Melanie Ann Amaro (born June 26, 1992) is an American singer who won
the first season of The X Factor USA in 2011, securing a $5 million
recording contract with Syco Music and Epic Records. Amaro was also
the youngest contestant to win the competition during the show's run
(2011-2013).Amaro was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and raised on
Tortola, British Virgin Islands since the age of three. Amaro was sent
to the British Virgin Islands to live with her grandmother Catherine,
after her parents Hipolito Amaro and Debra Sylvester Amaro felt they
did not have the means to provide for her. Amaro would only see her
parents during summer vacations and Christmas breaks. She also has two
brothers, Mark and Michael, and a younger sister named Maya. Her
mother Debra recalls that when her daughter was about six months old,
she would get up at around two o'clock in the morning and would start
singing in her crib. Furthermore, from an early age, Amaro would sing
around her house using a hairbrush as a microphone. Melanie realized
she fell in love with singing and acting at around age eleven, and
credits her mother for pushing her to follow her singing dreams.Amaro
never entered any singing competitions as a child, but performed at
weddings, churches, and other events. Melanie attended the Althea
Scatliffe Primary School and later went on to Elmore Stout high
school, formerly known as BVI high school. Melanie moved to Florida
when she was 15, and graduated from Plantation High School in 2010. In
March 2012, her high school chorus teacher, Gary Rivenbark, whom Amaro
credits with the help of shaping her voice, died of lymphoma at age
48.
the first season of The X Factor USA in 2011, securing a $5 million
recording contract with Syco Music and Epic Records. Amaro was also
the youngest contestant to win the competition during the show's run
(2011-2013).Amaro was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and raised on
Tortola, British Virgin Islands since the age of three. Amaro was sent
to the British Virgin Islands to live with her grandmother Catherine,
after her parents Hipolito Amaro and Debra Sylvester Amaro felt they
did not have the means to provide for her. Amaro would only see her
parents during summer vacations and Christmas breaks. She also has two
brothers, Mark and Michael, and a younger sister named Maya. Her
mother Debra recalls that when her daughter was about six months old,
she would get up at around two o'clock in the morning and would start
singing in her crib. Furthermore, from an early age, Amaro would sing
around her house using a hairbrush as a microphone. Melanie realized
she fell in love with singing and acting at around age eleven, and
credits her mother for pushing her to follow her singing dreams.Amaro
never entered any singing competitions as a child, but performed at
weddings, churches, and other events. Melanie attended the Althea
Scatliffe Primary School and later went on to Elmore Stout high
school, formerly known as BVI high school. Melanie moved to Florida
when she was 15, and graduated from Plantation High School in 2010. In
March 2012, her high school chorus teacher, Gary Rivenbark, whom Amaro
credits with the help of shaping her voice, died of lymphoma at age
48.
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