| BC Jean | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Britney Jean Carlson |
| Born | April 22, 1987 (age 24) |
| Origin | San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop rock, soul, dance-pop, europop |
| Years active | 2005-present |
| Labels | J, RCA |
| Website | http://www.bcjean.com |
Britney Jean Carlson (born April 22, 1987), known better by her stage name BC Jean,[1][2] is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for writing the song "If I Were a Boy" for R&B singer Beyoncé, which premiered on music industry website "Crazed Hits" in May 2008,[3] several months prior to Beyoncé getting a hold of the song and recording it.
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Jean was born in Mercy Hospital, San Diego, California to a piano and trumpet-playing stockbroker father and a mother who is a talent manager[1] (John and Lori Carlson),[4] and she lived in Ramona, Valley Center and Carmel Valley.[1] At age 14, while attending Torrey Pines High School,[4][5]. Jean was already a keen piano player and turned the poetry she was learning at school into song lyrics. She also got inspiration from songs on the radio as well as her parent's music collection, which included artist such as Queen, Rod Stewart and Aerosmith. Jean later became part of a cover band in high school and had her first on-stage experience at the Sahara Cosino in Las Vegas at 15 years of age.[6]
Jean was signed to J Records while working on a debut album with Dallas Austin, The Matrix, and Toby Gad, due for release in early 2012. After signing with J, Clive Davis, The CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, said, "You eagerly wait for a multi-talented new artist to come along like BC Jean. We're all really delighted that BC has chosen us as her musical home."[7] Jean toured with Liquid Blue prior to embarking on a solo career.[1][4] It was later announced on October 7, 2011 that the RCA Music Group were disbanding a dozen labels of theirs, including J Records, they said that all artists from those labels, including Jean, were to move and release future material through RCA Records.[8][9]
Jean released her debut single, "Just a Guy", on September 14, 2010.[10] She also stars in the web-series Talent produced by Alloy TV on YouTube as Harper, a musician who travels to Los Angeles with her best friend/self-proclaimed manager Danielle in search of fame. A second series began in December 2011 on Alloy TV's YouTube channel.
Jean currently lives in Studio City, California. Her grandparents, who were also painters, were signed to RCA Records for more than 30 years. Her grandfather performed with Perry Como and both grandparents with Fred Waring.[11]
