Marileyda Hernandez (aka Marileyda) is a Puerto Rican pop singer who won the third season of Puerto Rico Idol in 2013. Born on August 18, 1996, she began singing at a very young age in school and in church. She began participating in -- and winning -- talent contests in the sixth and seventh grades, then moved on to regional competitions, winning many of them, too. She auditioned for Puerto Rico Idol when she was 16. She eventually won the competition, and a recording contract with Universal, with her rendition of " I Will Always Love You." Her first single, the ballad "Para Recordar," was followed by the release of her debut album, Desde Hoy in December of 2013, before she graduated from high school. ~ Thom Jurek