. She learned to play some
guitar, and she was inspired by listening to three of her favorite artists:
Michael Jackson, Billy Joel and Ella Fitzgerald. During high school, Grace
entered some talent contests, and she performed in local musical theater
productions.
For college, Grace attended University of Southern
California (USC) in Los Angeles, where she subsequently graduated with a B.A.,
majoring in Theater. It was during the summer before her senior year that she
met producer Josquin des Pres, and they hit it off. “At first we recorded one
song, and then it led to recording my first album (called Jacqueline Grace)
in 2007,” explained Grace. Notably, one of the songs from this album, “Dance
Under The Moonlight,” won a Los Angeles Music Award for Best Dance Single.
Jacqueline Grace performing live.
Then in 2008, Grace began working with des Pres and Brett
Michael Wiesman on her second album, A Global Soul. “It took about a
year, off-and-on, to record my second album, but it was a labor of love,” said
Grace. “I wrote or co-wrote all the songs on the album, and three of the songs
are in Spanish.” A Global Soul was released this July, and it has
already been nominated for two Los Angeles Music Awards, for Record Of The Year
and Best AAA Single.
Now with the release of her new album, Grace has been
actively promoting the album (via the internet and radio) and performing live
with her band. She has also signed a management deal with Josquin des Pres. “Things
are going well,” she said. “We’re in negotiations to do a special concert which
would be broadcast on TV. We’re also looking to tour internationally. And when
the time is right we’ll be approaching the major labels about a deal.”
In addition, here are four, talented vocalists/artists who complete our Top Five Vocalists honorees list for this month's competition, with their credits, plus their e-mail and website links. You can listen to their songs by clicking the music players below.
Matt Vollmar
"Live For Today." (rock/pop). Performed by The Great Romance (lead vocals: Matt Vollmar of Bellview, IL). Written by Matt Vollmar and Rusty Varenkamp.