Praising Heather Russell as 'amazingly-talented,' Simon Cowell decides to help the little girl with soulful voice launch her music career with GaGa's producer as her mentor.
- Feb 18, 2011
AceShowbiz - Not only does Heather Russell have Grammy-winning producer Rob Fusari as her mentor, but also she signs a major deal with music mogul Simon Cowell. The 10-year-old Canadian girl, who is dubbed the female version of Justin Bieber, is hoped to follow the footsteps of the "Baby" hitmaker as the next singing sensation under the umbrella of Syco Music Group.
The former judge of "American Idol", who is now moving over to sit on the judge panel of "The X Factor (US)", signed Heather after being tipped off by former "Canadian Idol" judge Zack Werner. "Simon just loved her. He said she was amazingly-talented from the first time he saw her," a Syco spokesperson said.
Heather Russell has written her own songs since she's just 8 years old. Her first song is called "Beautiful" and she takes her music inspiration from the likes of Prince, Justin Timberlake, Queen and Alicia Keys. She first created buzz on the web after her mother, Monica Cidade, posted a home-made video of her performing "Every Step of the Way" last July.
"At 5 years old she had a vibrato," Fusari wrote on his official website. "At 9, Ashton Kutcher tweeted about her to Demi Moore, Ellen DeGeneres wants her on the show .... Stay tuned for more on Heather." The producer is one of the masterminds behind Lady GaGa's acclaimed debut album "The Fame".
