Amanda Lee Williford-Modano[citation needed] (born January 22, 1981), known professionally as Willa Ford and often as Mandy Modano, is an American singer, songwriter, model, television personality and film actress . She became known in 2001 as the self-proclaimed "Bad Girl of Pop," when she released her debut album, Willa Was Here . Aside from her music career, Ford has had acting roles in movies, hosted several reality television shows, posed for Playboy and has competed on ABC's top-rated Dancing with the Stars . Amanda Lee Williford) was born on January 22, 1981 and raised in Ruskin, Florida . She began pursuing her dream of becoming a singer at the age of 8 when she started singing with the Tampa Bay Children's Choir . By the time she reached age 11 she had moved on from the children's choir to the Tampa-based children's performing arts troupe Entertainment Revue . In 1999, the 18 year old Ford started performing under the stage name Mandah and was signed to Music Corporation of America, MCA . While with MCA she wrote and recorded a song called "Lullaby" which was featured on the double-platinum soundtrack for the motion picture Pokémon: The First Movie. Ford's label decided to change her stage name from Mandah into Willa Ford, as to avoid confusion with Mandy Moore. At the age of 20 the singer signed on to a new label, Lava Atlantic Records, while on a mall tour for Nautica Kids. The new contract put her into the recording studio with a variety of writers and producers. Ford preferred to write most of her own lyrics as well as becoming executive producer for most of her first album. On July 17, 2001, Willa Ford released her debut album Willa Was Here. The album gave birth to the single "I Wanna Be Bad." Willa Was Here reached 56 on the Billboard 200 and sold roughly 200,000 copies. Ford went on to release a second single from the album titled "Did Ya' Understand That" which failed to garner much attention. .