Quick Facts
Biography
Amanda Nicole Perez is an American female R&B singer-songwriter and record producer of Mexican descent. Amanda Perez was raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She grew up in the Waynedale community of Fort Wayne, where she attended North Side High School. She spent her teenage years selling drugs in order to raise money for her family. She also grew up boxing with boys, helping to mold her tough street persona.
Amanda was discovered in Ft. Wayne, Indiana by a talent scout and signed to the independent record label "Powerhowse/Silverstone Records" in 2001. Her debut album "Where U At?" was released in 2002 and included the singles "Never" and "Angel". "Never" peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 sales chart, but the album itself did not see much success until it was re-released by Virgin Records to a wider distribution area under the new title "Angel". Perez's most popular single to date "Angel" peaked at #20 on the Hot 100 sales chart and #3 at Top 40 Radio.
Mighty Mike Quinn of Silverstone/Powerhowse Records directed and produced four music videos for Perez which all aired on MTV, VH1 and BET. The album was produced by Mike Quinn and co-produced by Powerhowse produced/DJ Tony Palacios, from Texas. DJ Tony P. was Amanda's touring DJ during her initial rise to popularity and a former radio employee-friend of Quinn. Perez notably charted at #7 on the popular MTV viewer request show "Total Request Live." Perez has had moderate success since departing from the original producers in 2005. Subsequently, she took time off to care for her mother who was diagnosed with cancer. In 2004 Quinn's Silverstone/Powerhowse label partnered to released her second album, this time with Virgin Records, as a joint effort.
"I Pray" the title track was the first single off the album, and would prove to be the last time writer-producer Mike Quinn would work with the Star from Fort Wayne on an album. The second single "Dedicate (Remix)" featuring Layzie Bone of Bone Thugs under the direction of Quinn. Shortly after its release, Perez parted ways with her original label and the writer-producer. Amanda's next album, "The Hand of Fate" was to be released on Virgin under Amanda's direction, but she was soon released from her contract due to legal conflicts and Virgin's unwillingness to effect Quinn's original agreements. In 2007 Upstairs Records released a special album, dedicated to Amanda's mother's death. The lone single from that album, "Candy Kisses," did not break any records, but it had success on the Top 40/Rhythmic Chart peaking at #17.
In 2013, Amanda Perez and A-Hype Records released the single "Freak For The Weekend", the first single from the album "Unexpected".
On October 21, 2016, Amanda Perez announced that she is working on her 6th studio album in an interview with Power 98.3 & 101.9. Perez intended for a December 2016 release but the album has since been announced to be released in early 2017. She has posted many clips of material she is working on via her official Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
In February of 2017 Perez announced that she is releasing a Greatest Hits album entitled 15 Years of Greatest Hits that will only be available for purchase at her live shows.
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Chart positions | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | U.S. Billboard Top Independent Albums | New Zealand Albums Chart | ||||||||||
| 2002 | Where You At?
| — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 2003 | Angel
| 73 | 36 | 39 | 39 | ||||||||
| 2004 | I Pray
| 90 | 43 | — | — | ||||||||
| 2007 | The Hand of Fate
| — | 38 | 24 | — | ||||||||
| 2013 | Unexpected
| — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "—" denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. Pop | |||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | "Never" | 79 | — | Where You At? | ||||||||||||||
| 2003 | "Angel" | 20 | 3 | Angel | ||||||||||||||
| "I Like It" | — | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | "Dedicate" | — | — | I Pray | ||||||||||||||
| "I Pray" | 101* | 39 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | "Candy Kisses" | 110* | — | Hand Of Fate | ||||||||||||||
| 2009 | "This Time" | — | — | |||||||||||||||
| 2013 | "Freak for the Weekend" | — | — | Unexpected | "—" denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
- Charted on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart, an extension of the Billboard Hot 100.
Music videos
| Year | Song | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | "Never" | Mike Quinn, Andrew Little, Silverstone/Powerhowse and CanAmerican Films |
| 2001 | "Angel" | Mike Quinn and Silverstone/Powerhowse |
| 2003 | "Angel | Mike Quinn and Silverstone/Powerhowse |
| 2004 | "I Pray" | Mike Quinn and Silverstone/Powerhowse |
| 2013 | "Freak for the Weekend" | A-Hype |