Retro Insider - "Rebecca St. James"

Time to comment on a young woman who has made a huge impact on the CCM scene both as an artist and as a role model for other young women. Rebecca St. James is a best selling Christian artist whose music both praises God, and encourages young people to live out their faith.
Rebecca St. James was born in Sydney, Australia on July 26, 1977. Her birth name was Rebecca Jean Smallbone. She was the oldest of seven children. Her father, David, was a concert promoter in the Sydney area. Her break into the music scene began in 1991, when at the age of 13, she fronted her first band and opened for Carmen's Australian tour. In that same year, she released her first recording, under the name Rebecca Jean, called Refresh My Heart. In 1994, she and her entire family moved to Nashville, Tennessee. There she began a professional career in the Christian music pop market. She signed with Forefront Records, who insisted she take on the stage name, Rebecca St. James. In these early days, her family was her tour crew and support team. Later in 1994, she released her self titled debut record, filled with a collection of contemporary songs.
In 1996, Rebecca St. James released God. This record had her first hits, including "You're the Voice", "Go and Sin No More", and the title track "God". This record dubbed her the Christian version of Alanis Morrisette. St. James, at the time, claimed the similarities were coincidental, saying she had not even heard Morrisette's music. The record has since gone gold.
In 1997, she released Christmas, which included "One Small Child". In 1998, Pray came onto store shelves, with more of a synth driven pop sound. This record included "Omega", "Hold Me Jesus", and the #1 title track "Pray". Pray also netted her a Grammy for Best Rock Gospel Album. Then in 2000, St. James released Transform. This album as a whole is described as Euro-pop with hits that include "Reborn", "Merciful", and "Wait for Me".
"Wait for Me" was a song written by St. James on her tour bus. It is really considered to be her personal anthem. This young woman is a huge spokesperson for purity and remaining a virgin until marriage. It is almost the focal point of her ministry. She wears a purity ring on her wedding finger, which she received at a purity ceremony.
In 2002, she released her first worship record, Worship God. The album contained many popular songs including "Above All", "Breathe", "Better is One Day", and the hymn "It is Well", which was inspired by the terrorist attacks in New York City, September 11, 2001. Then in 2004, her first live recording, Blessed Be the Name Live was released. In 2005, If I Had the Chance to Tell You Something, a rock record, containing "Alive", "You Are Loved", and "God Help Me" was released. And in 2007, her first full-length concert CD/DVD combo Alive in Florida came out.
Beyond her music career, Rebecca St. James vigorously supports Compassion International, which combats world hunger. To emphasis this, back in 1996, a Christianity Today poll listed her in the Top 50 Evangelical Leaders under the age of 40 in America.
For more information, check out her website at http://www.rsjames.com