Alexis Jordan
In 2006, Jordan auditioned for the first season of America's Got Talent. At the auditions, she sang Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing" as a cover version. Jordan made it to the next round, but was eliminated from the show during the semi-finals. Jordan and her family then moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to be closer to the music industry. Jordan began uploading cover versions on her official YouTube account, and submitted demos to record companies across the nation. By 2008, Jordan's YouTube page had reached a million views. After seeing her uploaded videos, Stargate asked Jordan to record a few songs with them. They flew Jordan to New York. While Jordan was in the recording studio, rapper Jay-Z entered. After they talked, Jordan became the first artist to be signed with Sony Music label StarRoc/Roc Nation, which is owned by Jay-Z.