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Teen dance-pop singer Mandy Moore was born in Nashua, NH, on April 10, 1984, but raised in Orlando, FL; determined to be an entertainer from the age of six onward, she was later known throughout the Orlando area as the "National Anthem Girl" for her regular performances of "The Star Spangled Banner" at local sporting events. Breaking into the recording industry via voiceovers and commercials, in 1999 Moore became the latest Orlando teen to sign a record contract after landing at Sony; her debut album, So Real, appeared late that year. The album spawned a hit with "Candy," a remix of which also appeared on her 2000 release I Wanna Be with You, which was basically a slightly altered version of her debut. The title cut broke into the Top 40 that year, and a self-titled proper sophomore effort appeared in summer 2001. The following year, she starred in the film version of Nicholas Sparks' popular book -A Walk to Remember, playing the love interest to actor Shane West's character. Moore made the leap to musical maturity with a 2003 covers record, Coverage, which included songs by Carole King, Joe Jackson, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon. More successful film roles followed, including 2005's Saved and 2006's American Dreamz, before Moore returned to the music world in May 2007 with Wild Hope. Released via The Firm, it was the first album that Moore insisted on writing her own material, and she did so by collaborating with various musicians like Lori McKenna, Rachael Yamagata, and Chantal Kreviazuk. Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
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