"For as long as you can remember, you'll remember this fun day!"
                                                                      (excerpt from You're A Star! award)
Ed was sure right about that! The next time that someone tells one of you 14 year old hopefuls out there that it's not worth waiting seven hours for a one-and-a-half-minute audition... you can tell them what happened to me in Hollywood in 2001. Shortly after that audition I was jetting to Las Vegas to tape a TV show and sing my little heart out on Next Big Star at the MGM Grand.

Would you believe that it was just as much fun off stage as on? I had the best time meeting and getting to know the other talent. (Especially my boys from Rockamora. You guys ROCK HARD! -Hopefully I'll get to jam with you someday! ^_~)

But don't worry! Taping the show wasn't all work and no play ('cause that makes Jess a dull girl. ^_~). I had some great quality time with my dad, and spent all of my perdiem (and then some!) living up to my nickname of "Shamu," throwing back sushi at the MGM Grand Wok. My whole "business" trip was topped off with a killer performance by The Blue Man Group at the Luxor.

Production did a great job keeping me (and probably everybody else!) calmed down....  That was a big help. Thanks to everyone at Next Big Star for all of your support!

                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                          

                            
"Very impressive!"

"From Pop to Rock to R&B...
Tonight's first female champion can do it all!"

                                                  Ed McMahon
                                                                                                              2001
                                                             creator and host of Next Big Star