Person Biography:
Willa Ford, born in Ruskin, Florida, began her singing career at the age of 8 with the Tampa Bay Children's Choir. She later moved on to the Tampa-based children's performing arts troupe Entertainment Revue, where she became a featured soloist. At 15, she left the troupe to join a local group called FLA, before eventually moving to Los Angeles.
Willa's music career began in 1999 under the stage name Mandah, when she was signed to Music Corporation of America (MCA). She released a song on the double-platinum soundtrack for Pokémon: The First Movie and opened for the Backstreet Boys. After some negative publicity, MCA dropped her, and she was eventually signed to Lava/Atlantic Records.
In 2001, Willa released her debut album, Willa Was Here, which contained the single "I Wanna Be Bad." The album reached 56 on the Billboard 200 album chart and became a multi-platinum smash worldwide. Outside of music, Willa has hosted several reality television shows, including MTV's Total Request Live and Say What Karaoke.
Willa has also pursued a career as a professional opera singer, studying opera for over four years and achieving a degree. She is also whistle-registered. In addition to her music and television career, Willa has modeled for Bongo ads and has been involved in various charity work.
