Jesse Kinch (born April 20, 1994) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was the first and only winner of the reality singing competition show Rising Star. Life and career Beginnings Kinch, a Seaford, Long Island native picked up a guitar when he was 6, after discovering an old, beat up acoustic in his parents basement. They began to notice a mature sense of rhythm and pitch, convincing them to buy Jesse his first electric and soon introduced him to the great rock 'n' roll bands of the 1960s, 70s and the 90s grunge scene which he quickly embraced. These influences became an essential part of his musical foundation and sound. In some of Jesse's interviews, he recalls that even before he picked up a guitar and embraced the sound of classic rock, he was heavily exposed to operatic pop singers such as Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli. He considers the pure sound and beauty of those singers a major influence on him to this day. At age 7, he began performing in clubs on Long Island and attracted attention from a local news paper that called him "The Boy Wonder" in reaction to his precocious musical ability. At age 8 he was featured as a news item on TV News Channel 12, Long Island where he played a medley of classic rock 'n' roll songs. Jesse continued to play guitar at local clubs through age 9 and at 10, he was invited to the Sam Ash Guitar Competition where he finished third amongst seasoned pros. At age 11, Jesse found his voice and began to sing. He soon started performing around New York City where people would take notice to his strong and conviction filled rock 'n' roll voice. Throughout ages 12 and 13, he also became interested in writing his own songs which regularly became part of his set during shows. In 2009, Jesse was chosen to portray the lead role of a young Eddie Money in the musical Two Tickets to Paradise after Money took notice to his energetic rock 'n' roll performance as his opening act in June 2008. Money originally mistook Jesse for being in his early 20s at the time but soon realized he was only 14. Although Money wanted an adult to portray his life in the musical, he felt Jesse was the only one that captured the look, sound and spirit