Rachel Lindsey Potter (born August 21, 1984) is an American singer and actress. She is most known for her performances on Broadway as Wednesday Addams in ''

The Addams Family ''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' over a ...

'', the Mistress in the Tony-nominated revival of '' Evita'', and being a finalist on season 3 of ''

The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...

''.

Early life

Potter was born in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...

, but was raised in

Seminole, Florida Seminole is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 19,364 at the 2020 census. History The first white settlement at Seminole was made in the 1840s. This community was named after the Seminole tribe whose descendant ...

. Potter has lived in Orlando, Florida, but currently lives in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and t ...

. At the age of 12, Rachel began writing original songs to cope with her mother being diagnosed with

type 1 diabetes Type 1 diabetes (T1D), formerly known as juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune disease that originates when cells that make insulin (beta cells) are destroyed by the immune system. Insulin is a hormone required for the cells to use blood sugar f ...

. While working at

Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, th ...

, she completed a bachelor's degree in public relations and advertising from the

University of Central Florida The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public research university whose main campus is in unincorporated Orange County, Florida. UCF also has nine smaller regional campuses throughout central Florida. It is part of the State University ...

in 2008. After graduating from college she moved to New York where she got a job singing in a wedding band.

Broadway career

In 2003, Potter moved to Orlando, Florida. Following a friend's suggestion, she auditioned for a singing job at

Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...

. Having never been to a theatrical audition before, Rachel came with a headshot (a picture of her singing into a microphone) and a resume with details of her tenure as an employee at the GAP. Potter was cast as

Ariel Ariel may refer to: Film and television *Ariel Award, a Mexican Academy of Film award * ''Ariel'' (film), a 1988 Finnish film by Aki Kaurismäki * ''ARIEL Visual'' and ''ARIEL Deluxe'', 1989 and 1991 anime video series based on the novel series ...

in the ''

Voyage of the Little Mermaid ''Voyage of the Little Mermaid'' is a live show attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. ''Voyage'' is an abridgment of the 1989 film '' The Little Mermaid''. Along with a mix of live actors and pupp ...

''. She subsequently performed as Belle in ''

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine T ...

'', Nemo in '' Finding Nemo: The Musical'', and a slew of other shows at Disney. In 2008, she made it in the Top 15 in the

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

reality show '' Legally Blonde: The Musical – The Search for Elle Woods''. Potter played

Wednesday Addams Wednesday Addams is a fictional character from the Addams Family multimedia franchise created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. She is typically portrayed as a morbid and emotionally reserved child that is fascinated by the macabre, often i ...

in the musical version of ''

''. Later on, Potter was cast in the 2012 revival of ''Evita'', in which she portrayed Peron's mistress, alongside

Ricky Martin Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his discography spanning Latin pop, pop, dance, reggaeton ...

, Elena Roger, and

Michael Cerveris Michael Cerveris (born November 6, 1960) is an American actor, singer, and guitarist. He has performed in many stage musicals and plays, including several Stephen Sondheim musicals: ''Assassins'', '' Sweeney Todd'', '' Road Show'', and '' Pass ...

Recording career

Potter began her career as a recording artist at age 16 when she was signed to

contemporary Christian Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it i ...

label Narrow Door Records. In 2002, she released "Come Back Home", an album of 10 of her own songs. She appeared in the second national tour of the musical ''Wicked'', as a part of the ensemble, in addition to being an understudy for Glinda. While on tour, she reconnected with Justin York, an old friend who had become a Nashville musician, producer and songwriter, known for his work with Nashville-bred rock band

Paramore Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York and drummer Zac Farro. Williams and Farro are founding members of the group, w ...

. Potter released her first EP, ''Live the Dream''. She raised funds through an incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign to record her dream country project. The "Help Me Live the Dream" concept resonated with people from near and far who helped Potter to exceed the original financial goal. The official music video for "Live the Dream" was released on October 17, 2012, on Potter's channel. Potter performed on CBS New York singing "Hold On To Me". Potter began performing a series of concerts at Joe's Pub to promote ''Live the Dream'', she performed with Constantine Maroulis, Ricky Martin, Elena Roger, Michael Cerveris, The Vanity Belles, and The Country Band. Potter's unreleased single "The Verdict" was nominated for Best Country Song in the Independent Music Awards. Potter was featured in mashup of

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bo ...

's " I Knew You Were Trouble" and

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...

's "As Long As You Love Me" by VoicePlay, an Orlando-based 5-member a cappella group as well as VoicePlay's cover of "

Chandelier A chandelier (; also known as girandole, candelabra lamp, or least commonly suspended lights) is a branched ornamental light fixture designed to be mounted on ceilings or walls. Chandeliers are often ornate, and normally use incandescent ...

" and "

The Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pier ...

". In 2014, Potter launched a crowdfunded campaign using Pledge Music to fund her most recent album, ''Not So Black and White''. She released the first single, "Boomerang," a duet with Anthem Lights member Joey Stamper, in October 2014. The full album was released on March 3, 2015. CMT featured her music videos for "Boomerang" and "Tail Lights" on their CMT Pure Channel in the "New Artist Spotlight".

''The X Factor''

Potter auditioned for the third season of ''

'' with " Somebody to Love". Potter was picked in the Final 40, one of ten acts in the "Over 25" category mentored by

Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During the g ...

chosen to move on to the next stage of the competition. Potter sang "

Irreplaceable "Irreplaceable" is a song by American singer Beyoncé for her second studio album, '' B'Day'' (2006). The song was written by Shaffer "Ne-Yo" Smith, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Espen Lind, Amund Bjørklund, Beyoncé and produced ...

" and was placed in chair 4. Since she was not switched out, she made the final four of "Over 25" category along with Lillie McCloud, Jeff Gutt and James Kenney. During the first live results show, on October 29, Potter sang "

I Hope You Dance "I Hope You Dance" is a crossover country pop song written by Mark D. Sanders and Tia Sillers and recorded by American country music singer Lee Ann Womack with Sons of the Desert. (Drew and Tim Womack of Sons of the Desert are not related to L ...

" receiving positive reviews; Kelly described Rachel as a "powerhouse and a delight", Paulina says Rachel has a "beautiful tone" and is original, describing the performance as brilliant from beginning to end and Simon said the song choice was perfect and she was even better than Lillie. She was the first to be chosen to be in the final three along with Jeff Gutt and Lillie McCloud. During week two, Potter sang "

This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You) "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)" is a Holland–Dozier–Holland song that was a hit for American musical group the Isley Brothers in January 1966 during their brief tenure on Motown's Tamla label. Featuring Ronald Isley on lead vocal, ...

", gaining mixed reviews; Demi said, "You're so energetic and you bring so much to the stage." but

Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of '' The X Factor'' and '' Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on ...

disliked it. Due to graphics errors in which incorrect voting numbers were displayed on screen during the performance recap, there was no elimination that week; instead all the acts performed their "Save Me" songs on Thursday night and a public re-vote was conducted after the show. Potter sang " Anyway" by

Martina McBride Martina Mariea McBride (née Schiff, born July 29, 1966) is an American country music singer-songwriter and record producer. She is known for her soprano singing range and her country pop material. McBride was born in Sharon, Kansas, and relo ...

. During week 3, Potter sang "

Alone ALONE is a charity organization in Ireland which was set-up to highlight the issues facing older people living alone. Founded in 1977 by Willie Bermingham, the charity seeks to help elderly people living on their own who may feel isolated and lone ...

" by

Heart The heart is a muscular organ found in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon diox ...

, gaining positive reviews. Potter fell to the bottom two alongside Khaya Cohen, where she was eliminated after only Rowland voted against Cohen. However, Potter received more votes than Cohen meaning if the result went to deadlock, Potter would've been saved. Performances on ''The X Factor'' Rachel performed the following songs on ''The X Factor'':

Artistry

Potter cites as her influences

The Civil Wars The Civil Wars were an American musical duo composed of Joy Williams and John Paul White. Formed in 2008, The Civil Wars won four Grammy Awards prior to their 2014 breakup. History 2008–2010 Both Williams and White had solo careers prior ...

Carrie Underwood Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of ''American Idol'' in 2005. Her single " Inside Your Heaven" made her the only country artist to debut atop the ''Bil ...

Trisha Yearwood Patricia Lynn Yearwood (born September 19, 1964) is an American singer, actress, author and television personality. She rose to fame with her 1991 debut single "She's in Love with the Boy," which became a number one hit on the '' Billboard'' c ...

Faith Hill Audrey Faith McGraw (; born September 21, 1967), known professionally as Faith Hill, is an American singer and actress. She is one of the most successful country music artists of all time, having sold more than 40 million albums worldwide. Hill ...

The Chicks The Chicks (previously known as Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. Since 1995, the band has consisted of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and ...

Rascal Flatts Rascal Flatts is an American country music band founded in 1999. The band members were Gary LeVox (lead vocals), Jay DeMarcus (bass guitar, background vocals), and Joe Don Rooney (lead guitar, background vocals). DeMarcus is LeVox's second co ...

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

, Joni Mitchell,

Patsy Cline Patsy is a given name often used as a diminutive of the feminine given name Patricia or sometimes the masculine name Patrick, or occasionally other names containing the syllable "Pat" (such as Cleopatra, Patience, Patrice, or Patricia). Amon ...

Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of 8 and recording for the first time at 14. She signed with ...

Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...

Miranda Lambert Miranda Leigh Lambert (born November 10, 1983) is an American country singer and guitarist. Born in Longview, Texas, she started out in early 2001 when she released her self-titled debut album independently. In 2003, she finished in third place o ...

, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Sara Bareilles and

Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, pop, country, folk, and blues. She has released eleven studio albums, five compilations and three ...

. Growing up, she listened primarily to rock 'n roll because her parents were in a rock band. Originally a

CCM CCM may refer to: * Cubic centimetre (''ccm''), metric unit of volume * Climate change mitigation (''CCM''), climate change topic Biology and medicine * Calcium concentration microdomains, part of a cell's cytoplasm * Photosynthesis#Carbon ...

artist, Potter now considers herself a

Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whil ...

and

country pop Country pop (also known as pop country or urban cowboy) is a fusion genre of country music and pop music that was developed by members of the country genre out of a desire to reach a larger, mainstream audience. Country pop music blends genres ...

artist, but her music contains elements of

Soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '':wikt:soul, soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The ea ...

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

, Hard rock and

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...

. She describes her music as a fusion of "Country, pop rock, and pop country with a rock edge".

Personal life

Rachel Potter lives in New York with her husband and two sons.

Stage

Discography

Solo Discography *''Come Back Home'' (2002) *''Live the Dream'' – EP (2012) *''Simply Christmas'' – EP (2014) *''Not So Black and White'' (2015) *''Music City Christmas'' – EP (2018) Solo Singles * Blank Space – 2014 * Let It Go – 2014 * Hello (feat. Jake Barker) – 2015 * Want to Want Me / I Wanna Dance With Somebody – 2015 * Four Five Seconds – 2015 * I’m Not the Only One – 2015 * Lover, You Matter to Me (feat. Marty Thomas) – 2020 Discography with Steel Union * ''Rachel Potter & Steel Union'' – EP (2018) Discography with VoicePlay * I Knew You Were Trouble / As Long As You Love Me – Single (2013) * Chandelier – Single (2014) * The Phantom of the Opera – Single (2015) * Attention – Single (2017) * Moana – Medley (2017) * O Holy Night – Single (2018) * The Little Mermaid – Medley (2020) * Kidnap the Sandy Claws – Single (2020) * Wicked – Medley (2021) * The Greatest Showman – Medley (2021)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Potter, Rachel American women singer-songwriters American women country singers American country singer-songwriters American Internet celebrities 21st-century American singers American performers of Christian music Living people Singer-songwriters from Louisiana Singer-songwriters from Florida 1984 births University of Central Florida alumni American musical theatre actresses The X Factor (American TV series) contestants 21st-century American women singers Country musicians from Louisiana Country musicians from Florida