MISHAVONNA is a 20-year-old Country Singer/Songwriter raised in both Texas and Southern California. This dual upbringing has strongly influenced her style, defining it as ‘California Country…Country Music with an Edge!’
“Music has always been my passion and the easiest way for me to communicate my feelings to others,” Mishavonna says, while explaining that she keeps her music honest and lyrics direct.
Since age 13, Mishavonna has been singing professionally and training vocally since she was 8 years old. In June of 2007 she graduated from high school two years early to pursue her career as a Country singer. After the success of her 1st EP, “From The Edge Of The World,” she released her 2nd EP, “Country, Soul & Rock N Roll,” generating a positive reaction from both the press and her fans. Each product was released independently and is currently available for purchase through any online music store. Mishavonna is putting the finishing touches on her first full-length album and her debut release is set for early 2011, featuring her current single “Done With Y’all,” impacting country radio now.
In July 2007, Mishavonna auditioned in San Diego for American Idol Season 7 and earned a “Golden Ticket” to Hollywood. Over 12,000 contestants participated in the San Diego audition, where she was 1 of 31 chosen. Only 164 contestants of over 100,000 nationwide made it to ‘Hollywood Week,’ which was quite an accomplishment for a 17-year-old! Mishavonna did not make it to the semi-finals that year, but the experience helped her gain notoriety and she was repeatedly featured on mainstream country radio including: Cliff and Company on 97.3, 92.1 K-SON in San Diego, “Scott Alexander’s 15 Minutes of Fame” on 100.7 K-HAY in Ventura, Backroads Country on 107.9 The Duke in Tennessee and many others.
On her 18th birthday, July 25th, 2008, Mishavonna decided to give American Idol another try and auditioned in Phoenix, Arizona, where she was once again given a “Golden Ticket” to Hollywood. This time her practice and perseverance paid off and she made it through Hollywood Week to become one of the “Top 36” semi- finalists. On February 25th Mishavonna performed Train’s “Drops of Jupiter” to a
national television audience of well over thirty million viewers. Her performance generated a buzz so strong that Train’s original version of the song re-appeared on iTunes’s top 100 pop downloads immediately following Mishavonna’s performance, reaching as high as number 15.
In 2008, through mutual acquaintances, Mishavonna and Crystal Gayle met in Las Vegas before a show. The two connected immediately. Mishavonna has since opened for Crystal, attended her Hollywood Walk of Fame induction and travelled alongside Crystal and her crew to Ireland in February of 2010 on the “Emerald Isle,” with performance stops in Dublin, Killarney and Castlebar. This Christmas season Mishavonna and Crystal Gayle plan to release a holiday single.
Accompanied by a young and energetic band, these days Mishavonna is opening for major acts, performing at fairs, clubs, rodeos, sports and charity events. Her set list ranges from upbeat stadium anthems like ‘Country Thing’ and ‘Stand Back’ to her title track on her 1st EP ‘Edge Of The World,’ featuring a guest appearance by her brother, Christian rapper CPR. Her vocal range is unmatched and her live performance will keep you on your toes; taking you with her as she fires away with her feisty single ‘Done With Y’all’ and then tugs at your heart strings with her timeless ballads like ‘Live In Sin’ and ‘Tear Myself Apart.’
Mishavonna has also been acting professionally since she was 6 in Film, Television and Theatre and has trained with top acting coaches in L.A. She has been cast in numerous films, and has worked side by side with Kelsey Grammer on “Frasier,” with Nathan Lane on the TV show “Charlie Lawrence”, and in the Nickelodeon show, “Unfabulous.” She played Rhoda in the “Bad Seed”, Maria in “West Side Story” and Margot Frank in “The Diary of Ann Frank” at various theatres throughout Los Angeles. Although Mishavonna is in full force focusing on her music career, she recently wrapped shooting a TV pilot as a co-host on a series called Women of True Grit in July of 2010.
Mishavonna keeps grounded by remaining very active in her church and sings in her church choir. She is a strong believer in helping children develop their creative talents and volunteers at The Boys and Girls Club Musical Mentors Program, giving guitar lessons to children.
A realist and well beyond her years, 20-year-old Mishavonna knows that the real work starts here. Even though she has already reached many milestones in her young career, she continuously writes, works and performs to reach many more to come. Mishavonna’s debut album signifies that her intentions are honest and her talent concrete. After her first visit to Nashville in March 2010, CMT’s Kelley Cook wrote, “And while Mishavonna is not the typical country music singer, she puts her own twist on country music and just might be the “spice” to Taylor Swift’s ‘sweet.’”