Jasmine Murray

Jasmine Murray (born December 1992) is an independent American singer and beauty pageant titleholder from Starkville, Mississippi. She is best known for being a finalist on the eighth season of American Idol where she placed 12th–13th alongside Jorge Núñez. She also competed in the Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant in 2007. Her musical influences include Christina Aguilera. On July 12, 2014, Murray was crowned Miss Mississippi 2014.

Early life

Jasmine Murray was born in Columbus, Mississippi and attended Columbus High School, but later moved to Starkville with her family. She is the daughter of Lisa Murray and is the youngest of five children. Her mother's first husband died of a brain aneurysm in 1978. Her parents divorced when she was a toddler, and her father lives outside the state of Mississippi. According to the audition segments, she is eleven years younger than the fourth. At the time of the pregnancy, her mother Lisa Murray was working the night shift at the Weyerhaeuser plant in Columbus, Mississippi, and was lethargic and noticed her body swelling. Lisa Murray went to the plant's on-site clinic, but nurses rushed her to the hospital. She suffered a severe form of pre-eclampsia when pregnant with Jasmine, and the doctors expected neither of them to survive the pregnancy. Shortly after birth, Jasmine remained in the hospital for nearly a month fighting for her life. She began to sing at age 3. Her family told her that once they were in a vehicle, she would start singing with the radio, and that describes why she is passionate about singing. She has also performed mini-concerts with the Murray family. Before her American Idol run, she competed in the Miss America's Outstanding Teen scholarship pageant and was a student at the Mississippi School of the Arts, where she was continuing her education until she graduated in 2010.