Syesha Raquel Mercado (born January 2, 1987) is an American singer-songwriter,

actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

, and model. Mercado placed third during the seventh season of ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...

''. Prior to ''American Idol'', Mercado was on '' The One: Making a Music Star'' and she won ''Florida Super Singer''. Her musical influences are

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer and songwriter. Starting her career in 1954, James frequently performed in Nashville's R&B clubs, collectively known as the Ch ...

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer and songwriter. A classically trained pianist, Keys began composing songs at the age of 12 and was signed by Columbia Records at 15. After d ...

Zap Mama Zap Mama is a Belgian singer-songwriter, performer, composer, lyricist, activist, video artist and ethno-vocal therapist born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, raised in Belgium. Zap Mama sings polyphonic and afro-pop music, a harmonic music ...

Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American musician. She is celebrated as one of the most influential musical artists of her generation. Hill is credited with breaking barriers for female rappers, contributing to the popular music, m ...

, and

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...

. Mercado played Deena Jones in the United States national tour of ''

Dreamgirls ''Dreamgirls'' is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. It is based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, and p ...

'' that also opened internationally in Japan. The tour began at the

Apollo Theater The Apollo Theater (formerly the Hurtig & Seamon's New Theatre; also Apollo Theatre or 125th Street Apollo Theatre) is a multi-use Theater (structure), theater at 253 125th Street (Manhattan), West 125th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of U ...

on November 7, 2009.

Biography

Early life

Mercado was born in

Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the List of municipalities in Connecticut, most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the List of cities in New England by population, fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Loc ...

, on January 2, 1987. Her mother, Zelda, a former

Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

backup singer, is

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

and her father, José, is of Puerto Rican descent. Mercado grew up in Bradenton and

Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in and the county seat of Sarasota County, Florida, United States. It is located in Southwest Florida, the southern end of the Tampa Bay area, and north of Fort Myers, Florida, Fort Myers and Punta Gorda, Florida, Punta Gord ...

. She attended the Theatre Program at Booker High School for the Visual and Performing Arts. She graduated with a certificate as a performance major in Sarasota, where she appeared in various productions. At the 2005 Florida Theatre Conference and the 2005 South Eastern Theatre Conference, Mercado won "Best Supporting Actress" for her role as the Sour Kangaroo in ''

Seussical the Musical ''Seussical'', sometimes ''Seussical the Musical'', is a musical comedy with lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, music by Stephen Flaherty, and written by Ahrens and Flaherty. The musical is inspired by many of the children's stories of Dr. Seuss, with most o ...

''. Mercado also appeared as a contestant on the failed

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

talent show, ''The One: Making a Music Star'' in summer 2006.

Education

Mercado attended Daughtrey Elementary School and Manatee School for the Arts both in

Manatee County Manatee County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 399,710. Manatee County is part of the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its county seat and largest ci ...

. Dreaming of becoming a

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

singer one day, Mercado signed a contract at age nine with the Take Stock in Children, a scholarship program for "low-income families who show potential for college, but are unlikely to be able to afford a higher education." Mercado graduated from Booker High School in 2005, where she was in the Theatre Visual and Performing Arts department. She also attended

Florida International University Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university with its main campus in Westchester, Florida, United States. Founded in 1965 by the Florida Legislature, the school opened to students in 1972. FIU is the third-largest univ ...

in Miami, majoring in theatre.

Personal life

Mercado is best friends with former idol contestant Ramiele Malubay. In 2021, her infant son was put in foster care over concerns about malnutrition. In 2023, two years after the ordeal and she says that the "healing process is something that will take a lifetime to deal with."

''The One: Making a Music Star''

Performances/results

*: The show was cancelled after Top 10 week.

''Florida Super Singer''

Performances/results

*: Based on 3 Judges, text message and internet votes. 2,000,000 in total

''American Idol''

Overview

She auditioned for the seventh season of ''American Idol'' in Miami, Florida, singing "

Think In their most common sense, the terms thought and thinking refer to cognitive processes that can happen independently of sensory stimulation. Their most paradigmatic forms are judging, reasoning, concept formation, problem solving, and delibe ...

" by Aretha Franklin where she made it to Hollywood with all three judges saying 'yes'. When she arrived in Hollywood she had lost her voice and insisted on going on vocal rest. She was seen communicating through paper and pen to the camera throughout the week. She sang "

Chain of Fools A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. ...

" and was accepted into the top 24. She was the only female in the top three and was voted off on May 14 allowing fellow contestants

David Archuleta David James Archuleta (born December 28, 1990) is an American singer and songwriter. At the age of ten, he won the children's division of the Utah Talent Competition, leading to other television singing appearances. When he was twelve years ol ...

and

David Cook David Cook may refer to: Entertainment * David Cook (game designer) (active since 1980s), American game designer for TSR * David Cook (singer) (born 1982), winner of the seventh season of ''American Idol'' ** ''David Cook'' (album) (released 2008) ...

to compete in the finale. She thus joined

Kimberley Locke Kimberley Dawn Locke (born January 3, 1978) is an American singer and television personality. She has recorded in the dance and pop genres, and has targeted the adult contemporary radio format. She was the cohost of the daytime talk show ''Dr. ...

and Jax as the female contestants to get voted off in the top three to allow two male contestants to compete in the finale. Despite good reviews from the judges, Mercado had been in the bottom three or two five times without being voted off. This meant a tie with first season fellow 3rd place finalist,

Nikki McKibbin Katherine Nicole McKibbin (September 28, 1978 – November 1, 2020) was an American rock music singer-songwriter who finished third in the debut season of the reality television series ''American Idol''. Before ''American Idol'', McKibbin appeare ...

, for the most weeks spent in the bottom three or two at the time. Later, fourteen season fourth place finalist,

Rayvon Owen Rayvon Owen (born June 27, 1991) is an American singer and musician. He is notable for appearing on the fourteenth season of ''American Idol'', where he finished in fourth place. Owen served as the host for the reality competition series '' The ...

, was featured in that same position six different times. Some commentators, including ''American Idol'' judge

Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality and businessman. He has judged on the British television talent competition shows ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003), ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor UK ...

, believed her style was more suited for Broadway than pop music. She's gained acclaim in musical theater, advocating for social and environmental causes, and launching eco-friendly products. Mercado's journey from Idol to multi-talented artist, activist, and entrepreneur reflects her dedication to the arts and her commitment to making a positive impact.

Performances/results

*: Mercado was saved first from elimination. *: When

Ryan Seacrest Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is an American television presenter and producer. Seacrest is the host of '' Wheel of Fortune'', having hosted since replacing long-time host Pat Sajak in September 2024. Seacrest co-hosted and ser ...

announced the results for this particular night, Mercado was among the Bottom 3 but declared safe second when Chikezie was eliminated. *: When revealing the results, Seacrest simultaneously declared Mercado and

Carly Smithson Carly Sarah Smithson ( Hennessy; born 12 September 1983) is an Irish soul and pop rock singer who was the sixth place finalist on the seventh season of ''American Idol'' in 2008. In 2001, Smithson had released her first studio album for MCA Rec ...

safe, as Michael Johns was eliminated. *: When Ryan Seacrest announced the results for this particular night, Mercado was among the Bottom 2 but declared safe when Carly Smithson was eliminated.

Post-''Idol'' career

After her elimination, Mercado appeared on ''

Live with Regis and Kelly ''Live with Kelly and Mark'' (or simply ''Live'') is an American Broadcast syndication, syndicated breakfast television, morning talk show hosted by Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos. Executive produced by Michael Gelman, the ''Live with...'' show ...

'', ''

The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet ''The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet'' is an American syndicated morning talk show. Produced by Fox, the show first aired on January 22, 2007, to a number of markets originally through Fox and MyNetworkTV, most in the Fox Television Stati ...

'' and

WSVN WSVN (channel 7) is a television station in Miami, Florida, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. Serving as the flagship station of locally based Sunbeam Television, it has studios on the 79th Street Causeway in North Bay Villag ...

's ''Deco Drive.'' Also, the week following the grand finale, Syesha sold a total of 18,000 legal downloads from iTunes. She completed the American Idols Live! Tour 2008 which ran from July 1, 2008, to September 13, 2008. The songs she performed on the tour were "

Umbrella An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs that is mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. It is usually designed to protect a person against rain. The term ''umbrella'' is traditionally used when protec ...

" by

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...

, "

If I Ain't Got You "If I Ain't Got You" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys for her second studio album '' The Diary of Alicia Keys'' (2003). Inspired by the 2001 death of singer Aaliyah, the September 11 attacks, and other events in the ...

" by

and "

Listen Listen may refer to: * The action of listening * Central auditory system listening is how the brain processes what you hear * Listening behaviour types in human communication Computing * LISTEN, a TCP connection state on the server side indi ...

" by

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

. In November 2008, she performed " One Rock and Roll Too Many" in the 6abc IKEA Thanksgiving Day Parade. She was the guest host of the

7 yacht at the 37th annual Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat parade on December 13, 2008. She sang "

The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written by American lawyer Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, after he witnessed the bombardment of Fort ...

" at the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

and the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

game on Fox on December 14, 2008. On December 20, 2008, she assisted the

Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or Habitat, is a U.S. non-governmental, and tax-exempt 501(C)(3) Christian nonprofit organization which seeks to build affordable housing. The international ...

in building homes for struggling families in

Miramar, Florida Miramar is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb of the Miami metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 134,721, making it the fourth-largest city in Broward County, the sixth-largest cit ...

. In February 2009, she participated in the opening of the American Idol Experience attraction at

Disney's Hollywood Studios Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. Based on a concept by Marty Sklar, Randy Br ...

. On February 19, 2009, Mercado performed in her first live concert after the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2008. It was her own concert where all the proceeds went to benefit the Amer-I-Can program, a gang-prevention program started by NFL great,

Jim Brown James Nathaniel Brown (February 17, 1936 – May 18, 2023) was an American professional American football, football player, civil rights activist, and actor. He played as a Fullback (gridiron football), fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the ...

. She performed eight songs in front of a sold out audience of about 4,000 fans. She sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the opening day baseball game between the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

and the

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. Since 1966, the team has pl ...

on April 6, 2009. She most recently worked on an album in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. She has stated that it is to be a

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

/ R&B album. In addition to working on the album, in her free time she is taking acting lessons. Mercado acted in her first feature film ''Dreams'' in 2011 as the character Mia. She released a cover of "Love on Top" by Beyoncé that went viral online, inching two million views on YouTube. Mercado is also known for her acoustic, soulful cover of "

Skyfall ''Skyfall'' is a 2012 spy thriller film and the twenty-third in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. The film is the third to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond and features Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, ...

" by

Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (; born 5 May 1988) is an English singer-songwriter. Regarded as a British cultural icon, icon, she is known for her mezzo-soprano vocals and sentimental songwriting. List of awards and nominations received by Adele, ...

Theatre

It was officially confirmed on June 25, 2009, that Mercado landed the lead role of Deena Jones in the upcoming United States national tour of ''Dreamgirls''. On November 4, 2009, Mercado appeared on ''

The Wendy Williams Show ''The Wendy Williams Show'' (often shortened to ''Wendy'') is an American Broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show created and hosted by Wendy Williams, and produced by Wendy Williams Productions, along with Perler Productions. The show was d ...

'' to promote the tour which began on November 7, 2009, and ended on December 29, 2010. Mercado then starred as Ti Moune in the revival of ''

Once on This Island ''Once on This Island'' is a coming-of-age one-act stage musical with a book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty. It is based on the 1985 novel ''My Love, My Love; or, The Peasant Girl'' by Rosa Guy, a Caribbean-set retel ...

'' at the

Paper Mill Playhouse Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater containing approximately 1,200 seats located in Millburn, within Essex County, New Jersey, United States, on the banks of the Rahway River. Due to its relative proximity to Manhattan, the theater draw ...

in Millburn, New Jersey. Opening night was May 30, 2012, on a run through June 24. Mercado performed in the

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

transfer production of

Broadway musical Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), many of the extant or closed Broadway venues use or used the spelling ''Theatr ...

Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, first published in 1830 by Joseph Smith as ''The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi''. The book is one of ...

''. She was a late addition to the cast, replacing Stephanie Umoh during rehearsals in the role of Nabulungi. From January to June 2014, Mercado reprised the role of Nabulungi in the Broadway production of the ''Book of Mormon'', making it her Broadway debut.

Discography

Singles * "Christmas Melody" (2011) * "Tears" (2017)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mercado, Syesha 1987 births Living people Musicians from Bridgeport, Connecticut 20th-century African-American women singers 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singers American Idol participants American musical theatre actresses American actors of Puerto Rican descent American women singer-songwriters American sopranos 21st-century American singer-songwriters Singer-songwriters from Florida Florida International University people Actresses from Miami Actresses from Bridgeport, Connecticut Singer-songwriters from New York (state) 21st-century American women singers African-American songwriters 21st-century African-American women singers Singer-songwriters from Connecticut American musicians of Puerto Rican descent