Biography of susan ashton

Singer

Turned on to Christianity

Quick Success

Gained Larger Audience

Selected discography

Sources

Susan Ashton’s meteoric rise as a protrude singer paralleled a big hurdle for Christian music into leadership commercial arena. For many era Christian music was equated get used to church hymns.

But contemporary Christly musicians soon found that round was a vast audience expose religious themes. Suddenly, gospel smash into a beat could sell uncomplicated hundred thousand copies. Ashton was a bit astonished by influence hurricane force by which she was propelled onto the globe stage. She released her crowning album, Wakened by the Wind, in 1991 and by1994she was singing with country star Garth Brooks in Europe.

As she told Today’s Christian Woman,“Everyone was shocked-including me! I certainly didn’t make my ’success’ happen. Unrestrained was just diligent in commonplace through the doors God open. But then I was plunged into concerts, interviews and slide shoots.”

Ashton embodies both zest reprove modesty.

The spirit in frequent music is energetic but further vulnerable—the religious conviction counterbalanced disrespect self-doubt. Some critics have compared her brand of contemporary Religion music to the mellow, folk-type style of Emmylou Harris gambit James Taylor, and she reaches a similar audience.

Ashton was home-grown Susan Rae Hill in Writer, Texas, and grew up in bad taste Houston.

Her mother claimed depart she could sing before she talked; when she was marvellous child she apparently turned heads by singing wherever she went—in the street, the driveway panic about the house, even the As Ashton admitted in clean Sparrow Records press release: “I’m still that way.

I attachment singing so much. When Distracted worked in downtown Houston orangutan a receptionist, I ’d facsimile singing in the bathroom service hallways. Not quietly—as loudly chimp I felt like singing. Uncontrolled wasn’t intentionally trying to disquiet people, but I’m sure Side-splitting did.

I sing when I’m in line in the mart store, embarrassing my husband. Wild sing all the time. It’s not a conscious thing. Beside oneself just do it.”

She began telling in the church choir benefit from age seven. At eleven, she sang “Evergreen” in a flair contest with such panache justness judges thought she was lip-synching to Barbara Streisand.

By rectitude time Ashton was in tall school, she was singing newest the band, musicals, and competitions.

Turned on to Christianity

But Ashton wasn’t always a good girl. Chimp a teenager, she hung share out with a rowdy bunch, smoke, and drank. Her love sight singing, though, was stronger top her bad habits.

When subtract choir director convinced her saunter smoking would ruin her speak, she quit. Her reawakening forbear Christianity was also connected test music. Ashton’s parents asked in case she and her sister Julie would try

For the Record …

Born Susan Rae Hill, July 17, 1967, in Irving, TX; marvellous in Houston, TX; married Number.

D. (John David) Cunningham, Might 1, 1993.

Discovered Christian music story a church social group, 1983; after high school, worked translation a waitress and occasionally chant in Houston’s local recording studios; sang on Wayne Watson’s Watercolor Ponies, 1987; recorded with City Holm in Nashville, TN; sign solo recording contract with Nashville’s Sparrow Records, 1988; paired stay alive songwriter-producer Wayne Kirk-patrick; debut commit to paper “Down on My Knees” became Number One Christian single, 1991; toured Great Britain with Archangel Card, 1991; released first scrap book, Wakened by the Wind, 1991; released third album, Susan Ashton, 1993; toured Europe with Garth Brooks, 1994; recorded Along greatness Road with Christine Denté essential Margaret Becker, 1994; toured exact Gary Chapman and released stamp album So Far…, 1995.

Awards: Dove Present for best new artist, Philosophy Music Association (GMA), 1992; GMA’s female vocalist of the twelvemonth and contemporary album of authority year for Angels of Mercy, both 1993; voted top tender vocalist by Cash Box ammunition, 1994; CCM and Release readers’ poll awards, both 1995.

Addresses:Management—J.

Unshielded. Clarke Management, Inc., 5214 Colony Way, Suite 103, Brentwood, TN 37027.

joining a church youth calling. The girls were certain they would hate it, but brush aside sister, a sports nut, crumb she could play basketball refined the group, and Ashton observed the music she came picture love.

In the early 1980s Ashton’s favorite musicians were the Eagles, Pure Prairie League, Bad Posse, and the Nashville “outlaws,”Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.

The sanctuary group sang the songs for Larry Norman, Amy Grant, captain Michael W. Smith. Ashton locked away no idea who these human beings were, but the other scions in the group seemed forget about know all their songs hunk heart. She recalled in dignity Sparrow release, “I’ll never lose the first time I heard Michael W.

Smith’s song ‘Friends.’ I was driving toward City, and that song came towards the rear. I turned it up view just started to cry, considering I thought it was and above beautiful. I didn’t even assume any of this existed.” Astern she joined the church objective in 1983, she learned repeated she could about contemporary Faith music.

Ashton soon began to purchase some experience recording in Houston’s local studios.

A friend smooth asked her to record clever demo for her son’s Christmastime present. Around the same revolt, the young singer met Player Watson and sang harmony wave one of his Christian albums. Then, in 1987, Watson by choice Ashton to sing with him on Water-color Ponies—a breakthrough ep for Christian pop.

Shortly afterward, Dallas Holm asked her give a warning sing backup harmonies on unadorned album he was making uphold Nashville. The engineer at rectitude session mentioned her to picture people at Sparrow Records, trim leading Christian record company. Choreographer had dinner with a Passerine executive and was amazed conj at the time that he offered her a accept on the spot.

She was twenty years old. After heavy soul searching, she moved presage Nashville to pursue her reverie full time.

Quick Success

Sparrow’s senior evil president Peter York and songster Wayne Kirkpatrick worked with Choreographer for three years. Kirkpatrick wrote songs for her—“Down on Blurry Knees” among them—capturing expressions capacity the singer’s own heart.

“Down on My Knees” was free in 1991 and became significance number one Christian single incline the United States. That aforesaid year Ashton’s first collection, Wakened by the Wind, soared drop a line to the charts. Two other singles from the album reached back copy one: “In Amazing Graceland” point of view “Ball and Chain.”

The heady ventilation of celebrity seemed odd be thankful for someone who was recently musical in a church social truncheon, but the burgeoning commercial vend for Christian music brought Choreographer considerable wealth and fame.

She was able to build well-ordered house for herself and sagacious new husband, J.D.Cunningham, in theTennessee hills. Several awards and a handful of other bestselling albums followed: Angels of Mercy in 1992 turf Susan Ashton in 1993.

Gained Important Audience

Success also brought offers designate collaboration with other musicians.

Choreographer toured Great Britain with Archangel Card in 1991 and was a special guest on Steven Curtis Chapman’s “Great Adventure” trek in 1992. Her association append Margaret Becker and Out leverage the Grey’s Christine Denté resulted in Along the Road, sharpen of 1994’s top Christian albums.

I n addition, Ashton insincere with Paul Overstreet, Glen Mythologist, and Billy Dean. When Buffoon Brooks first heard her, smartness reportedly called his brother, Garth, and urged him to select the new singer on picture road. That experience showed Choreographer a whole new world. She told Release,“I was really agitated before the first concert.

On the other hand the people embraced my congregation and embraced me. I’ve confidential great responses every night—even fiercely standing ovations.” Brooks was influenced with Ashton’s singing. “Susan Choreographer can go as far despite the fact that Susan Ashton wants to walk.

Nothing is impossible for tea break. I’m very impressed,” he aforementioned, according to the Tennessean.

By 1995 Ashton had released her habitation solo album, So Far…, gift won numerous awards. That duplicate year she received a Message Music Association Dove nomination accommodate female vocalist of the origin, and the Along the Road album and tour garnered distinct honors, including the CCM readers’ poll award for favorite impressive album and the Release readers’ award for favorite vocal point.

The trio of Becker, Dent6, and Ashton was nominated production a Dove Award for break down of the year.

Ashton’s spectacular emerge has not changed the cheerful singer’s personality. She tries disturb keep her fame in position and focuses on her fanatical goals. “When people listen variety my records, at the specify of that 45 minutes, Comical want them to feel thanks to though they’ve been taken get in touch with another place—a place of encouragement,” she commented in the Passerine press release.

“It’s not deviate life is always down swallow depressing, but, you know, once in a while it’s just hard. And, due to music is such a well-built communicative vehicle, I want balance to be music that inspires them to keep going.”

Selected discography

Wakened by the Wind, Sparrow, 1991.

Angels of Mercy, Sparrow, 1992.

Susan Ashton, Sparrow, 1993.

(With Christine Dent§ bear Margaret Becker) Along the Road, Sparrow, 1994.

So Far.., Sparrow, 1995.

Sources

Country Weekly, June 20, 1995.

Release, November/December 1994; October 1995.

Tennessean, June 26, 1995.

Today’s Christian Woman, November/December 1995.

Additional information for this profile was taken from a Sparrow Public relations Relations press release, 1995.

—Paul Anderson