‘AGT’ child star Jackie Evancho makes comeback after struggle with fame

nypost.com:

Daintree NYC photo shoot. “My songwriting these days touches upon mental illness and issues that are on the darker side, which will shock a lot of people who know me from before.”By “before,” Jackie is referring to her whirlwind classical music career that started when she was 9.

While her peers were riding bikes with their friends and complaining about homework, the Pittsburgh native was entering singing competitions and thrilling audiences with her sweet, golden voice.In 2010, she came in second during Season 5 of “America’s Got Talent,” but won the hearts of America for her renditions of “O Mio Babbino Caro,” and “Time To Say Goodbye.”Buoyed by her success, Jackie’s adolescent and teenage years were spent recording albums with super producers like David Foster, headlining concerts, meeting Oprah Winfrey (“Oprah’s a great hugger”), doing a duet with Barbra Streisand, appearing in a movie with Robert Redford (“The Company You Keep”) and, somewhat controversially, singing at Donald Trump’s 2017 Presidential inauguration.And while performing the National Anthem was a bucket list moment for her, Jackie did face backlash for being part of Trump’s inauguration.

As a teenager, she claims didn’t grasp the political implications of being a part of Trump’s orbit, when so many other artists said “No.”“I said ‘Yes’ because I was singing for my country,” Jackie said. “But it hurt my career and it just sucks because, as a 16-year-old, I perceived it as an honor.