Mandy Harvey

Amanda Lynn Harvey (born January 2, 1988) is an American jazz and pop singer and songwriter. Profoundly deaf following an illness at the age of eighteen, she was a contestant on the 12th season of America's Got Talent, where she performed original songs during the competition.

Early life and education Harvey was born in Cincinnati, before moving to St. Cloud, Florida. She had hearing problems, and underwent several surgeries as a child to try to correct them. Her family moved to Colorado when she was a young child. She sang throughout her childhood, and her talent was recognized at Longmont High School, where she graduated in 2006. Harvey gradually lost her hearing, as a result of the connective tissue disease Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. She lost her hearing completely when she was eighteen, while she was majoring in vocal music education at Colorado State University. As a result, she left the university. In 2008, she met jazz pianist Mark Sloniker, at Jay's Bistro in Fort Collins, Colorado (where she began performing regularly). and recorded three studio jazz albums. JazzTimes wrote of her 2009 debut album, Smile, claiming: "The vocals are rich and captivating". after performing an original song with her ukulele, during the competition.

During the same year, Harvey published a memoir with co-author Mark Atteberry, titled Sensing the Rhythm: Finding My Voice in a World Without Sound. In a November 2017 interview for the BBC, Harvey described how she was accused of promoting oralism when she first took to the stage, and had received death threats from within the deaf community for promoting a "hearing" activity.

Personal life Harvey is an ambassador for the nonprofit organization No Barriers, which helps disabled people overcome obstacles. In June 2022, Harvey and her husband became parents of a boy named Louis.

Discography Smile (2009) After You've Gone (2010) All of Me (2014) Nice to Meet You (2019) Paper Cuts (2022)