Norcross High Student to Compete for Recording Contract

A student will be one of 12 youngsters competing for a recording deal on a new American Idol-style series starting Friday on The Hub cable network.

Nia Holloway, 15, whose grandmother was a hit recording artist for more than 40 years, will be coached by celebrities on Majors and Minors as she competes for a recording contract on the RCA/Jive label. Unlike other reality contests, none of the young singers will be voted off before a final selection is made.

The Hub, co-owned by Discovery and Hasbro, began operating last October.

"I've been singing since I was four years old," she told the Norcross Patch. "I started singing big songs when I was five. When I turned 11, I told my parents this is what I want to do and I started going to auditions and appearing in shows around Atlanta."

At that time, she was a student at . Since then, she was twice declared a winner at Showtime at the Apollo.

Her thirst for music could hardly have surprised her parents. Her grandmother, Loleatta Holloway, who died in March, had been a singer of disco, R&B, gospel and other musical genres since 1968 and had a long list of hit records to her credit.

"At first, when I told my dad this is what I wanted to do, he asked if I was sure because he knows how hard it is," she said. "Both my parents made sure and then we started going and haven't stopped since."

Nia said her grandmother taught her what to do onstage and what emotions to use. Her father also assisted with her stage presence, she said, and her mother guided her on how best to present herself.

"My friends are very, very supportive," she added. "They tell me that they are proud of me. Now they are starting to see me in commercials for the series."

Despite her dedication to music, Nia is not a one-note student. She is equally passionate about basketball, as evidenced by her play on the Norcross High team that won the state championship.

"Basketball is a way for me to stay in shape and it's a way for me to get away and relieve my stress," she said. "I'll always keep basketball in my life."

Asked about her favorite places to go in Norcross, she cited and ("it's so good") and Willy's Mexicana Grill.

Her all-time favorite movie is The Princess and the Frog, which she can recite by heart. "I've seen that movie so many times and I fell in love with it because it was the first black princess for Disney and everyone said I looked like Princess Tiana," Nia said.

Her favorite classes are economics and geometry. "The classes are hard and I don't like being bored. Those two classes keep me interested and keep me focused."

And if you're looking for her in those classes, Nia won't be hard to find. She's the one with the Princess Tiana book bag and folders.