Jasmine Murray
Encyclopedia
Jasmine Sharee Murray is an independent American singer from Starkville, Mississippi
. She is best known for being a finalist on the eighth season
of American Idol
where she placed 12th-13th alongside Jorge Núñez. She also competed in the Miss America's Outstanding Teen
pageant in 2007. Her musical influences include Christina Aguilera
.
and attended Columbus High School, but later moved to Starkville
with her family. She is the daughter of Lisa Murray and is the youngest of five children. According to the audition segments, she is eleven years younger than the fourth. Her mother suffered severe toxemia
when pregnant with her, and the doctors expected neither of them to survive the pregnancy. She began to sing at age 3. Her family told her that once they were in a vehicle, she would start singing with the radio, and that describes why she is passionate about singing. She has also performed mini-concerts with the Murray family. Before her American Idol run, she competed in the Miss America's Outstanding Teen scholarship pageant and was a student at the Mississippi School of the Arts
, where she was continuing her education until she graduated in 2010.
, where she placed tenth. In 2008 she won first place for the pageant's Mentor Club Scholarship, an opportunity open to former contestants.
of American Idol
in Jacksonville, Florida
on a whim after traveling to Orlando, Florida
to attend the 2008 Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant. During Hollywood group night, her group, dubbed "Team Diva", performed "Mercy
" by Duffy
, but the rest of her group was cut. She then sang "Love Song
" by Sara Bareilles
, but the judges were not so impressed with Randy Jackson stating that he would not have chosen the song for her and suggested that she should have sung a song by Rihanna
.
Murray was originally eliminated in the second semi-final, but was brought back for the wild card round and the judges chose her to join the Top 13. During the top 13 week, she performed "I'll Be There" by The Jackson 5
, with Simon Cowell giving a minor critique that it was "a little bit robotic at times." She was one of the first two contestants to be eliminated in the finals along with Jorge Núñez and was the second wild card finalist to be eliminated in the first episode of the finals in American Idol history, after Leah LaBelle. As a result, she missed out on the annual summer tour. American Idol
s African-American viewer ratings dropped by 28% in the episode following Murray's elimination. As of 2009, Murray is the only contestant from Mississippi to become a finalist in American Idol history. Among finalists, she is a close friend of Alexis Grace and Allison Iraheta
.
and Live with Regis and Kelly
with also-cast-off contestant Jorge Núñez. While missing out on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009
, Murray also performed Beyonce song Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
at the 2009 Mary Kay Seminar. Later during that time, she performed the Jordin Sparks song "Battlefield", the Rihanna
song "Unfaithful", and the Fergie song "Big Girls Don't Cry" at the Delta Fair in Memphis, Tennessee
. Fellow season 8 finalist Alexis Grace also performed there. Murray did performances at the 2009 Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant.
Murray performed in the national anthem at a Michigan State basketball game.
Starkville, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 21,869 people, 9,462 households, and 4,721 families residing in the city. The population density was 851.4 people per square mile . There were 10,191 housing units at an average density of 396.7 per square mile...
. She is best known for being a finalist on the eighth season
American Idol (season 8)
The eighth season of American Idol premiered on January 13, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2009. Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson continued to judge the show's contestants, along with Ryan Seacrest as host. The season introduced Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge on the Idol...
of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
where she placed 12th-13th alongside Jorge Núñez. She also competed in the Miss America's Outstanding Teen
Miss America's Outstanding Teen
Miss America's Outstanding Teen is an American scholarship pageant. It is a sister company to the Miss America Organization, and it aims to "promote scholastic achievement, creative accomplishment, healthy living and community involvement for America's teens." The first competition was held in...
pageant in 2007. Her musical influences include Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
.
Early life
Jasmine Murray was born in Columbus, MississippiColumbus, Mississippi
Columbus is a city in Lowndes County, Mississippi, United States that lies above the Tombigbee River. It is approximately northeast of Jackson, north of Meridian, south of Tupelo, northwest of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and west of Birmingham, Alabama. The population was 25,944 at the 2000 census...
and attended Columbus High School, but later moved to Starkville
Starkville, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 21,869 people, 9,462 households, and 4,721 families residing in the city. The population density was 851.4 people per square mile . There were 10,191 housing units at an average density of 396.7 per square mile...
with her family. She is the daughter of Lisa Murray and is the youngest of five children. According to the audition segments, she is eleven years younger than the fourth. Her mother suffered severe toxemia
Toxemia
Toxemia may refer to:* A generic term for the presence of toxins in the blood, see Bacteremia* An outdated medical term for Pre-eclampsia...
when pregnant with her, and the doctors expected neither of them to survive the pregnancy. She began to sing at age 3. Her family told her that once they were in a vehicle, she would start singing with the radio, and that describes why she is passionate about singing. She has also performed mini-concerts with the Murray family. Before her American Idol run, she competed in the Miss America's Outstanding Teen scholarship pageant and was a student at the Mississippi School of the Arts
Mississippi School of the Arts
The Mississippi School of the Arts is an upper high school of literary, visual, and performing arts on historic Whitworth College Campus in Brookhaven, Mississippi, about sixty miles south of Jackson, Mississippi. MSA teaches 11th and 12th grade students. The site has 6 buildings designated as...
, where she was continuing her education until she graduated in 2010.
Miss America's Outstanding Teen
Murray competed in the Miss Mississippi's Outstanding Teen pageant in 2006 where she won the activewear preliminary award and placed fourth runner-up. The following year, competing as Miss Houston/North Central, she won the Miss Mississippi's Outstanding Teen title. In August of that year she represented Mississippi in the Miss America's Outstanding teen pageant, the teen version of Miss AmericaMiss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
, where she placed tenth. In 2008 she won first place for the pageant's Mentor Club Scholarship, an opportunity open to former contestants.
American Idol
She auditioned for the eighth seasonAmerican Idol (season 8)
The eighth season of American Idol premiered on January 13, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2009. Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson continued to judge the show's contestants, along with Ryan Seacrest as host. The season introduced Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge on the Idol...
of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
on a whim after traveling to Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
to attend the 2008 Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant. During Hollywood group night, her group, dubbed "Team Diva", performed "Mercy
Mercy (song)
"Mercy" is a soul song performed by Welsh blue-eyed soul singer Duffy, released as the second single from her debut album, Rockferry . Co-written by Duffy and Steve Booker and produced by Booker, it was released over 2008 worldwide to critical acclaim and unprecedented chart success...
" by Duffy
Duffy (singer)
Aimée Ann Duffy , known as Duffy, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her 2008 debut album Rockferry entered the UK Album Chart at number one. It was the best-selling album in the United Kingdom in 2008 with 1.68 million copies sold...
, but the rest of her group was cut. She then sang "Love Song
Love Song (Sara Bareilles song)
"Love Song" is Sara Bareilles' first single, released in 2007. She has stated during live performances that it was actually written in response to her record label's request that she write a "marketable love song," rather than about an actual person...
" by Sara Bareilles
Sara Bareilles
Sara Beth Bareilles is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She achieved mainstream success in 2007 with the hit single "Love Song", which brought her into the number one spot on the Billboard Pop 100 chart. She has sold over 1 million records in the United States alone and has been...
, but the judges were not so impressed with Randy Jackson stating that he would not have chosen the song for her and suggested that she should have sung a song by Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
.
Murray was originally eliminated in the second semi-final, but was brought back for the wild card round and the judges chose her to join the Top 13. During the top 13 week, she performed "I'll Be There" by The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
, with Simon Cowell giving a minor critique that it was "a little bit robotic at times." She was one of the first two contestants to be eliminated in the finals along with Jorge Núñez and was the second wild card finalist to be eliminated in the first episode of the finals in American Idol history, after Leah LaBelle. As a result, she missed out on the annual summer tour. American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
s African-American viewer ratings dropped by 28% in the episode following Murray's elimination. As of 2009, Murray is the only contestant from Mississippi to become a finalist in American Idol history. Among finalists, she is a close friend of Alexis Grace and Allison Iraheta
Allison Iraheta
Allison Iraheta is an American singer from Los Angeles, California, who was the fourth place finalist on the eighth season of American Idol. Prior to Idol, Iraheta won the Telemundo competition Quinceañera: Mamá Quiero Ser Artista. Following the conclusion of Idol, Iraheta was signed to a record...
.
Performances/Results
| Week # | Theme | Song choice | Original artist | Order # | Result | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Audition | N/A | "Big Girls Don't Cry Big Girls Don't Cry (Fergie song) "Big Girls Don't Cry" is a song written by Fergie and Toby Gad for pop singer Fergie's debut solo album The Dutchess . The song was released as the album's fourth single in 2007 and topped the charts in several countries, most notably in Australia , and in... " |
Fergie | N/A | Advanced | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hollywood | First Solo | "The Trouble with Love Is The Trouble with Love Is "The Trouble with Love Is" is the fourth and final single from pop rock singer Kelly Clarkson's debut album, Thankful. It was co-written by Clarkson, Evan Rogers, and Carl Sturken and co-produced by Rogers and Sturken... " |
Kelly Clarkson Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,... |
N/A | Advanced | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hollywood | Group Performance | "Mercy Mercy (song) "Mercy" is a soul song performed by Welsh blue-eyed soul singer Duffy, released as the second single from her debut album, Rockferry . Co-written by Duffy and Steve Booker and produced by Booker, it was released over 2008 worldwide to critical acclaim and unprecedented chart success... " |
Duffy Duffy (singer) Aimée Ann Duffy , known as Duffy, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her 2008 debut album Rockferry entered the UK Album Chart at number one. It was the best-selling album in the United Kingdom in 2008 with 1.68 million copies sold... |
N/A | Advanced | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hollywood | Second Solo | "Tattoo" | Jordin Sparks Jordin Sparks Jordin Brianna Sparks is an American pop / R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She hails from Glendale, Arizona who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Sparks won when she was 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in Idol history... |
N/A | Advanced | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top 36/Semi-Final 2 | Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... Hits to Date |
"Love Song Love Song (Sara Bareilles song) "Love Song" is Sara Bareilles' first single, released in 2007. She has stated during live performances that it was actually written in response to her record label's request that she write a "marketable love song," rather than about an actual person... " |
Sara Bareilles Sara Bareilles Sara Beth Bareilles is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She achieved mainstream success in 2007 with the hit single "Love Song", which brought her into the number one spot on the Billboard Pop 100 chart. She has sold over 1 million records in the United States alone and has been... |
1 | Eliminated1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wild Card | N/A | "Reflection Reflection (song) "Reflection" is a song featured on the soundtrack of the 1998 animated film Mulan, recorded by American recording artist Christina Aguilera. In the months before the recording of the track, Aguilera approached RCA, which gave her the chance to record the theme song to the film Mulan... " |
Christina Aguilera Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994... |
5 | Selected | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top 13 | Michael Jackson Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records... |
"I'll Be There" | The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana... |
5 | Eliminated |
- Note 1: Murray was initially eliminated, as she did not receive enough votes to advance immediately to the Top 12. However, on the March 4 results show, Kara DioGuardiKara DioGuardiKara Elizabeth DioGuardi is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, composer and TV personality. She writes music primarily in the light pop-rock, dance, and R&B genres. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; her songs have appeared on more than 159...
selected her as one of the 8 Wild Card contenders.
Post-Idol
Murray has been on The Ellen Degeneres ShowThe Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
and Live with Regis and Kelly
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
with also-cast-off contestant Jorge Núñez. While missing out on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009
American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009
The American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009 was a summer concert tour in the United States and Canada that featured the top 10 contestants of the eighth season of American Idol...
, Murray also performed Beyonce song Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
"Single Ladies " is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. It was released by Columbia Records on October 12, 2008 as the album's lead single, and appeared with "If I Were a Boy" as a double A-side single, demonstrating the...
at the 2009 Mary Kay Seminar. Later during that time, she performed the Jordin Sparks song "Battlefield", the Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
song "Unfaithful", and the Fergie song "Big Girls Don't Cry" at the Delta Fair in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. Fellow season 8 finalist Alexis Grace also performed there. Murray did performances at the 2009 Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant.
Murray performed in the national anthem at a Michigan State basketball game.
External links
- American Idol Official Website (owned by Fox Interactive MediaFox Interactive MediaNews Corporation's Digital Media Group , also known as News Corp. Digital Media and formerly Fox Interactive Media, oversees the Internet business operations of media giant News Corporation, and was formed to oversee News Corporation's new media acquisitions, including IGN Entertainment, MySpace...
) - Miss Mississippi Outstanding Teen Scholarship Pageant