Tori KellyFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tori Kelly

Background information

Birth name Victoria Loren Kelly

Born December 14, 1992 (age 21)

Wildomar, California

Genres Pop, Soul, R&B

Occupations Singer-songwriter

Instruments Vocals, guitar, piano, drums

Years active 2006–present

Labels Capitol Records

Website torikellymusic.com

Victoria Loren "Tori" Kelly (born December 14, 1992) is an American singer and songwriter.

Contents  [hide] 

1 Biographyo 1.1 1992–2009: Early life and career beginningso 1.2 2010–present: American Idol, Handmade Songs, Foreword and Madison Square

Garden 2 Discography

o 2.1 Singleso 2.2 EPso 2.3 Featured Songs

3 References 4 External links

Biography[edit]

1992–2009: Early life and career beginnings[edit]Kelly, was born on December 14, 1992 in Wildomar, California. Her father is of Irish, Puerto Rican, and Jamaican descent, and her mother has Irish, English, and German ancestry.

[1] Growing up, she was exposed to a variety of music by her parents. "I give them a lot of credit for just playing all different genres, and no genre was off limits." she said, when asked about her upbringing.[2] Kelly has appeared on the show Star Search. She didn't win the contest, but later in 2004, she made an appearance on America's Most Talented Kids, singing Christina Aguilera's "Keep on Singin' My Song" and won, beating out singer and songwriter, Hunter Hayes. She made a second appearance on the show in the Tournament of Champions, but lost to Antonio Pontarelli, a rock singer/songwriter/violinist. She was signed to Geffen Records at the age of 12 but because of conflicting ideas, it was mutually agreed for Tori to be released.

2010–present: American Idol, Handmade Songs, Foreword and Madison Square Garden[edit]Kelly later auditioned for Season 9 of American Idol in Denver, Colorado and made it through to Hollywood week but did not reach the "Top 24."[3] She stated in a phone interview that after her elimination, she immediately began writing more songs and was asked to take part in a youth version of the 1985 charity song "We Are the World" titled "We Are the World: The Next Generation". Kelly has gained much attention since American Idol with her covers on YouTube, and her channel has more than 700,000 subscribers and over 58 million views to date. When later asked about her first YouTube cover she said, "It was just me in my bedroom, it was "The Only Exception" by Paramore and it wasn't even my own guitar. I knew like... 3 chords".[4] Her most viewed cover is of Frank Ocean's "Thinkin Bout You", with over 17 million views. These YouTube views have gained attention from music blogs and The Ellen Show.[5] On May 1, 2012, she released her first album, Handmade Songs, an EP with six songs. She called the EP a "warm up" to a full-length album that's to come in the future.[6] In February 2013, Kelly released a single called "Fill a Heart," which she wrote for the "Child Hunger Ends Here" campaign by ConAgra Foods and Feeding America. The song was later performed by British boy band The Wanted on Dancing With the Stars. In April 2013, Kelly performed at eight different venues across continental U.S. for her "Fill a Heart" tour, helping out at the cities' food banks during the day.[7] She's performed in venues such as the Troubador and the Roxy in Los Angeles, the Gramercy Theater in New York, and Bush Hall in London. She has also been featured in magazines such as Teen Vogue, Elle, and Glamour.[8] In September 2013, Kelly announced on The Today Show that her new EP, titled Foreword, will be released on October 22, 2013. Kelly was the sole supporting act to Ed Sheeran at Madison Square Garden on November 1, 2013.[9] Today, Kelly is working with new manager, Scooter Braun, to release her album and has worked with other artists including Pharrell and Ed Sheeran.