Michele Pillar
Encyclopedia
Michele Diane Pillar is a three-time Grammy-nominated Christian singer, songwriter
and occasional actress. Despite only a short list of studio albums recorded, she has been a strong influence in contemporary Christian music (CCM) for three decades.
guitarist and composer Larry Carlton
. She has worked with such leading figures in her field of music as Phil Keaggy
and Erick Nelson, beginning in 1981. The attention of legendary Christian
singer Billy Ray Hearn led her to sign a contract with Sparrow Records
, that same year, where she released three albums, before disappearing into the limelight in 1984. Her 1991studio album Love Makes All the Difference was considered a major event and her return to recording as a solo artist after working on her husband's music and a variety of other projects.
Pillar's album Reign On Me and her project with Erick Nelson, The Misfit, are now considered classics of the CCM genre
. The Misfit has recently been re-issued on compact disc. When not recording, she also teamed up with Steve Camp
on the song "Love's Not a Feeling" (from Camp's 1983 album, Fire and Ice
). She also appeared with Camp on "Do Something Now," in 1985, and also served as the background vocalist (from Camp's 1987 album, After God's Own Heart).
-related shooting in front of their Los Angeles
house. Though her husband had to learn to play the guitar all over again, doctors removed the .357 magnum bullet in his neck that nearly paralyzed him. It narrowly missed his spinal cord. Pillar recorded again in 2007 with the Christmas CD (335 Records), "I Hear Angels Calling". The title track (by: Pillar, Nathan East and Jeff Babko) is a popular spin on Nashville's #1 AC Pop
station, Mix 92.9 during the Holidays. In 2008 she signed with a book agent to write an autobiography.
Pillar's voice was featured on The Simpsons
on a number of occasions imitating the voice of Karen Carpenter
and others.
in Fall of 2000. Closer To Home benefits residents of Williamson County, Tennessee
. Fund raising shows have been headlined by Vince Gill
, Jo Dee Messina
, Steve Winwood
, Michael McDonald
, Wynonna
, Ricky Skaggs
, Phil Vassar
, and Larry Carlton
. These shows have included a variety of other artists and songwriters from many styles of music.
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and occasional actress. Despite only a short list of studio albums recorded, she has been a strong influence in contemporary Christian music (CCM) for three decades.
Early career
In 1987, aged 32, she married the jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
guitarist and composer Larry Carlton
Larry Carlton
Larry Carlton is an American jazz, smooth jazz, jazz fusion, pop, and rock guitarist and singer. He has divided his recording time between solo recordings and session appearances with various well-known bands...
. She has worked with such leading figures in her field of music as Phil Keaggy
Phil Keaggy
Phil Keaggy is an American acoustic and electric guitarist and vocalist who has released more than 50 albums and contributed to many more recordings in both the contemporary Christian music and mainstream markets...
and Erick Nelson, beginning in 1981. The attention of legendary Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
singer Billy Ray Hearn led her to sign a contract with Sparrow Records
Sparrow Records
-Background:Sparrow Records was founded in 1976 by Billy Ray Hearn, then A&R director at Myrrh Records. Purchased by EMI in 1992, it is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group, and has been named by Billboard Magazine as "America's Best Christian Music Record Label"...
, that same year, where she released three albums, before disappearing into the limelight in 1984. Her 1991studio album Love Makes All the Difference was considered a major event and her return to recording as a solo artist after working on her husband's music and a variety of other projects.
Pillar's album Reign On Me and her project with Erick Nelson, The Misfit, are now considered classics of the CCM genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
. The Misfit has recently been re-issued on compact disc. When not recording, she also teamed up with Steve Camp
Steve Camp
Steven J. Camp is a prominent American Dove Award and Grammy Award-nominated contemporary Christian music artist with an adult contemporary pop sound. He was very popular in the 1980s and early 1990s, where he has sold more than a million albums, who also has written or co-written 21 number one...
on the song "Love's Not a Feeling" (from Camp's 1983 album, Fire and Ice
Fire and Ice (Steve Camp album)
Fire and Ice is a Contemporary Christian Music album by Steve Camp and was released by Sparrow Records in late 1983. This was Camp's first studio album since switching from Word earlier that year .- Track listing :#"Upon This Rock"#"It Is Good"#"Love's Not a...
). She also appeared with Camp on "Do Something Now," in 1985, and also served as the background vocalist (from Camp's 1987 album, After God's Own Heart).
Her comeback
After a successful 1991 comeback, her career came to a standstill when her husband was nearly killed in a random gangGang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
-related shooting in front of their Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
house. Though her husband had to learn to play the guitar all over again, doctors removed the .357 magnum bullet in his neck that nearly paralyzed him. It narrowly missed his spinal cord. Pillar recorded again in 2007 with the Christmas CD (335 Records), "I Hear Angels Calling". The title track (by: Pillar, Nathan East and Jeff Babko) is a popular spin on Nashville's #1 AC Pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
station, Mix 92.9 during the Holidays. In 2008 she signed with a book agent to write an autobiography.
Pillar's voice was featured on The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
on a number of occasions imitating the voice of Karen Carpenter
Karen Carpenter
Karen Anne Carpenter was an American singer and drummer. She and her brother, Richard, formed the 1970s duo The Carpenters. She was a drummer of exceptional skill, but she is best remembered for her vocal performances of idealistic romantic ballads of true love...
and others.
Charities
Closer To Home is a Charity started by Michele Pillar and Larry CarltonLarry Carlton
Larry Carlton is an American jazz, smooth jazz, jazz fusion, pop, and rock guitarist and singer. He has divided his recording time between solo recordings and session appearances with various well-known bands...
in Fall of 2000. Closer To Home benefits residents of Williamson County, Tennessee
Williamson County, Tennessee
Williamson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010 US Census, the population was 183,182. The County's seat is Franklin, and it is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is named after Hugh Williamson, a...
. Fund raising shows have been headlined by Vince Gill
Vince Gill
Vincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
, Jo Dee Messina
Jo Dee Messina
Jo Dee Marie Messina , known professionally as Jo Dee Messina, is an American country music artist. She has charted nine Number One singles on the Billboard country music charts. She has been honored by the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music and has been nominated for two...
, Steve Winwood
Steve Winwood
Stephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood is an English international recording artist whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is a songwriter and a musician whose genres include soul music , R&B, rock, blues-rock, pop-rock, and jazz...
, Michael McDonald
Michael McDonald (singer)
Michael McDonald is a five-time Grammy Award winning American singer and songwriter. McDonald is known for a soulful baritone singing style and a multi-octave range. He began his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan...
, Wynonna
Wynonna Judd
Wynonna Ellen Judd is an American country music singer. Her solo albums and singles are all credited to the singular name Wynonna. Wynonna first rose to fame in the 1980s alongside her mother, Naomi, in the country music duo The Judds...
, Ricky Skaggs
Ricky Skaggs
Rickie Lee "Ricky" Skaggs is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo.-Early career:...
, Phil Vassar
Phil Vassar
Phil Vassar is an American country music artist. Vassar made his debut on the country music scene in the late 1990s, co-writing singles for several country artists, including Tim McGraw , Jo Dee Messina , Collin Raye , and Alan Jackson Phil Vassar (born May 28, 1964 in Lynchburg, Virginia) is an...
, and Larry Carlton
Larry Carlton
Larry Carlton is an American jazz, smooth jazz, jazz fusion, pop, and rock guitarist and singer. He has divided his recording time between solo recordings and session appearances with various well-known bands...
. These shows have included a variety of other artists and songwriters from many styles of music.
Discography
- The Misfit (with Erick Nelson) (1979)
- Michele Pillar (1982)
- Reign On Me (1983)
- Look Who Loves You Now (1984)
- Love Makes All the Difference (1991)
- "I Hear Angels Calling" (2006)
- "Found" (not yet released)