Heather Payne
Encyclopedia
Heather Lynaye Floyd Payne (born January 18, 1970) is a solo Contemporary Christian music
artist and founding member of group Point of Grace
. She announced her retirement from the group in June 2008. She has won 8 Dove Awards with Point of Grace.
, but attended middle school
and high school
in Norman, Oklahoma
, where she met Denise Masters
and Terry Lang
. She developed her vocal abilities at an early age; her first solo was in church when she was three years old. Her mother accompanied her as she sang the old hymn
"Fill Me Jesus." In high school, she sang in the show choir, which required dancing as well as singing. She was also reunited with Terry and Denise during her first year at Ouachita. The three of them sang together in the Ouachitones, a group made up of fourteen women. Within the group, the girls performed as a trio. One night, they decided to spend their summer vacation driving around and singing in churches. After Denise's roommate Shelley Phillips
joined, Say So was born. They travelled all summer, and sang together during the weekends while in school. They recorded an independent album, and really did not have any plans of pursuing a record deal, but after one member's grandparents signed them up to go to the Christian Artists Seminar in Estes Park, CO, they ended up winning the Overall Grand Prize in the Group competition and caught the ear of several record companies. They ended up signing with Word Records
and moved to Nashville, TN to begin work on their debut album.
Since the beginning of their career, Point of Grace has been very candid and frank about their beliefs and principles, one of the strongest being the issue of sex before marriage. In June 2008, Payne announced her retirement from the group, basing her decision on the need to spend time with her four children and support her husband's ministry. The remaining members have since continued on as a trio.
's Stylos label (home also of Ben Utecht
). Her first outing as a solo performer was with a song called "Reach The Day," penned by her along with Scott Krippayne
. The song was written for a young friend of Payne's, who has battled Neuroblastoma
since the age of three. It was debuted on Louisville's WJIE 88.5 station on May 21, 2010. A number of singles were released to raise money for Neuroblastoma research. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=639250366&v=wall&story_fbid=123602067668588&ref=mf Payne also recorded a duet with Sandi Patty ("When Life Gets Broken") for her upcoming album, The Edge of the Divine.
Payne's first solo album, Sweet Exchange
, released September 2010 on Stylos. http://www.christianbook.com/heather-payne/sweet-exchange/pd/CD42131 An album featuring classic hymns with modern, worshipful choruses, Sweet Exchange
is a very personal project for Payne. In an in-depth interview with CBN.com, she explained her hope for the record. "My heart is in this record, that it would become something churches could do," she says, "that the body of Christ would be edified and lifted up and brought to the places gratefulness for what God has done for them in Christ."
, Shelley Breen
, Terry Jones
and Leigh Cappillino
, has proudly supported Mercy Ministries of America, a non-profit organization for women who face life-controlling issues such as self-mutilation, sexual abuse, and unplanned pregnancies. They have also supported True Love Waits
, which encourages young people to remain sexually pure until marriage, and recently began showing support for Compassion International
.
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
artist and founding member of group Point of Grace
Point of Grace
Point of Grace is an all-female Contemporary Christian music group. The trio consists of Shelley Breen, Denise Jones, and Leigh Cappillino. The group started out as a quartet in 1991, with original members Breen and Jones, as well as Terry Jones and Heather Payne...
. She announced her retirement from the group in June 2008. She has won 8 Dove Awards with Point of Grace.
Background
Payne was born in TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, but attended middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
and high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Norman, Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
, where she met Denise Masters
Denise Jones
Denise Radon Masters Jones is one-third of the Contemporary Christian music group Point of Grace. She has won 12 Dove Awards with Point of Grace.-Background:...
and Terry Lang
Terry Jones (singer)
Teresa "Terry" Lea Lang Jones is a founding member of Contemporary Christian music group Point of Grace. She announced her retirement from the group in late 2003 and officially left in early 2004. She has won 7 Dove Awards with Point of Grace.-Background:Jones became a Christian at an early age...
. She developed her vocal abilities at an early age; her first solo was in church when she was three years old. Her mother accompanied her as she sang the old hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
"Fill Me Jesus." In high school, she sang in the show choir, which required dancing as well as singing. She was also reunited with Terry and Denise during her first year at Ouachita. The three of them sang together in the Ouachitones, a group made up of fourteen women. Within the group, the girls performed as a trio. One night, they decided to spend their summer vacation driving around and singing in churches. After Denise's roommate Shelley Phillips
Shelley Breen
Shelley Lynn Phillips Breen is one-third of the Contemporary Christian Music group Point of Grace. She has won 12 Dove Awards with Point of Grace.-Background:...
joined, Say So was born. They travelled all summer, and sang together during the weekends while in school. They recorded an independent album, and really did not have any plans of pursuing a record deal, but after one member's grandparents signed them up to go to the Christian Artists Seminar in Estes Park, CO, they ended up winning the Overall Grand Prize in the Group competition and caught the ear of several record companies. They ended up signing with Word Records
Word Records
Word Records is a Christian record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a division of Word Entertainment , which, itself is co-owned by Warner Music Group and Curb Records...
and moved to Nashville, TN to begin work on their debut album.
Point Of Grace
Payne achieved much success with Point of Grace, with 8 Dove Awards, 17 Dove nominations, 2 Grammy nominations, 6 Gold Albums, 2 Platinum albums and 27 #1 singles, as well as national media exposure in television including The View, "Entertainment Tonight", "Donny & Marie", "CNN Worldbeat", "Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee" and "CBS This Morning". Payne wrote 7 books as a member of Point of Grace and appeared in Women of Faith conferences as a member of the group on several occasions. In 2002, the group developed the Girls of Grace conferences.Since the beginning of their career, Point of Grace has been very candid and frank about their beliefs and principles, one of the strongest being the issue of sex before marriage. In June 2008, Payne announced her retirement from the group, basing her decision on the need to spend time with her four children and support her husband's ministry. The remaining members have since continued on as a trio.
Solo career
Payne became a solo artist and signed with Sandi PattySandi Patty
Sandra Faye "Sandi" Patty is an American Christian music singer. For many years she was known as Sandi Patti. She has been dubbed "The Voice" by critics, because of her wide range and flexibility.-Early life:...
's Stylos label (home also of Ben Utecht
Ben Utecht
Benjamin Jeffrey Utecht is a former American football tight end who played for the Indianapolis Colts and the Cincinnati Bengals. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Minnesota...
). Her first outing as a solo performer was with a song called "Reach The Day," penned by her along with Scott Krippayne
Scott Krippayne
Scott Krippayne is a Christian music artist, singer and songwriter. He has released ten albums between 1992 and 2008...
. The song was written for a young friend of Payne's, who has battled Neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid cancer in childhood and the most common cancer in infancy, with an annual incidence of about 650 cases per year in the US , and 100 cases per year in the UK . Close to 50 percent of neuroblastoma cases occur in children younger than two years old...
since the age of three. It was debuted on Louisville's WJIE 88.5 station on May 21, 2010. A number of singles were released to raise money for Neuroblastoma research. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=639250366&v=wall&story_fbid=123602067668588&ref=mf Payne also recorded a duet with Sandi Patty ("When Life Gets Broken") for her upcoming album, The Edge of the Divine.
Payne's first solo album, Sweet Exchange
Sweet Exchange
Sweet Exchange is the debut solo album by Heather Payne, founding member of Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. The collection of hymns and worship songs is scheduled to be released on September 14, 2010, by Sandi Patty's Stylos label.-Track listing:...
, released September 2010 on Stylos. http://www.christianbook.com/heather-payne/sweet-exchange/pd/CD42131 An album featuring classic hymns with modern, worshipful choruses, Sweet Exchange
Sweet Exchange
Sweet Exchange is the debut solo album by Heather Payne, founding member of Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. The collection of hymns and worship songs is scheduled to be released on September 14, 2010, by Sandi Patty's Stylos label.-Track listing:...
is a very personal project for Payne. In an in-depth interview with CBN.com, she explained her hope for the record. "My heart is in this record, that it would become something churches could do," she says, "that the body of Christ would be edified and lifted up and brought to the places gratefulness for what God has done for them in Christ."
Personal life
Payne married her husband, Brian Payne on April 30, 1999. They have four children: Ella Riley, born September 16, 2002; Nathaniel Graham, born September 12, 2004; Seth Hudson, born April 17, 2006; and Ava Corinne, born November 12, 2007. They currently reside in Louisville, KY where Brian is Assistant Professor of Expository Preaching and Pastoral Leadership at Boyce College. http://www.boycecollege.com/about-us/faculty/brian-payne/Other activities
Payne, along with Denise JonesDenise Jones
Denise Radon Masters Jones is one-third of the Contemporary Christian music group Point of Grace. She has won 12 Dove Awards with Point of Grace.-Background:...
, Shelley Breen
Shelley Breen
Shelley Lynn Phillips Breen is one-third of the Contemporary Christian Music group Point of Grace. She has won 12 Dove Awards with Point of Grace.-Background:...
, Terry Jones
Terry Jones (singer)
Teresa "Terry" Lea Lang Jones is a founding member of Contemporary Christian music group Point of Grace. She announced her retirement from the group in late 2003 and officially left in early 2004. She has won 7 Dove Awards with Point of Grace.-Background:Jones became a Christian at an early age...
and Leigh Cappillino
Leigh Cappillino
Robin Leigh Darby Cappillino is one-third of the Contemporary Christian music group Point of Grace. She joined the then-quartet in 2004, after founding member Terry Jones announced her retirement from the group. Since joining the group, she has recorded three albums and been on several nationwide...
, has proudly supported Mercy Ministries of America, a non-profit organization for women who face life-controlling issues such as self-mutilation, sexual abuse, and unplanned pregnancies. They have also supported True Love Waits
True Love Waits
True Love Waits is an international Christian group that promotes sexual abstinence outside of marriage for teenagers and college students. TLW was created in April, 1993 by the Southern Baptists, and is sponsored by LifeWay Christian Resources...
, which encourages young people to remain sexually pure until marriage, and recently began showing support for Compassion International
Compassion International
Compassion International is a Christian child sponsorship organization dedicated to the long-term development of children living in poverty around the world. Compassion International, headquartered in Colorado Springs, functions in 26 countries such as Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, Haiti, Kenya, and...
.