Ayla Brown
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ayla Marie Brown | ||
|---|---|---|
| Image:Aylab.jpg Ayla's American Idol promotional picture
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Ayla Marie Brown | |
| Born | July 28, 1988 (age 18) | |
| Origin |  Wrentham, Massachusetts |
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| Genre(s) | Pop | |
| Years active | 2004–present | |
| Label(s) | Double Deal Brand Records | |
Ayla Marie Brown (born July 28, 1988) is an American NCAA basketball player and recording artist from Wrentham, Massachusetts
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[edit] Biography
Ayla Brown finished her high school career as one of the top female basketball players in Massachusetts history, scoring 2358 career points. This made her the 6th place all-time leading scorer in Massachusetts basketball history, male or female. [1] In addition, she is a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year, named as the top female basketball player in Massachusetts.[2]
While Brown finished her senior season as the captain of the Noble and Greenough School girls' basketball team she went on to earn a spot on season five of American Idol, where she placed 13th overall.[1]
Brown was scouted by the staff at Boston College since the age of 15.[2]. She made a commitment to the school, and went on to attend BC on a full athletic scholarship. Currently in her freshman year, she plays the forward position for the Boston College Eagles, wearing jersey #1. Brown's nickname given to her by her team-mates is "Downtown Ayla Brown" because of her ability to sink 3 pointers, and lengthy shots[3].
[edit] American Idol
Brown auditioned for American Idol in Boston. She was eliminated from the show on March 9, 2006.
For her audition song, Brown sang "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". Randy Jackson said she had a good, though undistinguished voice. Paula Abdul also thought Brown was a good singer, but that she favored vocal power over dynamics. Simon Cowell accused Brown of being robotic and somewhat "empty." In the end, Jackson and Abdul (who made the final judgment) sent Brown through to the Hollywood rounds.
During the Hollywood rounds, Brown sang "Reflection" by Christina Aguilera, and was one of 24 finalists for American Idol.
[edit] Performances
February 22, 2006–"Reflection" (Christina Aguilera).
Jackson said he was "pleasantly surprised." Abdul liked it, and Cowell commented that the song showed the limits of her voice. However, he said it also showed emotion.[3]
March 1, 2006–"I Want You To Need Me" (Celine Dion).
Abdul thought Brown had improved from the previous week, and had showed conviction. Jackson was similarly impressed. Cowell said Brown's performance was good, and that he was impressed with her work ethic but described her performance as somewhat "mechanical." [4]
March 8, 2006–"Unwritten" (Natasha Bedingfield)
Jackson was unimpressed, while Abdul gave Brown credit for handling a then-popular song. Cowell thought Brown was "actually pretty good" but wasn't great. Brown was eliminated from American Idol after performing this song.
[edit] Forward and post-American Idol
Since appearing on Idol, and recording her debut CD, Brown has made hundreds of personal appearances, most covered by local or national media and drawing 500 to 2000+ fans. She appeared at the Kiss 108 Concert in Mansfield, MA in front of 20,000 people on May 20, performing four songs and introducing Natasha Bedingfield. Brown sang the national anthem on July 4 with the Boston Pops in front of hundreds of thousands of people, with her performance including a multiple F-16 fly-over and coverage on CBS. Brown appeared at Fenway Park on July 12 and she also performed 6 shows over three days at the Eastern States Exposition (The Big E) in W. Springfield, MA from September 15-17.
Brown was asked once again to perform with the Boston Pops at the Conte Forum in Boston, where they performed a full orchestrated version of her title track "Forward". Ayla Brown was also featured in the November 2006 issue of American Idol Magazine.
Brown's debut album, Forward, was released on October 17, 2006.The album was recorded in New York at Tonic Studios, Raw Sugar Studios in Pawling, NY. and Double Deal Studios, in Chappaqua, NY. The tracks were mixed at A-Pawling Studios by Peter Moshay. Brown began recording the vocals for the album immediately after signing her contract, and in a little over a week, she was done. The reason for the hurried recording schedule was that Ayla had to meet NCAA compliance deadlines, and finish her CD before starting at Boston College.
Brown played for the Eagles in the 2006-07 season and averaged 8.2 points per game, the second-highest average on the team. The Eagles finished one game below .500 for their overall record and failed to make post-season play (NCAA or WNIT) for the first time in several years.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Album
| Cover | Information |
|---|---|
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Forward
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[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "Know You Better" | Forward |
| "I Quit" | Forward |
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.boston.com/sports/schools/hockey/articles/2005/12/31/brown_is_quick_to_join_2000_point_club_in_nobless_victory/
- ^ http://www.AylaBrown.com
- ^ http://WWW.AylaBrown.com
[edit] External links
- Ayla Brown Official Website
- American Idol - Contestants: Ayla Brown
- Ayla Brown at MySpace
- Current information on her basketball career
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| Seasons | 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 |
| Hosts and judges | Ryan Seacrest · Randy Jackson · Paula Abdul · Simon Cowell · Brian Dunkleman |
| Winners | Kelly Clarkson · Ruben Studdard · Fantasia Barrino · Carrie Underwood · Taylor Hicks |
| Runners-up | Justin Guarini · Clay Aiken · Diana DeGarmo · Bo Bice · Katharine McPhee |
| Other notable alumni | Chris Daughtry · Jennifer Hudson · Josh Gracin · Kellie Pickler · Tamyra Gray · Kimberley Locke · William Hung · Elliott Yamin |
| Spin-offs | From Justin to Kelly · American Juniors · An American Idol Christmas · American Idol Extra · American Idol Rewind |
| Other | Idol Gives Back · American Idol Compilation Series · Controversy · American Idol Magazine · American Idol Underground · Font · Video game · List of spin-offs · List of episodes |
