Lauren Evans is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 singer/songwriter responsible for penning hits by Alexandra Burke

Alexandra Burke

Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke is a British R&B and pop recording artist who rose to fame after winning the fifth series of British television series The X Factor in 2008...

 and 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...

.

Early life and career

Lauren Evans grew up in San Bernardino, CA, the daughter of a worship pastor, John Evans, of Maranatha! Music

Maranatha! Music

Maranatha! Music began as a non-profit outreach of Calvary Chapel in 1971. The Jesus People of the late 1960s and early 1970s began to write new hymns and worship songs with a folk-rock style. Maranatha! Music was founded at this time in order to publish and promote this new type of Christian...

 and Promise Keepers. She recorded several popular Christian songs for the label Maranatha! Music

Maranatha! Music

Maranatha! Music began as a non-profit outreach of Calvary Chapel in 1971. The Jesus People of the late 1960s and early 1970s began to write new hymns and worship songs with a folk-rock style. Maranatha! Music was founded at this time in order to publish and promote this new type of Christian...

. Lauren’s cover of “You’re Worthy of My Praise” became an oft-played radio hit for the label.

Her career got an early boost from working with production duo Buster & Shavoni who featured her on DreamWork’s Prince of Egypt

The Prince of Egypt

The Prince of Egypt is a 1998 American animated musical drama film and the first traditionally animated film produced and released by DreamWorks Animation. The film is an adaptation of the Book of Exodus and follows the life of Moses from being a prince of Egypt to his ultimate destiny to lead the...

soundtrack under the pseudonym Christian. “Didn’t I,” which she also co-wrote, earned a Stellar Award nomination the following year. Collaborating with producer Rex Rideout, another of her compositions “Brighter Days” was featured in the 2003 film The Fighting Temptations

The Fighting Temptations

The Fighting Temptations is a 2003 American musical dramedy film produced by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films. It stars Cuba Gooding, Jr. as the film's protagonist as he attempts to revive a church choir in order to enter a gospel competition with the help of a beautiful lounge singer with whom he...

.

Lauren has also made her mark on TV, contributing her voice to Disney mainstays such as That's So Raven

That's So Raven

That's So Raven is an American cable television teen sitcom/fantasy series. The show premiered on the Disney Channel on January 17, 2003, and ended on November 10, 2007. The show spawned Disney Channel's first spin-off series: Cory in the House...

, The Cheetah Girls

The Cheetah Girls (film series)

The Cheetah Girls is a musical comedy film series produced by Debra Martin Chase. Actresses like Raven-Symoné, Adrienne Bailon, Sabrina Bryan, Kiely Williams and Lynn Whitfield are featured in the films...

, High School Musical

High School Musical

High School Musical is a 2006 American television film, first in the High School Musical film franchise. Upon its release on January 20, 2006, it became the most successful film that Disney Channel Original Movie ever produced, with a television sequel High School Musical 2 released in 2007 and...

, Jump In, Cory in the House

Cory in the House

Cory in the House is an American television sitcom, which aired on the Disney Channel from January 12, 2007 to September 12, 2008 and was a spin-off from the Disney show That's So Raven. The show focuses on Cory Baxter, who moved from San Francisco, California to Washington, D.C., after Victor...

. Lauren was also the singing voice behind Fox’s animated series Bratz. Lauren's work on the series was released in 2006 as the compilation album Bratz: Genie Magic on Hip-O/Universal Music.

Songwriting

Evans made her biggest impact to date as a songwriter. Several songs penned for the NBC soap opera Passions led to two Emmy nominations. She has also paired with producers such as Robbie Nevil, Rex Rideout, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Rodney Jerkins

Rodney Jerkins

Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Jerkins received two Grammy nominations in 2011.-Biography:...

, J.R. Rotem and others.

Lauren co-wrote the hit single “One Step at a Time

One Step at a Time (song)

"One Step at a Time" is the third single from American Pop/R&B singer Jordin Sparks, from her eponymous debut album. Written by Robbie Nevil, Lauren Evans, Jonas Jeberg and Mich Hansen the song was released in the U.S. on June 10, 2008...

” for sixth-season 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...

 winner 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...

. Lauren has also scored international hits with German pop trio Monrose

Monrose

Monrose was a German pop band, first established in November 2006. Formed on the fifth installment of the German adaption of the international television talent show Popstars on the ProSieben network, the trio consisted of singers and songwriters Mandy Capristo, Senna Guemmour, and Bahar...

’s “Even Heaven Cries

Even Heaven Cries

"Even Heaven Cries" is a pop ballad recorded by German pop trio Monrose. It was penned by Robbie Nevil, Lauren Evans, Philip Denker, Jonas Jeberg, and Jens Lumholt for the group's debut studio album, Temptation...

” and British X Factor

The X Factor (UK)

The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...

 winner Alexandra Burke

Alexandra Burke

Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke is a British R&B and pop recording artist who rose to fame after winning the fifth series of British television series The X Factor in 2008...

’s “Bad Boys

Bad Boys (Alexandra Burke song)

"Bad Boys" is a song by British recording artist Alexandra Burke. The song is her second single after winning the fifth series of The X Factor, and the lead single from her debut album, Overcome. The song features American rapper Flo Rida. It was written by Flo Rida, Melvin K. Watson Jr, Larry...

.”

Lauren also became an in-demand session vocalist appearing on recordings by Yolanda Adams

Yolanda Adams

Yolanda Adams is an American Grammy- and Dove-award-winning Yolanda Adams is an American [[Grammy Awards|Grammy]]- and [[Dove Awards|Dove]]-award-winning...

, Natasha Bedingfield

Natasha Bedingfield

Natasha Anne Bedingfield is a British pop singer and songwriter. Bedingfield debuted in the 1990s as a member of the Christian dance/electronic group The DNA Algorithm with her siblings Daniel Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle...

, Corbin Bleu

Corbin Bleu

Corbin Bleu Reivers , known professionally as Corbin Bleu, is an American actor, model, dancer, producer, and singer-songwriter. He performed in the High School Musical film series, the Discovery Kids drama series Flight 29 Down, and the Disney Channel Original Movie Jump In!...

, Boney James

Boney James

Boney James, is a saxophonist, songwriter and producer who popularized urban jazz...

, Will Downing

Will Downing

Will Downing , is an American singer-songwriter and producer. Downing is known in the contemporary jazz and R&B music genres for his rich baritone vocals, and his interpretations of R&B and pop classics that stretch back to the early 1980s...

, Mick Fleetwood

Mick Fleetwood

Michael John Kells "Mick" Fleetwood is a British musician and actor best known for his role as the drummer and namesake of the blues/rock and roll band Fleetwood Mac. His surname, combined with that of John McVie, was the inspiration for the name of the originally Peter Green-led Fleetwood Mac...

, Heather Headley

Heather Headley

Heather Headley is a Trinidadian-American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She has won one Tony Award and one Grammy Award.-Personal life:...

, Chaka Khan

Chaka Khan

Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...

, The Isley Brothers

The Isley Brothers

The Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper...

, Ledisi

Ledisi

Ledisi Anibade Young is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Her first name means "to bring forth" or "to come here" in Yoruba. Ledisi is known for her jazz influenced vocals. In 1995, Ledisi formed the group known as Anibade. After unsuccessfully trying to get the group signed to a major...

, Latoya London

LaToya London

LaToya Renee London is an American R&B and soul singer and actress who was the fourth-place finalist on the third season of the reality/talent-search television series American Idol...

, Barry Manilow

Barry Manilow

Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...

, Nicole C. Mullen

Nicole C. Mullen

Aileen Nicole Coleman-Mullen, known professionally as Nicole C. Mullen, is an award-winning singer, songwriter, and choreographer. She was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio.-Music career:...

, Mýa

Mya

-A person:* Bo Mya , Chief Commander of the Karen National Union* Mýa , American R&B singer-songwriter and actress** Mýa , a 1998 album by Mýa-A code:* Burmese language, ISO 639-3 code is mya* Moruya Airport's IATA code...

, Ruben Studdard

Ruben Studdard

Christopher Theodore Ruben Studdard , best known as Ruben Studdard, is an American R&B, pop, and gospel singer. He rose to fame as winner of the second season of American Idol...

, Paul Taylor

Paul Taylor (musician)

Paul Taylor is an American smooth jazz saxophonist who has released eight albums since his debut On the Horn in 1995. He is signed to Peak Records. Although originally from Denver, Colorado, he is based in Las Vegas, Nevada...

, Luther Vandross

Luther Vandross

Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...

, Vanessa Williams

Vanessa L. Williams

Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...

, Charlie Wilson and the soundtrack of High School Musical 2.

Featured appearances

• Maranatha! Music, “You’re Worthy of My Praise”
• Andrae Crouch, “Yes Lord” (2005)
• The Avila Brothers featuring Lauren Evans, “Play For Me”

Songs written

• Alexandra Burke, “Bad Boys”
• Vanessa Williams, “Breathless”
• Kelly Rowland
  Kelly Rowland
  Kelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
  
  , "No Man No Cry"
• Monrose, “Even Heaven Cries”
• Jordin Sparks, “One Step At A Time”
• Boney James, “Shine”
• Jeff Lorber, “Take Control”
• Paul Taylor, “Long Distance Relationship”
• Maysa, “Unexpectedly”
• Charice, "Fingerprint"
• Kimberley Locke
  Kimberley Locke
  Kimberley Dawn Locke is an American singer-songwriter and model. She has recorded in the dance, pop and adult contemporary music genres....
  
  , "Strobelight"