 O'Doherty was born in Houston, Texas, to an Australian father and an Armenian mother, Eliza Basmadjian, from Greece.She was educated at North Carolina School of the Arts and East Carolina University from which she received her Bachelor of Music degree in voice and flute performance as well as Bachelor of Arts in psychology in 2005.She was one of the 20 finalists in the 2006 Operatunity Oz talent search.