Once the Disney Channel gets behind a young multitalent, chart-topping success seldom comes as a surprise. But in the case of Demi Lovato, the music and acting career she's enjoying was hardly handed to her.

Singing since age 5, Lovato and her sisters needed a skill for the talent portion of the pageants in which they competed at a young age. "I loved to sing, so that's when I started taking lessons and really practicing," Lovato explains.

Studying under vocal coach Linda Septien in Dallas, Lovato learned how to write songs and play instruments, but she also used the opportunity to soak up advice on "making it in the music business," she says.

Discovered during a Disney Channel casting call in Texas, Lovato quickly caught the attention of the company's music department. "When I first heard her, I was begging to work with her," says Steven Vincent, VP of music and soundtracks.

Lovato went on to perform in "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience" and release two hit CDs, "Don't Forget," and "Here We Go Again," culminating in a popular concert tour of her own last summer. The star of Disney Channel's "Sonny With a Chance," Lovato also co-starred with the Jonases in "Camp Rock" and Selena Gomez in "Princess Protection Program." "She's got unlimited potential. She can sing and she's funny -- it's rare to find that kind of combination," Vincent says. "I think she will become a major artist like Pink or Alanis Morissette."