Jaci Velasquez to Perform in Concert at Pacific Union College

For many, reaching sweet 16 is a milestone in life. For Jaci Velasquez, the newest and youngest artist on the Myrrh Records' roster, it means another year of travel in support of her new album Heavenly Place. The contemporary Christian musician will perform in concert at the Pacific Union College amphitheater at 3 p.m. on Saturday, September 21, 1996.

At age 16, Velasquez is an ordinary teenager with abundance of energy, dreams, and ambitions. What makes her unique is her voice, which has been likened to that of an up-and-coming Whitney Houston, and her wish to minister through music.

"I've always known what I wanted from life. I think I know what I want out of my ministry. I want to go and reach people my age-people that maybe even a youth pastor couldn't reach," Velasquez said.

Velasquez has been recording and performing since age ten. She won a contest over 3,000 other entrants in an entertainment pageant at age 11, and she sang at the White House before she turned 13.

The roots of Velasquez's musical talent are in her family, which has been active in both music and speaking ministry. She has sung as a part of her father's ministry in churches nationwide since age nine, an experience that has given her a vision for her life. "To have a relationship with God-it's the most important testimony you can have before people," she stated.