Audience of One

About the Artist

Acclaimed by Billboard as “one of the great entertainers of the day,” Tony award winner and multiple Grammy nominee Heather Headley makes her triumphant debut on the EMI Gospel label with the most personal album of her multi-faceted career, AUDIENCE OF ONE, recorded with Grammy award winning producer Keith Thomas. Following critically acclaimed performances on her certified gold debut CD This Is Who I Am (2002) and her second album In My Mind (2006), Headley now returns to the gospel roots that became the foundation of her career singing as a child in her father’s church in Barataria, Trinidad.

“My dad was a preacher, and my mother once told me that I should do a gospel album,” Heather recalls. “I told her it would be amazing to do it one day.” Now she is displaying her wonderful voice with a powerful collection of inspirational songs, including the first single “Jesus is Love,” a cover version of the classic 1980 tune by Lionel Richie and the Commodores featuring fellow EMI Gospel artist Smokie Norful.

“I grew up singing that song in Trinidad. EMI Gospel President Ken Pennell suggested that I record it as a duet, and when he mentioned Smokie’s name, I immediately said yes. He’s an amazing singer and a great pastor,” Heather says with admiration. “It was a joy to work with him, his choir, and musicians and observe the great respect and love they have for him.”

The CD’s title also takes Heather back to her father’s one room church in Trinidad. “That is where I learned to sing,” she fondly remembers. “I would close the windows and practice singing and playing the piano for hours pretending I was performing for a crowd of people, using a hairbrush as a microphone. I was singing to an empty church, and God was my audience, an audience of one.”

Explaining the album title, AUDIENCE OF ONE, the Trinidad-born, Indiana-raised, and Northwestern University educated star gives credit to her husband Brian Musso. He reminded her one day about the little church back home, “the joy that I found singing in that empty church to my `audience of one.’ And so that is what this album is… a girl singing to the only audience that really matters… the One Audience who is truly worthy.” “I grew up in the church, actually above the church, and this album not only grants me a way to sing music I’ve always wanted to, but it also gives me a chance to give God some overdue praise for everything He has done, and continues to do for me. I really don’t deserve all that He has given me. I can’t help but be grateful; so, we’ll take the voice He gave and thank Him with it… This is My gift to God. My relationship with Him is paramount.”

Recording a gospel album is a natural transition for Heather who admits that as a Christian, she was uncomfortable with provocative lyrics submitted to her. “I never wanted to compromise anything, now I want to make sure God is happy,” Heather says. “This album is for Him.”

The concept for a gospel CD was born when Heather chose the spiritual “I Know The Lord Will Make A Way” to record for the EMI Gospel/Vector compilation album, Oh Happy Day. The label executives were so impressed with her breathtaking performance that they suggested that she record an entire album of songs of faith.