The Hidden Connection Between Sofia Carson And These Music Icons

Sofia Carson has become one of Disney's major success stories, thanks to her role in "The Descendants" franchise. The show, which follows the children of iconic Disney characters, sees Carson play the daughter of the Evil Queen. As the franchise has grown, the actor has become one of its main stars, leading to other major roles in shows like "Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists," Netflix's "Songbird," and the animated "Spider-Man" series (via IMDb).  

That's a pretty extensive filmography for a 28-year-old, who initially made her start in the House of Mouse as a guest star on the Ross Lynch-led series "Austin & Ally" in 2015. That's thanks in part to her incredible foundation as a singer-songwriter, after signing with BMI in 2012 (via Oh My Disney) before joining the Disney-owned Hollywood Records and Republic Records in 2016 (via Hollywood Records). From there she has several singles as a solo artist, her latest being "Fool's Gold," as well as major hits via "The Descendants" like "Rotten to the Core" and "Chillin' Like a Villain" (via All Music). 

But how did the actress get her start in the music industry? Well, it all boils down to a passion for music — as well as receiving voice lessons from a certain vocal coach who has worked with some of the world's biggest music icons.

Sofia Carson knew she wanted to be a Disney star since she was three years old, when she would dance around her living room as Belle from "Beauty and the Beast." "I sang all the Disney songs, and that's all we watched growing up. I couldn't picture myself doing anything else," she told Stuff. "But music was my first love. I wanted to be a singer, release an album, and tour the world." 

Almost immediately, the actress began taking voice lessons, which she has continued up to this day. "I was classically trained," she said. "I was very lucky to have Rachel Riggs as a teacher. She's great, and her father, Seth Riggs, worked with greats like Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder." And that's just the start of Seth Riggs' talent pool. He's also worked with Ozzy Osbourne, Madonna, Ray Charles, Barbara Streisand, Michael Bolton, and Earth Wind & Fire (via Riggs Vocal Studio).

As for Rachel Riggs, she's already amassed quite the list of clientele including Childish Gambino, Doja Cat, Eric Andre, Jaden Smith, Hayley Kiyoko, Haim, Paris Hilton, and LL Cool J, per her site.