Ashley Grace

Ha*Ash is an American Latin pop duo from Lake Charles, Louisiana, formed in 2002 by sisters Hanna Nicole (born 1985) and Ashley Grace (born 1987).

The group's name is a portmanteau of letters from their first names.

They have released six studio albums, with the most recent, Haashtag, being released in 2022.

In April 2002, the sisters adopted the name Ha*Ash and signed to Sony Music Latin when they were 16 and 15.

The same year, they signed a management deal with Seitrack Management (OCESA Seitrack).

In April 2002 they released their first single, "Odio Amarte", which was a hit on Mexican radio stations, TV channels, and festivals.

They recorded their self-titled debut album Ha*Ash with the Mexican producer Áureo Baqueiro.

The album was released on May 11, 2003, and peaked at No. 3 in the Mexican album charts and No. 19 in the US Billboard Latin Pop Albums chart.

Their second single "Estés Donde Estés" was used as the theme for the Televisa telenovela Clap, el lugar de tus sueños, which provided wider dissemination of their music.

It peaked at No. 9 on Billboard Latin Pop chart and No. 14 on the Hot Latin Tracks chart.

The ballad "Te Quedaste" peaked at No. 17 on Billboard Latin Pop chart and No. 28 on Hot Latin Tracks.

Ha*Ash appeared on the soundtrack to the Mexican animated film Magos y Gigantes, contributing the song "Un Amigo Así".

Throughout 2003 and 2004, they performed 150 concerts in Mexico, including an appearance at the Teatro Metropólitan in Mexico City.

In February 2004, they received their first gold record for sales of more than 75,000 copies of their debut album in Mexico, followed by a platinum award the following month.

Although reticent concerning their private lives, Ha*Ash have mentioned the divorce of their parents, who separated in early 2005, while the sisters were recording their second album Mundos Opuestos.

The songs "Todo No Fue Suficiente" and "Sé Que Te Vas", addressed this topic.

The sisters speak both English and Spanish, and both have Mexican and US citizenship.

They both reside in Houston, Texas.

In 2005, their single "Soy Mujer", was used in the third version of Big Brother VIP Mexico.

In 2007, Ha*Ash founded the nonprofit organization Fondo Ha*Ash, which supports immigrants and children suffering from HIV/AIDS, among other causes.

Ha*Ash has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.

Hanna and Ashley were born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States, to Antonio and Mathilda Pérez.

Their grandfather is of Mexican descent, originally from San Luis Potosí, and their grandmothers were of German and Spanish ancestry.

The family had been living in Lake Charles for generations.

They have 4 siblings: Steven, Samantha, Charlie and Josie Pérez, the first three are from her father's and her mother's old marriage, and the last three are from her father's new relationship.

Since they were little, they have been inclined towards art, music being their main passion.

They began performing in church (Pine Grove Baptist Church of DeQuincy) at the ages of 5 and 4.

Music classes and training became part of their daily chores, touring Louisiana at age 12, singing at fairs, rodeos, even participating in the Louisiana State Penitentiary, the largest state prison in the United States.

They took courses in tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop, gymnastics, acting, theater and body language and also they studied piano and guitar.

Because their father worked outside the United States, Hanna and Ashley spent half of each year in Mexico City and half in Lake Charles, living at times, 6 months of the year in each city, since they were little her father and grandfather taught them to speak Spanish, perfecting it in the modern American school where he studied in Mexico.

In 2012, Hanna Nicole began dating Mexican-American Juan Carlos Herrera.

From 2014 to 2017, all of their singles received at least a gold certification from the Mexican Association of Producers of Phonograms and Videograms.

They are the first group to have one ballad in Spanish with at least one billion views on YouTube.

In addition to Latin pop, Ha*Ash incorporates country pop, pop rock, and singer-songwriter styles into their music, and they have cited artists such as Shania Twain, Loretta Lynn, and The Chicks as influences.

They are also known for their philanthropy and social activism, including their work on behalf of children.

The couple were married on January 9, 2016, with her fiancé Juan Carlos Herrera after 4 years of relationship.

The wedding took place in Cuernavaca, Morelos, with her sister Ashley and the singer Joy Huerta from Jesse & Joy, the bridesmaids and those in charge of singing the waltz for the newlyweds.

In 2017, Ashley Grace went public with her diagnosis of mild OCD.

On December 8, 2019, during the final part of a concert with Ha*Ash, metallic pink papers were released at the end of the performance of the song "Perdón, Perdón", later, on December 19, he announced that he was waiting for his first daughter, detailing that those released papers reflected the sex of the baby.

Their daughter Mathilda Grace Herrera was born on June 2, 2020, in Houston.