Jessica Sierra

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Jessica Ann Sierra (born November 11, 1985 in Tampa, Florida) is an American singer and was the tenth-place finalist on the fourth season of American Idol. She was the third finalist eliminated, on March 30 2005.

Contents

Biography

Sierra is from Tampa, Florida, and auditioned in Orlando. She was also a contestant on Star Search before auditioning for Idol, and was a nanny. Sierra started singing in church at the age of 3. As a teenager, she performed for Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in singing and dancing ensembles. She first auditioned for Idol in the second season, but was rejected

She was eliminated on March 30, during 1990s music week after she sang LeAnn Rimes' "On the Side of Angels", surprising some fans since Simon Cowell had previously stated that she was one of the strongest female vocalists in the competition.

Sierra dated fellow American Idol 4 contestant Nikko Smith for several months. In an April 2006 article in the Tennessean, Sierra confirmed the relationship but said the two broke up shortly after New Years 2007.

American Idol performances

Week # Song Choice Original Artist Result
Top 24 Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) Phil Collins Safe
Top 20 A Broken Wing Martina McBride Safe
Top 16 The Boys Are Back in Town The Bus Boys Safe
Top 12 Shop Around Smokey Robinson and the Miracles Bottom 3
Top 11 Total Eclipse of the Heart Bonnie Tyler Safe
Top 10 On the Side of Angels LeAnn Rimes Eliminated


Post Idol

After American Idol, Jessica Sierra performed all over the world. She sang at many concerts and private events, including a private event in Kazakhstan. Jessica did concerts for charities such as the Special Olympics, and performed at numerous corporate events including shows sponsored by Kelloggs and Edy’s Ice Cream. In July 2006 Jessica visited U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Kuwait, performing six shows for an Independence Day celebration including a 4th of July show in Bahgdad.

Sierra lived for a time in Nashville, Tennessee where she wrote and recorded with producer Nick Brophy. Brophy has worked with The Rolling Stones, Avril Lavigne and Phil Vassar and cowrote some songs with Phil Vassar's ex-wife Julie Wood Vassar. Jessica is managed by Verge Management.

In 2006, Jessica was featured in OK! Magazine and appeared on TV Guide Channel's program Idol Tonight.

In late 2006, Jessica recorded a song, "Unbroken", for a Toys "R" Us Exclusive CD that came with the purchase of a Sony CD player. It was released as a single in early 2007 on iTunes.

On January 8, 2008, Verge Management released Sierra's "Deepest Secret" EP on iTunes, Amazon.com, and Rhapsody. On March 14, 2008, Sierra's Deepest Secret EP was made available in CD format via her official website: http://www.jessicasierra.com/. On March 15, 2008, Jessica's video for her single Unbroken was released. Unbroken is the song that Jessica sang on VH1 Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. [1] As of April 10, 2008, Jessica's song, "Deepest Secret," sits at the #3 spot on Idolwaves.

On January 31, 2008 a sex tape entitled Jessica Sierra Superstar was released.

Rehab and Legal Troubles

A 59-year-old man from California was arrested on January 17, 2006 at the home of Sierra's grandmother. Tampa police reported that Daniel Young left at least 40 voicemail messages telling Sierra that he loved her and was willing to go to jail for her.[2] Sierra was a spokeperson for the United States Department of Justice's National Stalking Resource Center, and was featured in a national campaign to promote awareness of the risks of and remedies for stalking; Diane Stuart, Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, United States Department of Justice, worked with Sierra on this project.

On November 19, 2007, Sierra was sentenced to 12 months probation after she pleaded "no contest" in a Tampa courtroom to charges of battery and possession of cocaine.[3] Represented by prominent Tampa attorney John Fitzgibbons, Sierra initially entered "not guilty" pleas to both charges and missed a scheduled court appearance on August 29 because she was in a rehab facility in California. Fitzgibbons stated that she had been at the facility since July. A civil suit against Sierra is still pending in Hillsborough County; Wisam Hadad, represented by Dennis Hernandez & Associates, PA, is seeking unspecified damages for his injuries. Sierra is listed as indigent in court records.[4]

It was later revealed that Sierra was participating in a VH1 rehab reality show being run by Dr. Drew Pinsky of Loveline. The show, Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, was described by VH1 as a serious take on the difficulties of getting clean and staying sober.[5] VH1's Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, featuring Sierra and eight other celebrities, premiered on VH1 on January 10, 2008. Consisting of 9 regular episodes and a reunion show, Celebrity Rehab aired each Thursday night on VH1. Participants were actress Brigitte Nielsen, actor Daniel Baldwin, former pro wrestler Joanie Laurer (aka Chyna), Crazy Town singer Seth Binzer (aka Shifty Shellshock), Taxi star Jeff Conaway, porn star Mary Carey, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez, and Family Matters actress Jaimee Foxworth. Sierra was unable to participate in the reunion show, aired March 13, due to probation restrictions.[6] Jessica was featured in an article about the Celebrity Rehab show in the February 2008 edition of O Magazine. To promote the series, she also appeared on The Tyra Banks Show with Pinsky, Brigitte Neilsen, and Crazy Town singer Seth Binzer; the episode was taped in November 2007, prior to her second arrest.

On December 1, 2007, shortly before she was to return to California for continued rehab treatment, Sierra was arrested again at a Tampa bar, this time for disorderly intoxication (misdemeanor), resisting arrest without violence (misdemeanor), and violation of the conditions of her probation on the earlier felony charges. Due to the probation violation charge, Sierra was held without bond from the time of her arrest until shortly after her court hearing on January 7; she was in custody for 39 days.[7] The police report of the bar incident states that she shouted obscenities and racial slurs at the authorities and offered the arresting officers a sexual act if they would release her.[8][9][10]

On January 7, 2008, Circuit Judge Daniel Perry sentenced Sierra to 12 months in rehab at the California treatment center run by Dr. Pinsky. Perry's sentence followed a plea to the court on her behalf from Dr. Drew Pinsky, who flew in to Tampa for her hearing. Pinsky stated in and out of court that Sierra was multi-diagnosed and had mental health issues in addition to her severe addiction issues.[11] Her year in the treatment will be followed by three years of probation for violation of her probation for the earlier felony charges and time served for the two misdemeanor charges. Judge Perry made it clear that if Sierra violates the treatment program's rules or refuses to finish, she will be extradited to Florida and she will receive prison time. However, if Sierra successfully completes the treatment and her additional probation time, she will not be a convicted felon.[12]

On January 13, 2008, Sierra was released from jail in Tampa, Florida and flew directly to California to begin her court-ordered one- year treatment at the Pasadena Recovery Center.[13]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Jessica's Unbroken music video
  2. ↑ Man Charged In Stalking Ex-American Idol Finalist
  3. ↑ Hillsborough: Ex-'Idol' hopeful avoids prison
  4. ↑ Search Court Records
  5. ↑ VH1 Press | Press Release
  6. ↑ Getting closure on ‘Celebreality Rehab’ - More reality TV news, features - MSNBC.com
  7. ↑ Individual's Charge Report
  8. ↑ News & Public Notices
  9. ↑ http://www.tampabay.com/2007/12/03/images/sierra-police-report.pdf
  10. ↑ Hillsborough: How did she go from 'Idol' to this?
  11. ↑ Sierra Put In Rehab For Year; 3 Years' Probation To Follow
  12. ↑ http://www.baynews9.com/VideoPlayer/?Sierra_in_court_17
  13. ↑ Busy week for Lafave, Sierra attorney, Tampa Bay News 9, January 13, 2008.

External links

Sierra's criminal history
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American Idol season 4
Retrieved from "http://www.tv-gossip.com/wiki/Jessica_Sierra"
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