C H A R T S

Overview & Sucsess:

https://www.billboard.com/music/jaci-velasquez/chart-history/HTL

Born Jacquelyn Davette Velasquez on October 15, 1979 in Houston, TX. Religion: Evangelical Christian.

Career: Recording artist: Heavenly Place, (album), 1996; Jaci Velasquez, (album), 1998; Llegar a Ti, (album), 1999; Crystal Clear, (album), 2000; Mi Corazón, (album), 2001; HYPERLINK "https://www.encyclopedia.com/philosophy-and-religion/christianity/christianity-general/christmas" Christmas, (album), 2001; Navidad, (album), 2001; author: A Heavenly Place, 1998.


Awards: 
Dove Award, New Artist of the Year, 1997;
Dove Award, Song of the Year, "On My Knees," 1998;
Recording Industry Association of America, Gold Album, Jaci Velasquez, 1999; Dove Award, Female Vocalist of the Year, 1999;
Dove Award, Female Vocalist of the Year, 2000;
Dove Award, Special Event Album of the Year, Streams, 2000;
Dove Award, Spanish-language Album of the Year, Llegar a Ti, 2000;
Recording Industry Association of America, platinum album, Llegar a Ti, 2000; Recording Industry Association of America, gold album, Mi Corazón, 2001; Recording Industry Association of America, platinum album, Heavenly Place, 2001; Recording Industry Association of America, gold album, Crystal Clear,2001.

Addresses: Office— P.O. Box 3568, Brentwood, TN 37024-3568. Record company— Word Records, 25 Music Square West, HYPERLINK "https://www.encyclopedia.com/places/united-states-and-canada/us-political-geography/nashville" Nashville, TN 37203. Record company— Sony Discos, 605 Lincoln Road, 7th Floor, Miami Beach, FL 33139. Management— Mike Atkins Management, 300 10th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203.
During her teens Velasquez continued to hone her skills by performing with her family and entering talent contests around Texas. With such a hectic performing and traveling schedule, Velasquez was home-schooled by her mother. Her major break came when the Velasquez family appeared as the opening act for the popular Christian act Point of Grace at a church concert in Columbus, Texas, in 1994. The group's manager, Mike Atkins, was so impressed with Velasquez's singing that he signed on as her manager. After sending a videotape of her performance to Nashville-based Myrrh Records—a division of leading Christian media outlet Word Entertainment—Velasquez secured her first recording contract. She was just 15 years old.

Debuted at Age 16

Velasquez's debut album, Heavenly Place, was released in May of 1996 and immediately went into the top ten on the Christian music charts, while its first single, "If This World," became her first number-one single. Eventually Heavenly Place topped the sales charts as well and earned a platinum record for over one million copies sold. Velasquez was also honored with the Gospel Music Association's Dove Award for New Artist of the Year and became the youngest-ever recipient of the award.

While a constant round of concerts, recording dates, and personal appearances kept the teenager busy, Velasquez also became involved with a number of social issues. A proponent of sexual abstinence before marriage, Velasquez served as national spokesperson for the True Love Waits campaign. Using her visibility to help other teens take responsibility for their actions and avoid making poor decisions, Velasquez nevertheless took a realistic view of the pressures teens faced. "Don't get me wrong," she explained to the Dallas Morning News in October of 1999, "I like guys. I have a lot of guy friends and I date. But I use common sense and I don't get into a situation I can't get out of and end up giving something away to a person who doesn't deserve it." The young singer promoted the message in her 1998 book A Heavenly Place, published in English and Spanish by Simon and Schuster, which gave Christian teens some advice about making the transition to adulthood with their values intact. In 1998 Velasquez also took on the role of national spokesperson for the National Christian College Athletic Association. Although she did not intend to pursue a college education, Velasquez enjoyed touring colleges to promote a Christian-oriented message to students.
Velasquez proved that the success of her debut was no fluke when her second album, Jaci Velasquez, was released in 1998. The album quickly topped the Christian music charts and sold over 500,000 copies. One of the album's singles, a testament to the power of prayer called "On My Knees," earned Velasquez her second Dove Award in as many years, this time for Song of the Year. One of the few dark spots in her life was the breakup of her parents' marriage; David and Diana Velasquez separated in 2000. Velasquez turned to her religious faith to help her cope with the experience. As she told Today's Christian Woman in a May 2001 interview, "I realized I'm not responsible for other people's choices. Through this situation, I learned the only One I can count on is Jesus. He doesn't leave."


The Latin Market and Continued Success


In 1999 Velasquez made the unusual move of signing a recording contract with Spanish-language label Sony Discos, based in HYPERLINK "https://www.encyclopedia.com/places/united-states-and-canada/us-political-geography/miami" Miami, HYPERLINK "https://www.encyclopedia.com/places/united-states-and-canada/us-political-geography/florida" Florida. She retained her contract with Word Records for her Christian music releases, but would release Spanish-language albums for the secular market as well. Although Velasquez was not fluent in Spanish and retained other songwriters to pen her album, Llegar a Ti (To Get to You ), she looked at her new contract as an opportunity to reach out to the Hispanic audience.

Yet she insisted that the turn toward the mainstream pop market did not mean that she was abandoning her Christian principles. "I relate to what I sing about," she told Billboard in a February 2000 interview. "I relate to [Llegar a Ti. ] It is about a love one day I will have…. I don't sing about love in the 'Hey baby, come on over, let me show you' way. I am a believer in sexual abstinence. I plan on remaining a virgin until the day I get married." Reflecting her point of view, the tracks on Llegar a Ti steered clear of overt sexual references and included romantic lyrics that could also be construed as devotional songs. It also included some of her past contemporary Christian hits, this time sung in Spanish.


Llegar a Ti sold over one million copies and earned a Dove Award for Spanish-language Album of the Year in 2000. That year Velasquez collected her second consecutive Dove Award for Best Female Vocalist. Her next album, Crystal Clear, arrived in August of 2000 and featured two songs cowritten by the singer. The album was another major hit and earned a gold record for over a half-million in sales. Velasquez delivered a second Spanish-language set in 2001, Mi Corazón (My Heart ), which explored some of the emotional turmoil that the singer had experienced during her parents' divorce. At the end of 2001 Velasquez simultaneously released Christmas and Navidad, featuring traditional holiday tunes in English and Spanish.


Selected discography
Heavenly Place, Myrrh Records, 1996.
Jaci Velasquez, Myrrh Records, 1998.
Llegar a Ti, Sony Discos, 1999.
Crystal Clear, Word Records, 2000.
Mi Corazón, Sony Discos, 2001.
Christmas, Word Records, 2001.
Navidad, Sony Records, 2001.


Sources
Periodicals


Billboard, February 19, 2000, p. LM-8; August 12, 2000, p. 16; May 12, 2001, p. 116.
Dallas Morning News, June 3, 1998; October 5, 1999.
Texas Monthly, May 1997.
Today's Christian Woman, May/June 2001, p. 96.


On-line


Everything Jaci, Jaci Velasquez Official Artist Web-Site, 2002, http://www.planetjaci.com/newsite/facts.htm
Jaci Velasquez Bio, Word Records Web Site, 2002, http://www.wordrecords.com/jaci/jaci-bio.html




—Timothy Borden


HYPERLINK "https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/jaci-velasquez#ixzz5HWHLn3Ma"Jaci Velasquez facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Jaci Velasquez 

If This World (first Single)
https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/jaci-velasquez

2000: Llegar A Ti (#1)
http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Billboard-IDX/IDX/90s/1999/BB-1999-11-20-OCR-Page-0040.pdf#search=%22jaci%20velasquez%22

2000 Solo Tu (#4)
http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Billboard-IDX/IDX/00s/2000/BB-2000-03-11-OCR-Page-0044.pdf#search=%22jaci%20velasquez%22


2001 Como Se Cura Una Herida (#1)
http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Billboard-IDX/IDX/00s/2001/BB-2001-12-08-OCR-Page-0054.pdf#search=%22jaci%20velasquez%22


resorces in Christian Muisc
http://www.topchristianhits.org/christian_top_40.html

http://www.americasmusiccharts.com/index.cgi?fmt=X2&rtmref=americasmusiccharts

http://www.christianmusicweekly.com/newface/index.php/2011-03-31-04-23-33/63-adult-contemporary?start=20

https://www.christianactivities.com/jaci-velasquez-no-1-both-english-latin-charts

More Sources:

CCM HOT HITS
Adult Contemporary Charts  1978-2001
(Book)

CCM HOT HITS
Adult Contemporary Charts  1978-2001
(Book)

Internet Screen Shot of Jaci Confio Album at #1

Jaci Charts and Fact Sheet

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