Julianne Hough Headlines Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Gala At Saddlebrook Resort on November 18, 2010

Julianne Hough

A true triple-threat, singer/actress/dancer Julianne Hough was already known to millions of fans as the two-time professional dance champion on ABC-TV’s top-rated “Dancing With the Stars” before expanding into the worlds of music and film.

Although she has been winning world dance titles since her early teens, Julianne’s ultimate goal has always been a career in country music. Her self-titled debut album, released by Universal Music Group Nashville in 2008, hit the Billboard Country charts at #1 and entered the Billboard 200 at #3, marking the highest debut for a country artist since 2006. Her first two singles from the album, “That Song in My Head” and “My Hallelujah Song,” soared up the country charts and she earned her first two 2009 Academy of Country Music Awards for Top New Female Vocalist and Top New Artist. Hitting the road for the first time as a recording artist, Julianne opened for superstar Brad Paisley and later toured with George Strait, playing over 100 shows in 2009. Her second album, The Julianne Hough Holiday Collection, became an instant holiday classic for her legions of fans, distributed exclusively at Target. Her much- anticipated follow-up album will be released by Mercury Nashville in Summer 2010.

Having become a household name virtually overnight on “Dancing With the Stars,” then making a seamless transition to recording artist, Julianne is also well on her way to making her mark in the world of motion pictures. She was cast in the star-studded ensemble of Screen Gems’ dramatic musical “Burlesque,” working alongside Cher, Christina Aguilera, StanleyTucci, Eric Dane, Kristen Bell and Cam Gigandet. In “Burlesque,” written and directed by Steve Antin, Julianne plays Georgia. “Burlesque” is set for release on November 24, 2010.

A born entertainer, Julianne Hough (pronounced “Huff”) always loved singing, dancing and acting. At age 10, she was presented with an opportunity to study performing arts in London, which established her fierce independence and was the beginning of a period of intense training and education. She returned to Utah at age 15 and, after graduating high school, moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams of a career in entertainment.

Quickly earning a solid reputation for her talent, discipline and professionalism, it tookless than a month for Julianne to land a job as a dancer on the ABC game show, “Show Me The Money,” and shortly thereafter joined the “Dancing With the Stars” tour as a company dancer before joining the cast of the hit series in the show’s fourth season, where she was paired with two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner Apolo Anton Ohno. She toured with the troupe again, before returning to the hit show for seasons five through eight, pairing with Indy race champion Helio Castroneves, comedian Adam Carolla, actor Cody Linley and country singer Chuck Wicks. Hough remains the youngest dancer to have won the coveted “Dancing with the Stars” competition twice, with partners Ohno and Castroneves, and she earned an Emmy nomination in 2008 for Best Choreography for her work on the show. Her skills as a choreographer also led to a collaboration with Gwen Stefani on the singer’s “Wind It Up” video.

In 2009, Julianne starred in her first fitness DVD, Cardio Ballroom,” the first in a series designed to motivate exercise novices and enthusiasts alike on the dance floor.

She is also highly sought-after in the world of commercials and endorsements, as aninternational spokesperson for Proactiv Solution and as the official spokesperson for Venus Embrace, co-authoring their “Goddess Guide to Getting Closer” for the company’s 2009 marketing campaign. She sang an updated version of the Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum theme, “The Taste is Gonna Move Ya” and has numerous other campaigns in the works.

While devoting most of her time to recording, touring and now filmmaking, Julianne is also active in a range of philanthropic endeavors, charities and humanitarian efforts including the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Clothes Off Our Back, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and serves on the American Red Cross Cabinet.

In addition to an already stellar line-up of projects for 2010, Julianne also kicked off the new year with an invitation to perform in We Are The World 25 For Haiti, an all-star update to the iconic 1985 philanthropic anthem to benefit the Haitian earthquake relief efforts and the rebuilding of Haiti. Produced once again by Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie and recorded in the same studio as the original 25 years earlier, the new video (directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis) debuted on February 12, 2010, during the Opening Ceremony of the Vancouver Winter Olympics featuring such music legends as Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Celine Dion and Gladys Knight and contemporary superstars including Will.I.Am, Jennifer Hudson, Pink, Fergie and Kanye West, amongst countless other artists from virtually every musical genre.

For more information, please visit www.juliannehough.com.

For tickets to the Gala or sponsorship opportunities please call the Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Foundation office at 813-783-6144.