Rachel Potter

Rachel Lindsey Potter, born August 21, 1984, in New Orleans, Louisiana, is an American singer, actress, and Broadway performer. Raised in Seminole, Florida, she began writing original songs at age 12 as a way of processing her mother's diagnosis with type 1 diabetes. She later relocated to Orlando, Florida, where she worked at Walt Disney World while completing a bachelor's degree in public relations and advertising from the University of Central Florida in 2008. After graduating, she moved to New York City, where she took a job singing in a wedding band. Potter currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband, two sons, and daughter.

Potter's early professional performance work took place at Walt Disney World, where she portrayed Ariel in Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Belle in Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, and Nemo in Finding Nemo: The Musical, among other productions. In 2008, she placed in the top 15 of the MTV reality competition Legally Blonde: The Musical – The Search for Elle Woods.

Her Broadway career spanned from 2009 to 2012. She appeared in the second national touring production of Wicked as a member of the ensemble and as an understudy for the role of Glinda before her Broadway work. On Broadway, Potter played Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family and subsequently portrayed Peron's mistress in the Tony-nominated 2012 revival of Evita, performing alongside Ricky Martin, Elena Roger, and Michael Cerveris.

Potter launched her recording career at age 16 when she signed with the contemporary Christian label Narrow Door Records. In 2002, she released Come Back Home, a ten-song album of original material. While touring with Wicked, she reconnected with Justin York, a Nashville musician, producer, and songwriter known for his work with the rock band Paramore. That connection contributed to her shift toward country and country pop. She subsequently released the EP Live the Dream, funding it through a Kickstarter campaign that surpassed its original financial goal. The music video for the title track was released on October 17, 2012. Her single "The Verdict" received a nomination for Best Country Song at the Independent Music Awards despite not having been officially released at the time of the nomination. In 2014, Potter used a Pledge Music crowdfunding campaign to finance her album Not So Black and White, releasing the first single, "Boomerang," a duet with Anthem Lights member Joey Stamper, in October 2014. The full album followed on March 3, 2015. CMT featured the music videos for "Boomerang" and "Tail Lights" on its CMT Pure Channel as part of its New Artist Spotlight. In 2024, Potter sang the theme song "Journey to Fantasy Springs" for the opening of Fantasy Springs, the eighth themed port at Tokyo DisneySea.

In 2013, Potter auditioned for the third season of The X Factor, performing "Somebody to Love." She advanced to the final 40 acts in the Over 25 category, which was mentored by Kelly Rowland. After performing "Irreplaceable" and securing the fourth chair without being replaced, she entered the live shows as one of the final four in her category alongside Lillie McCloud, Jeff Gutt, and James Kenney. During the first live results show on October 29, she performed "I Hope You Dance." In week two, she sang "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)," a performance that drew praise from Demi Lovato and criticism from Simon Cowell. That week's elimination was suspended after graphics errors displayed incorrect voting numbers during the performance recap; all acts instead performed save-me songs on Thursday night before a public re-vote. Potter sang "Anyway" by Martina McBride during that round. In week three, she performed "Alone" by Heart before falling to the bottom two alongside Khaya Cohen. Only Rowland voted against Cohen, resulting in Potter's elimination, despite Potter having received more public votes than Cohen.

Potter cites a wide range of musical influences including Carrie Underwood, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Joni Mitchell, Alison Krauss, Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Sara Bareilles, and Sheryl Crow, among others. She grew up listening primarily to rock and roll, as her parents performed in a rock band. Having begun her career as a contemporary Christian music artist, she now identifies her work as country and country pop, while incorporating elements of soul pop, hard rock, and pop rock.