Mario Adrián Vázquez, known professionally as Mario Vazquez, is an American singer born on June 15, 1977, in The Bronx, New York City. Raised by his single mother, Ada, he attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School and was involved with the CityKids Repertory Company, performing at various charitable functions. In 2005, Mario Vázquez gained national attention as a contestant on the fourth season of American Idol, making it to the final round of twelve contestants before withdrawing due to personal reasons. Following his departure from American Idol, he signed with J Records / Arista Records in August 2005 and began working on his debut album under the executive production of Clive Davis.
Mario Vázquez's first single, "Gallery", was released in May 2006 and reached number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. His self-titled debut album, Mario Vazquez, was released on September 26, 2006, by Arista Records. The album featured collaborations with notable producers such as Ne-Yo, Akon, Soulshock and Karlin, Lester Mendez, Scott Storch, and Luny Tunes. A second single, "One Shot", was released to radio in February 2007. After leaving J Records in 2008, Mario Vázquez continued his music career with collaborations on dance tracks, including work with Hype Jones and Ted Nilsson in 2012.
