Called “a prodigy” by People magazine and hailed as a face to watch by the Los Angeles Times, 19 year-old Alecia Elliott earned the attention of critics, fans and the music industry with her 2000 debut country pop album, I’m Diggin’ It. Alecia received acclaim for her well-chosen material, for her songwriting ability (she co-wrote two of the album’s cuts) and most of all, for her mature, bluesy vocals that belied her youth and set her apart from the rest of the teen pack.

The talented singer has recently signed a songwriter/artist deal with Ground Breaking Music. The type of sound she is developing reflects her R&B and rock roots. She also currently has her own television series, “All About Us” which airs on NBC Saturday mornings. Both projects mark novel and exciting directions in Alecia’s career.

“It’s always been in the back of my mind to make an R&B/pop album,” she says. “When I was growing up I was influenced by a lot of R&B singers, like Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding.”

“I relocated to Los Angeles to shoot the television series,” Alecia says. “I really enjoyed it. There’s such a variety of radio stations and different styles of music. The club scene is really happening to. I’ve met so many people from different musical backgrounds, like Snoop and Dr. Dre. It’s been great for my writing too.”

The NBC series, “All About Us”, stars Alecia as a high school student and aspiring singer named Alecia, who relocates from Alabama to Chicago. Created by Peter Engel, who produced the successful and popular, “Saved By The Bell”, “Hang Time”, “City Guys”, and “Just Deal”, the show focuses on Alecia and her three friends as they confront everyday teenage problems. Alecia sings in almost every episode and co-wrote the title track, “Brand New Day” with Annie Roboff and Holly LeMar (who co-wrote “Breathe”).

“Peter Engel saw a couple of my videos from the first album,” Alecia recalls. “He invited me to do a guest spot on Malibu, CA, which led to All About Us.”

It’s not surprising that Alecia has become such a force in the music business. Born on Christmas Day 1982 in the creative hotbed of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Alecia began singing at age eight. Impressed by her voice, her aunt entered her in talent contests in both Alabama and Nashville. Country artist Lorrie Morgan heard a tape and invited the nine-year-old singer to perform a concert duet with her. By the time Alecia was 11, she was singing at Buddy Killen’s Stockyard. She subsequently toured Europe, sung beneath the National Christmas Tree on the White House Lawn and performed at a variety of music festivals and concerts across the country. At 12, she met MCA chairman Bruce Hinton, who was impressed with her talent and immediately signed Alecia to the label.

Her debut album, I’m Diggin’It, was released in 2000 and featured cuts by such respected country songwriters as Matraca Berg, Gary Baker and Brent Bourgeois. The album earned rave reviews from a variety of publications and Alecia debuted the title track on the “Tonight Show” in an electrifying performance. Since then, she has continued to develop and hone her artistry.