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Chicago Singer's Star Rises With Spots On BET's 'Chasing Destiny,' 'Empire'

 Singer Johari Noelle is on BET's new show
Singer Johari Noelle is on BET's new show "Chasing Destiny."
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DNAinfo/Andrea V. Watson

SOUTH SHORE — Landing a spot on BET's new show "Chasing Destiny” and working with creator Kelly Rowland has been “unreal,” said 20-year-old singer and songwriter Johari Noelle.

“It has just been so unreal,” she said. “I never saw it coming. I was in shock like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I’m working with these people. This is amazing.’ Meeting the girls, it was awesome. Working with Kelly was amazing.”

The show, which aired April 5, was created by the former Destiny's Child group member in hopes of finding the next girl group. With the help of legendary choreographer Frank Gatson, Rowland interviewed hundreds of girls from across the country. She wants to put together an all-girl group and get them a record deal with Epic.

Noelle, a South Shore native who now lives in Homewood, said the experience was a memorable one, and she learned a lot.

“The No. 1 thing I got from the experience was the importance of not only being confident, but always being prepared for anything,” she said. “One thing we did a lot of was rehearsing, but we rehearsed during funky hours.”

She said that the girls were required to practice some days from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

“We did what the stars do,” Noelle said. “The biggest takeaway is that I have to be ready all the time, so it was exciting. It taught me so much. It made me respect artists on a whole other level because they’re 'on' all the time. They’re ready all the time, and they work hard.”

Meeting Rowland — a Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter and actress — was exciting, Noelle said.

“I always thought of her as this very kind of quirky, friendly, down-to-earth woman, and when I met her at the first callback, I was like, 'Wow she’s exactly what I thought she was,'” Noelle said. “I want to be like her.”

Noelle also is trying to break into the TV and film industry. She recently worked as an extra on the hit Fox series “Empire.” Even though the nonspeaking role was short — she was an office worker in Season 2, episodes 5, 7 and 9 — she said it gave her more confidence about her acting skills.

While on set, she even had a brief interaction with one of the show’s main cast members, Taraji P. Henson.

The actress was shooting a scene with a guest actor who kept talking to Noelle during breaks.

“He kept walking up to me saying ‘Hey, how you doing, hey’ like every five seconds. Taraji was like ‘will you leave her alone? He’s such a creep, you can’t mind him.’ I’m like, it’s really no big deal. It was pretty funny.”

Singing is Noelle’s first love. She grew up in the church choir and inherited her father’s passion for music.

“My father was a disc jockey in college,” Noelle said. “He would make sure we knew who we were listening to and what we were listening to and the different styles.”

Some of her favorite singers are Michael Jackson, Adele and Beyonce.

Noelle realized she had the talent and passion for singing when she was 11 years old. During middle school she began performing in every talent show. That itch to perform never went away, and she continued to pursue music at Homewood-Flossmoor High School and at Northern Illinois University before she took a break from school once she was called to the TV show.

In 2014, Noelle produced her first single, “Wanna Know,” with producer Byron Scotty Dorris. She’s currently working on her EP, which she said should be finished in June.

Her advice for aspiring singers: “Just push yourself, even if you’re uncomfortable with it.”

Follow her on Twitter @JohariNoelle and listen to her music at www.JohariNoelle.com

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