Shantel Norman is a native of Lexington, North Carolina where she first discover that she could be the next best soulful, R&B, Pop singer. At the age of 15 working at the Dairy Queen in her hometown she was listening to the radio and heard that Mary J Blige was going to be coming to a city near her. Mary J Blige is Shantel's Idol and she wanted to go to the concert so bad. The competition on the radio stated the person who could sing Mary J Blige's song "A Dream" could win front row tickets to her concert. Shantel called the station and sung Mary J Blige's "A Dream" like Mary J Blige was listening on the other line and blew everyone away.