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Kim Hill
Biography
Kim Hill
Twelve years ago, Kim Hill made a remarkable entrance into Christian music as the first artist to achieve two consecutive number one singles on her self-titled debut album. Several years later, she realized how unique her situation truly was, that everyone doesn't make it to the charts on their first try. "I just thought the charts were kind of like a big Ferris wheel, everyone circled up to the number one spot and everyone circled back down again! " Kim's "Ferris wheel" kept going up because her two following records, Talk About Life and Brave Heart, earned five additional number one singles for their catchy, acoustic pop songs including, "Testimony" and "Mysterious Ways."
Kim stepped away from the CCM arena in 1993 to expand her music into the country music field. Though her country debut record garnered great reviews and a #1 CMT video for "Janie's Gone Fishin'" from her BNA release, So Far So Good," Kim's heart just wasn't in it. "I stopped handing our my CD's to people that I met on the road. Although my project had good songs on it, I felt like something was missing," she explains.
A turn was about to happen in her journeya turn back to her rootsChristian music. Her heart was on fire with a new passion to infuse worship back into her music. This was clearly reflected on her 1997 comeback release, The Fire Again. The journey continued with her last solo project, Arms of Mercy, which combined the musical styling of her earlier recordings with the heart of a changed woman. "There's definitely been a huge change in my life," says Kim. "I've gone from being an entertainer to being a tour guide, leading people into His Presence."
Kim reminisces good-naturedly about some of her stumbles along the way and recalls one critic who said her voice sounded like someone 'who was lifting heavy furniture.' "Being humiliated is a sure path to humility!" she laughs. "A friend of mine says that we're not nearly as indispensable as we think we are, but we're more beloved that we could ever imagine. I guess in a nutshell, that's what God's been teaching me for the last few years. He's been telling me over and over again that He loves me and I'm precious to Him regardless of my performance. He wants me to sing for His pleasure and glory instead of the applause of others." Communicating that kind of divine mercy and grace is Kim's desire, whether she's singing lullabies to her boys at bedtime or holding a microphone in front of thousands of people.
Kim says her passion for leading others in worship was really ignited in September 1997. "A good friend of mine, Lisa Harper, directed the first Focus on the Family national women's conference (Renewing the Heart). Lisa asked me to lead worship and I jumped at the chance, although I didn't really know what I was getting into! I've always been a solo artist, so to invite and encourage 20,000 women to sing with me to an "audience of One" rather than just sit there and listen was a new and amazing experience! It was incredible to watch women's countenances literally change and soften throughout the day as they began to worship the Lord and experience His mercy more intimately." Kim adds that she told those women at the first conference that out of all the things she's done in her career, leading them in worship was the ultimate experience. Little did she know, where it all would lead
Kim went on to lead worship at all of the Renewing the Heart conferences (a total of 13 from September 1997-November 1999), which involved almost 200,000 women. She also recorded two live worship records with Focus on the Family. Worshiping with thousands of women has obviously left an indelible mark on Kim. As a result, Kim's focus has shifted from primarily doing concerts to ministering at conferences cross-denominationally throughout the country.
Beyond worshiping God publicly through her music, Kim points out that her personal worship time has become even more crucial in her life. "The last few years have been very difficult more devastating emotionally than I could've imagined. The songs I sing when I'm alone have helped sustain me and even been part of my healing. It's during those intensely private, broken moments that He's used worship to turn my ashes into beauty...my mourning into dancing." She says gratefully that the pain God has allowed her to walk through has added a deeper dimension to her ministry. More importantly, it's left her increasingly dependent on Him. She's recorded some of her journey against the backdrop of God's faithfulness in a chapter for Experiencing God in Worship (Group Publishing). Kim is also a contributing author of the July 2001 release, Dance of Heaven (Multnomah Press). Dance of Heaven benefits MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving).
Kim's been busy collaborating on several other records including, Sweet Dreams, The Mercy Project and He Chose the Nails (Max Lucado). She's currently working on a new solo project.
Although Kim stays busy with her recordings and conferences, most days, you'll find her at home in Nashville, Tennessee with her boys, Graham and Benjamin and their newest addition, Mocha, a very cute chocolate lab. |
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