[1] Bennett was raised by her mother and Father downtown developer Nedal "Ned" Abdul,[2] in Edina, Minnesota.
[3] Bennett began performing at the age of six,[4] and was trained by her mother and grandmother, Ann Nesby,[5] the former lead singer of the Sounds of Blackness.
[4][7] Bennett's favorite artists are Gladys Knight, Etta James, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin.
[8] In 2004, Bennett moved to Fayetteville, Georgia to live with her grandparents and began her senior year at Starr's Mill High School.
In her audition, Bennett first performed the Dixie Chicks' "Cowboy Take Me Away", and was complimented by Paula Abdul on her voice.
Bennett then chose to sing "Take Five" which she mistakenly attributed to Billie Holiday (the song was composed by Paul Desmond, with the lyrics penned by his wife).
[9] Randy Jackson said that she has the lineage (referring to Nesby), Abdul called Bennett incredible, and Simon Cowell asked where she had been hiding.
Jackson said that she had returned to greatness, Abdul called her a seasoned veteran, and Cowell added that she was very confident on the stage.
Bennett performed Beyoncé Knowles' "Work It Out" on the March 28 show, in which the theme was of songs from the past six years.
[10] April 18 was the Great American Songbook theme night, and Bennett performed "These Foolish Things".
Bennett chose "Kiss" by Prince, although the version released in 1988 was by Art of Noise, featuring Tom Jones.
As did the other top five contestants, Bennett performed a duet with an artist, in this case Al Jarreau, on "We're in This Love Together".
[11] Bennett recorded Midnight Train to Georgia for the American Idol Season 5: Encores compilation album.
[citation needed] After "American Idol", Bennett at age 18 began recording and preparing for the release of her debut album, "Princess P" (a nickname given to her by Ryan Seacrest).
[17] At the 2006 BET Awards, Bennett announced plans for a clothing line, "Tres P" (Three times the Paris), to "help you find your royalty".
[citation needed] Bennett, Young, Mandisa and Kevin Covais are all appearing on the Walt Disney World Christmas special.
In 2007, Bennett became an official supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities and is a member of their celebrity board, called the Friends of RMHC.
[20] Four songs from the album, lead single "Ordinary Love", "Burnt Up", "I'm So Hot", and "Dreamin" can currently be heard in full on Bennett's Myspace.
[21][22] The video to "Ordinary Love" was released onto Bennett's management site on February 14, and then taken down due to the single being held back.
The video, also starring Dustin Breeding, was shot in January 2007 at Icehouse Studios in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The album includes standards and original tracks, such as "The Holla Day Shuffle," written by her mother Jamecia Bennett.
Classics receive R&B arrangements that are alternately modernized ("Li'l Drummer Boy," "Deck the Halls") and kept to low-key contemporary tastefulness ("God Rest Ye Merry," "Silent Night"), while one ("12 Days of Christmas") receives an acoustic jazz backdrop.
Bennett was also featured at the San Diego Men's Chorus' (SDMC) 24th annual holiday show on December 6, 2008.