Jake Zyrus, previously known as Charice Pempengco, was born in Cabuyao, Philippines. His early life was marked by domestic violence, as his father would often point a gun at his mother during episodes of abuse. Along with his mother and younger brother Carl, they left their father to search for a better life.
Zyrus's singing talent was discovered at the age of four, when his mother, Raquel, came home to find him standing on top of the kitchen table singing Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On". He had learned to operate the karaoke machine by observing his mother, who was a singer in a band.
At the age of seven, Zyrus began joining singing contests to help support his family, who struggled financially. He entered over 80 contests, often borrowing money from friends and neighbors to pay for bus fares.
In 2005, Zyrus participated in the singing contest "Little Big Star" on TV network ABS-CBN, where he was eliminated in the first round but later returned as a wild card contestant. Although he didn't win the grand prize, his performances caught the attention of a fan who uploaded his videos on YouTube.
In 2007, Zyrus's videos went viral, and he was invited to perform on the Korean variety show "StarKing". His powerful rendition of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from the Dreamgirls soundtrack impressed the studio audience and eventually caught the attention of the producers of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show".
Zyrus appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in December 2007, where he sang "And I Am Telling You" and "I Will Always Love You". The audience gave him two standing ovations, and he became an instant celebrity in the Philippines.
In May 2008, Zyrus was invited to appear on "Oprah", where he sang "I Have Nothing" and received another standing ovation. Oprah was so impressed that she called him back to her office and introduced him to legendary music producer David Foster.
Under Foster's guidance, Zyrus became a global superstar, performing duets with Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion, and sharing the stage with Michael Bublé and Josh Groban. He also appeared on three of President Barack Obama's pre-inauguration galas and made a cameo appearance in the 2009 film "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel".
Zyrus released his international album "CHARICE" in 2010, which debuted at #8 on the US Billboard Hot 200 chart, making him the first-ever Asian artist to enter the top 10. He also landed a recurring guest role on the hit TV series "Glee", playing the character of Sunshine Corazon.
