


Hale moved to Los Angeles at the age of 15 to pursue a music career, but acting opportunities kept popping up, on short-lived TV series like the CW’s “Privileged” and NBC’s “Bionic Woman” re-boot. The Memphis native grew up listening to country radio and Britney Spears before becoming a finalist on “American Juniors,” a pint-sized spinoff of “American Idol,” in 2003. “But that pumps me up and just makes me want to prove people wrong.” “You hear the story, ‘Another actress does music,'” Hale says. However, the 24-year-old is primed to sustain that buzz as she approaches the release of her debut album, due in the spring on Hollywood Records. Hale’s starring role on the ABC Family hit helped ensure a high-profile launch for “You Sound Good to Me.” After all, most artists can’t promote their debut single to 3.3 million Twitter followers or perform the song on “Good Morning America” and “Live With Kelly & Michael” during its first week of release.
