Mandy Harvey
Mandy Harvey | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Amanda Lynn Harvey |
| Born | January 2, 1988 Cincinnati,Ohio, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz,pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer,songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals,ukulele |
Amanda Lynn Harvey(born January 2, 1988) is an Americanjazzandpop singerand songwriter.
Profoundly deaffollowing an illness at the age of eighteen, she was a contestant on the12th seasonofAmerica's Got Talent,where she performed original songs during the competition.
Early life and education[edit]
Harvey was born inCincinnati,before moving toSt. Cloud, Florida.She had hearing problems, and underwent several surgeries as a child to try to correct them.[1]Her family moved to Colorado when she was a young child. She sang throughout her childhood, and her talent was recognized atLongmont High School,where she graduated in 2006.[1][2]Harvey gradually lost her hearing, as a result of theconnective tissue diseaseEhlers-Danlos syndrome.[3]She lost her hearing completely when she was eighteen, while she was majoring in vocal music education atColorado State University.As a result, she left the university.[2]
Music career[edit]
After fully losing her hearing in 2007, Harvey became depressed and quit music. However, with the aid of visual tuners, she learned how to find the correctpitcheswhen singing.[4][5]In 2008, she met jazz pianistMark Sloniker,at Jay's Bistro inFort Collins, Colorado(where she began performing regularly).[1]She later performed at Dazzle Jazz Lounge inDenver,[6]and recorded three studio jazz albums.[4]JazzTimeswrote of her 2009 debut album,Smile,claiming: "The vocals are rich and captivating".[1]Her second album,After You've Gone,was released in 2010. In 2011, Harvey wonVSA's International Young Soloist Award.[2]She later returned to perform at theKennedy Center.Her third album,All of Me,followed in 2014.[6][4]Her fourth album,Nice To Meet You,was released in 2019. Her fifth album,Paper Cuts,arrived in 2022.
America's Got Talent[edit]
In 2017, Harvey appeared onAmerica's Got Talentduringseason 12,where she took fourth place. She was given theGolden BuzzerbySimon Cowell,[7][8]after performing an original song with her ukulele, during the competition.[5][9][10]
During the same year of herAGTappearance, Harvey published amemoirwith co-author Mark Atteberry, titledSensing the Rhythm: Finding My Voice in a World Without Sound.[11]In a November 2017 interview for theBBC,Harvey described how she was accused of promotingoralismwhen she first took to the stage, and had receiveddeath threatsfrom within thedeaf communityfor promoting a "hearing" activity.[3]
In July 2022, Cowell ranked his favorite Top 15 Golden Buzzer moments inAGThistory duringseason 17,which Harvey placed 5th.[12]
Personal life[edit]
Harvey is anambassadorfor thenonprofit organizationNo Barriers, which helps disabled people overcome obstacles.[6]
In May 2022, Harvey announced her pregnancy, something she and her husband initially kept a secret (due to uncertainties surrounding her EDS).[13]In June 2022, Harvey and her husband became parents of a boy named Louis.
References[edit]
- ^abcd"Mandy Harvey",JazzTimes,2009, accessed September 15, 2017
- ^abc"Winners of the VSA International Young Soloists Competition: 2011 Award Recipients",www.kennedy-center.org, accessed September 15, 2017
- ^abRose, Beth (15 November 2017)."The singer sent death threats from the 'deaf community'".BBC News.BBC.Retrieved6 December2017.
- ^abcShea, Christopher D."Mandy Harvey, Deaf Singer, Finds an Audience. And Leaves It Weeping."The New York Times,June 8, 2017, accessed September 15, 2017
- ^abMoniuszko, Sara M."Watch this deaf singer win Simon Cowell's heart onAmerica's Got Talent",USA Today,June 7, 2017
- ^abc"Mandy Harvey"Archived2017-09-16 at theWayback Machine,NoBarriersUSA.com, accessed September 15, 2017
- ^Boedeker, Hal."America's Got Talent:Mandy Harvey makes finals ",Orlando Sentinel,September 13, 2017
- ^Bear, John (21 September 2017)."Deaf Longmont High grad takes fourth place on" America's Got Talent "".The Denver Post.Digital First Media.Retrieved6 December2017.
- ^Armstrong, Megan."Angelica Hale, Kechi and Mandy Harvey Shine inAmerica's Got TalentSemifinal ",Billboard,September 13, 2017
- ^Calvario, Liz."America's Got Talent:Deaf Singer Mandy Harvey Gets Compared to Adele in Flawless, Emotional Performance ",ETOnline.com, September 12, 2017
- ^Harvey, Mandy and Mark Atteberry.Sensing the Rhythm: Finding My Voice in a World Without Sound,Howard Books(2017).ISBN1501172255
- ^O'Rourke, Jill (2022-07-06)."Simon Cowell Counts Down His Favorite 'AGT' Golden Buzzers".Talent Recap.Retrieved2022-07-08.
- ^"Mandy Harvey Is Pregnant! Singer Opens Up About Finding 'Beautiful Ways to Communicate' with Baby".People.com.May 10, 2022.
External links[edit]
- Deaf musicians
- Singers with disabilities
- Singers from Cincinnati
- 1988 births
- Living people
- 21st-century American singers
- People from Longmont, Colorado
- Singers from Colorado
- People with Ehlers–Danlos syndrome
- American women jazz singers
- American jazz singers
- Jazz musicians from Ohio
- Jazz musicians from Colorado
- American deaf people
- 21st-century American women singers
- America's Got Talent contestants
- Deaf writers
- American musicians with disabilities