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Willa Ford's Biography
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Amanda Lee Williford, known professionally as
Willa Ford (born January 22, 1981) is an
American pop singer, songwriter, record
producer, and occasional actress, television
personality, and presenter.
She became known in 2001 as the self-proclaimed
"Bad Girl of Pop", when she released her debut
album, Willa Was Here. Aside from her music
career, Ford has hosted several reality
television shows, posed for Playboy, and
competed on ABC's top-rated Dancing with the
Stars. Ford will also portray Anna Nicole Smith
in an upcoming television movie about Smith's
life and death.
On Saturday, August 25, 2007, she married long
time boyfriend, Mike Modano, 37-yr old center
for the Dallas Stars, in a private, sunset
ceremony at the East Texas Barefoot Ranch, owned
by Dallas businessman Benny & Stephanie Bray.
Biography
Ford was born in Ruskin, Florida and raised on
her parents', Ralph Everett and Donna Williford,
farm. As a young girl, she studied opera and
began pursuing a singing career at age eight,
when she joined the Tampa Bay Children's Choir.
By age eleven, she had become a member of the
Tampa-based Children's Performing Arts Troupe
Entertainment Revue, which consisted of twenty
girls, ages five-sixteen, who toured the area
and sang at places such as Walt Disney World
Resort and Busch Gardens. Ford advanced from the
chorus to the role of featured soloist. When she
was fifteen, she left the troupe and landed a
spot with a local foursome called FLA but did
not remain long before heading to Los Angeles,
California.
On the Fox News Channel late night show Red Eye
w/ Greg Gutfeld (June 26, 2007), Ford said she
had a 4.25 GPA when she left high school at the
end of her junior year to start her professional
career, but that she had to obtain a GED rather
than graduate. She has also admitted to cheating
her way through school and owes much of her
educational success to her fellow classmates for
helping her with her school work until she later
dropped out at the end of her junior year to
pursue her singing career.
In 1999, Ford, performing under the stage name
Mandah, signed with MCA, which released her song
"Lullaby" on the double platinum soundtrack
Pokemon: The First Movie. She also landed a spot
as an opening act for the Backstreet Boys. This
not only brought her attention for her
performances but also for her relationship with
Backstreet Boy Nick Carter.
Soon Ford's label had her change her stage name
to Willa Ford, so as to avoid confusion with
Mandy Moore, and promoted her as a beautiful
singer with a "good girl" image. After negative
publicity tainted her clean-cut image, MCA
dropped her and let her move to a label that
would embrace her "bad girl" image.
During a mall tour for Nautica Kids,
Lava/Atlantic Records noticed Ford. Shortly
thereafter, Lava/Atlantic gave Ford a deal and
put her into their recording studio with a
diverse group of writers and producers. Unlike
some teen singers, Ford preferred to write most
of her lyrics.
On July 17, 2001, Ford released her debut album
Willa Was Here, containing the single "I Wanna
Be Bad." The album used pop/R&B grooves, dance
beats and vocoders. Despite this hit single, the
album reached only No. 56 on the Billboard 200
album chart. Ford is one of the few female
artists that can access the whistle register as
displayed in her song "Ooh Ooh".[citation
needed]
Also in 2001, Ford served as the spokesperson
for Pantene Pro-V's Pro-Voice campaign and
appeared on the in-concert cable special
Teensation. Ford also hosted MTV's Total Request
Live and Say What Karaoke. She then won a
contract with MTV.
In 2002, Ford co-wrote and sang a duet with
South Korean pop star Park Ji-yoon entitled "Nastified,"
which appeared on Ji-yoon's fifth album, Man.
Throughout 2003, Ford hosted The Morning After
and a reality series; I Bet You Will. Ford's
song, "I Wanna Be Bad," became the theme song
for the Six Flags amusement park chain and was
also used by 7 Up for an advertising campaign.
The hit single was also featured on the Totally
Hits collection. Ford also modeled for Bongo
clothing.
During Ford’s appearances, hosting and modeling,
she began working on her untitled second album
which contained the songs “F.U.” and “I Gotta
Feeling”. Although fans were excited to hear new
material, Ford wanted to ditch it and start
over. In 2003, Ford released the female
empowerment dance song "A Toast to Men," which
featured guest rapper Lady May. The single was
from her unreleased second album
Sexysexobsessive, which Ford originally wanted
to call Porn Poetry, but Ford's record label did
not agree with her "because that's not something
that Wal-Mart will put on their shelves." "A
Toast to Men" did well but, because of legal
problems, the album was not released. This
caused Ford to leave the label.
The album also contained the title track
“Sexysexobsessive” about the way sex can over
take people’s whole lives. In “I See You” Ford,
sings about a previous relationship. Likewise
“Cry” also deals with a past relationship in
which she had to kiss that boy, who was so
closed down, to make him cry and open up. As for
“Who I Am, Who I Am”, Ford tells a story though
the eyes of a gay person as she sings, “I’m
sorry if I disappoint you, but this is who I
am.” She also lives out a part of a woman being
used for sex through prostitution, on prom night
and other situations, in “Into My Bed”. Another
song that was mentioned was "Pieces", but
nothing was told about the subject it discussed.
She was ranked #100 on the FHM 100 Sexiest Women
of 2004. She ranked #1 in Stuff's Sexiest Women
of the Summer in 2005. She ranked #48 in the
Stuff's 101 Sexiest Online Women in 2006.
In 2005, she hosted the first season of the
reality television show The Ultimate Fighter.
After its final episode, Ford got a shot as the
summer guest "doll" for the Pussycat Dolls' Las
Vegas show.
In 2006, Ford was one of the four celebrity
quarterbacks for the Dallas Desire in the third
Lingerie Bowl, which was shown on pay-per-view
during half-time of Super Bowl XL. In February,
Ford proved yet again to be the "Bad Girl of
Pop" by posing nude for the March 2006 issue of
Playboy with Jessica Alba on the cover.
In February 2006, Ford joined Nicollette
Sheridan, Cindy Margolis, and DJ AM for a
special Valentine's Day show at Club Pure in Las
Vegas. Ford became a celebrity poker player on
Calvin Ayre's Poker Wild Card in April. In the
May issue of Stuff Magazine, Ford ranked No. 48
in the "101 Sexiest Online Women" competition
and hosted the Love Jones Lingerie Fashion Show
at Body English in Las Vegas later that month.
On August 14, 2006, on national television, Lisa
Rinna announced the competitors, which included
Ford, for the third season of Dancing with the
Stars, which premiered on September 12 on ABC.
Some contestants, including Ford, had already
been guessed days before Rinna's announcement on
Good Morning America. Rumors were being
circulated because of an article about Ford's
close friend and former boyfriend UFC champ
Chuck Liddell.
Ford and her professional partner Maksim
Chmerkovskiy were voted off Dancing with the
Stars on October 11, 2006 after five weeks of
competition. On October 12, it was announced
that for personal reasons, Sara Evans would be
dropping out of the show.
On November 1, 2006, Ford returned to the
televised result show of Dancing With the Stars,
where she performed Fame, making her the first
celebrity to be a contestant and performer on
the show. On November 8, 2006, Ford returned to
Dancing With the Stars again, but this time to
perform a group jive and promote the upcoming
tour. Ford also appeared a third time after her
elimination on the November 15, 2006 season
finale of Dancing With the Stars, when all the
dancers and stars returned for their final dance
number before crowning Emmitt Smith the third
season's champion.
Ford appeared on an EXTRA special undergoing an
"Ugly Betty Make-Over" which aired on November
2, 2006 on the popular entertainment news
television show. Ford also did a photoshoot for
Maxim that is out in January 2007.
In an interview with the magazine Starry
Constellation, Ford said that she has decided to
concentrate on her music career and that once
Dancing with the Stars is over, she plans to
complete her second album. On Thanksgiving, Ford
was given an engagement ring by hockey player
Mike Modano. The couple were wed in a small,
private ceremony August 26th, 2007. She also
announced to Access Hollywood that she was
dropping out of the Dancing With The Stars Tour
and will be working on the new pop-dance album
instead.
Ford gave a tour of her home, appearing on an
episode of "My Celebrity Home" on the Style
Network on February 7. In March, she hosted the
third season of Pants Off Dance Off on Fuse TV.
The Insider with Pat O'Brien announced on April
10, 2007 that Willa Ford will be playing the
role of Anna Nicole Smith in a television movie
about the life and death of the late celebrity.
The film is being shot between April and May
2007 and will be released in the summer of 2007.
Ford also had her face molded and body suited to
portray Smith in her heavier-set years for the
movie. The biopic "Anna Nicole" marks Ford's
first lead role in a film.
Ford will be playing the lead character named
Claire Dennison in a movie called "Impulse" with
Angus MacFadyen. The film is currently being
shot in Vancouver. The plot line is about a
young woman named Claire who enjoys a brief
fling with a sexy stranger (a dead ringer for
her husband), only to realize that the object of
her desire is a crazed, manipulative, and
tenacious psychopath. The movie is set to be
released in 2008.
Personal life
Ford dated Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys
from 1998 to 2001. She has also dated
Christopher Jones and former UFC Light
Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell.
While rumoured to be dating Modano, on the third
episode of Dancing with the Stars, host Samantha
Harris remarked to Ford and her dance partner,
Maksim Chmerkovskiy, "Wow, you two have really
fallen for each other." The couple looked
stunned but did not deny it. In the segment
preceding their Jive dance, they confirmed
having "bonded way beyond the dance floor."
In an interview with ABC after the Jive
performance they were prodded by a reporter
about their relationship status, Ford stated,
"We are not an official couple." Maks followed
this with, "Right. Not official."
After their elimination from Dancing with the
Stars, Chmerkovskiy posted on his official Web
site, "Willa and I have become very close
friends. I really like her and we are having a
great time together. If you don't mind I would
like to leave it at that." After Thanksgiving in
November 2006, he announced his intentions to
withdraw from the tour and stated clearly that
the pair were not dating.
Ford reported to Access Hollywood that she is in
fact, engaged to Mike Modano. They had been
dating on and off for the past four years
excluding the year she was living with Chuck
Liddell,[citation needed] with Ford making that
announcement at the end of November. According
to an interview with Access Hollywood she stated
that Modano popped the question in bed at the
end of October and presented Ford with an
engagement ring over Thanksgiving. She has also
decided to pull out of The Tour along with
Chmerkovskiy, and is opting to work on her next
album.
Ford married Modano in Athens, Texas on August
25, 2007. She wore a wedding gown she designed
herself. The couple bought a home in the Dallas
area and hope to start a family soon.
Dancing With The Stars
Dancing With The Stars dances
Week 1: Foxtrot
Week 2: Mambo
Week 3: Jive
Week 4: Waltz
Week 5: Rumba
Dancing With The Stars performances
Week 8: "Fame" (Live singing performance)
Week 9: Group Jive (Live dance)
Season Finale: Cast Reunion (Live dance)
Filmography
Music Videos
I Wanna Be Bad (2001)
Did Ya' Understand That (2001)
Santa Baby (Gimme, Gimme, Gimme) (2001)
Uncle Kracker's: In A Little While -"Girlfriend"
(2002)
A Toast to Men (2003)
Television
Teensensation - Herself (2001)
Pantene Pro-Voice commercial - Herself (2001)
Pantene Pro-Voice featuring Jewel - Herself
(2001)
The Mind of the Married Man - Herself (2001)
Six Flags commercial - Herself (2002)
Raising Dad - Edie "Bully" (2002)
Slime Time Live - Herself (2002) (Got Pied and
Slimed!)
I Bet You Will - Host (2002)
The Miss Teen USA Pageant - Co-host (2002)
Morning After - Herself (2003)
VH1's 100 Most Outrageous Celebrity Moments -
Commentator (2004)
VH1's My Coolest Years: Bad Girls - Herself
(2004)
VH1's 100 Greatest Kids Stars - Commentator
(2005)
The Ultimate Fighter - Host (2005)
My Fair Brady: Episode 3 - Herself (2005)
The Fabulous Life of ... Las Vegas - Herself
(2005)
ESPN Hollywood: Lingerie Bowl - Herself (2005)
Last Call with Carson Daly: Lingerie Bowl Event
- Herself (2005)
VH1's 100 Greatest Teen Stars - Commentator
(2006)
Lingerie Bowl III - Herself (Dallas Desire
quarterback) (2006)
Calvin Ayre's Poker Wild Card - Herself (2006)
Access Hollywood - Herself (2006)
Entertainment Tonight - Herself (2006)
Extra - Herself (2006)
The Insider - Herself (2006)
E! News - Herself (2006)
Dancing with the Stars -Celebrity Dancer (2006)
Jimmy Kimmel Live - Herself (2006)
Good Morning America - Herself (2006)
Live with Regis and Kelly - Herself (2006)
CNN Headlines - Herself (2006)
75th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade - Herself
(2006)
Arby's Action Sports Awards - Herself (2006)
Pants Off Dance Off - Herself (2007)
Geraldo at Large - Herself - Guest (2007)
The Insider - Herself - Special/Behind The
Scenes (2007)
Entertainment Tonight - Herself - Special/Behind
The Scenes (2007)
VH1 Presents Maxim's Hot 100 - Herself (2007)
Film
Anna Nicole- Anna Nicole Smith/Vickie Lynn
Marshall (2007)
Impulse - Claire Dennison
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