Twila Paris
Twila Inez Paris Wright (born December 28, 1958 in Fort Worth , Texas ) is an American singer, songwriter, pianist and author. She is a successful representative of Christian pop music . Songs that she sang or wrote are sung during church events around the world. She is often compared to the song writer Fanny Crosby .
Life
Paris was born on December 28, 1958 in Fort Worth, Texas, as one of four children to Oren Paris II and Rachel Inez Paris. She grew up in Elm Springs , Arkansas . Paris' family had a very close relationship with Christianity . Her grandparents were already missionaries and traveled through Arkansas as traveling preachers . Her grandmother wrote songs for evangelistic events and her father was also a musician.
At the age of two or three she began to think up and sing her own songs. Paris began playing the piano at the age of six. At the age of twelve she wrote her first song on her father's instructions as homework. Although Paris describes the song as bad, it gave her the knowledge of her ability to write songs. At 17 she wrote her first real song Morning Sunshine . Her career really started in 1981 when she released her first full album, Knowin 'You're Around . She played a leading role in worship and worship music in the 1980s and 90s . In 1992 she received her first Dove Award for her album Sanctuary . In the following (1993-95) years she received the Dove Award for best singer of the year three times in a row and in 1995 the Dove Award for the best song of the year. Her last album Small Sacrifice was released in December 2007.
Today Paris lives with her husband Jack Wright in Fayetteville , Arkansas. You have a son.
Discography
Studio albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US
|
Christian
|
|||
| 1981 | Knowin 'You're Around | - | - | |
| 1982 | Keepin 'My Eyes on You | - | - | |
| 1984 | The Warrior Is a Child | - |
Christian8 (65 weeks) Christian |
|
| 1985 | Kingdom Seekers | - |
Christian13 (25 weeks) Christian |
|
| 1987 | Same girl | - |
Christian6 (53 weeks) Christian |
|
| 1988 | For every heart | - |
Christian6 (65 weeks) Christian |
|
| 1990 | Cry for the desert | - |
Christian2 (49 weeks) Christian |
|
| 1991 | Sanctuary | - |
Christian4 (47 weeks) Christian |
|
| 1993 | Beyond a dream | - |
Christian1 (80 weeks) Christian |
|
| 1996 | Where I Stand |
US87 (9 weeks) US |
Christian3 (57 weeks) Christian |
|
| 1998 | Perennial: Songs for the Season of Life |
US129 (4 weeks) US |
Christian5 (30 weeks) Christian |
|
| 1999 | True North |
US112 (5 weeks) US |
Christian5 (20 weeks) Christian |
|
| 2001 | Bedtime Prayers, Lullabies and Peaceful Worship | - | - | |
| 2003 | House of Worship | - |
Christian28 (5 weeks) Christian |
|
| 2007 | Small sacrifice | - | - | |
Live albums
- 2005: He Is Exalted: Live Worship
Compilations
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Christian
|
|||
| 1992 | Heart That Knows You |
Christian4 (67 weeks) Christian |
|
| 2001 | Greatest hits |
Christian21 (6 weeks) Christian |
More compilations
- 1996: The Early Years
- 2000: Signature Songs
- 2001: Greatest Hits: Time & Again
- 2004: 8 great hits
- 2005: Simply
- 2006: Ultimate Collection
- 2012: God Shed His Grace
- 2014: 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection
Christmas albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Christian
|
|||
| 1989 | It's the thought |
Christian15 (19 weeks) Christian |
|
| 1993 | Celebrate the Gift |
Christian18 (1 week) Christian |
Extended plays
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Christian
|
|||
| 1995 | Time is now |
Christian25 (3 weeks) Christian |
More EPs
- 2014: Hymns
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Christian
|
|||
| 2003 | We Bow Down Greatest Hits |
Christian23 (6 weeks) Christian |
|
| 2004 | God of All House of Worship |
Christian23 (19 weeks) Christian |
|
| 2005 | Days of Elijah He Is Exalted: Live Worship |
Christian28 (8 weeks) Christian |
bibliography
- Making A Christmas Memory (1990) (with Jeanie Price)
- In This Sanctuary: An Invitation To Worship The Savior (1993) (with Dr. Robert Webber)
- Celebrate The Gift of Jesus Every Day (1993, 1994)
- Perennial: Mediations For The Seasons Of Life (1998)
- Bedtime Prayers and Lullabies (2001)
Awards
Paris has received a total of ten Dove Awards :
| year | category | album |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Praise and Worship Album of the Year |
Sanctuary Twila Paris; Richard Souther; Star song |
| 1993 | Female Vocalist of the Year | |
| 1994 | Female Vocalist of the Year | |
| 1995 | Song of the Year |
God is in Control Twila Paris; Ariose Music, Mountain Spring Music (ASCAP) |
| 1995 | Female Vocalist of the Year | |
| 1996 | Special Event Album of the Year |
My Utmost For His Highest Amy Grant, Gary Chapman, Michael W. Smith, Point Of Grace, 4HIM, Cindy Morgan, Sandi Patty, Bryan Duncan, Steven Curtis Chapman, Twila Paris, Phillips, Craig & Dean; Loren Balman, Brown Bannister; Myrrh / Word |
| 1997 | Special Event Album of the Year |
Tribute - The Songs Of Andrae Crouch Cece Winans, Michael W. Smith, Twila Paris, Bryan Duncan, Wayne Watson, The Winans, Clay Crosse, Take 6, The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, First Call, Andrae Crouch And The All Star Choir; Norman Miller, Neal Joseph; Warn |
| 1998 | Special Event Album of the Year |
God With Us - A Celebration Of Christmas Carols & Classics Anointed, Michael W. Smith, Twila Paris, Sandi Patty, Steven Curtis Chapman, Chris Willis, Steve Green, Cheri Keaggy, Avalon, Out Of The Gray, Ray Boltz, Clay Crosse, Cece Winans, Larnelle Harris; |
| 1999 | Long Form Music Video of the Year |
My Utmost For His Highest - The Concert Cindy Morgan, Avalon, Twila Paris, Bryan Duncan, Sandi Patty, Steven Curtis Chapman; Nancy Knox; Clark Santee; Word entertainment; Myrrh Records |
| 2002 | Children's Music Album of the Year |
Bedtime Prayers Lullabies And Peaceful Worship Twila Paris; John Hartley, Derald Daugherty; Sparrow |
literature
- Michael Erlewine, Chris Woodstra, Vladimir Bogdanov (Eds.): All Music Guide: The Best CDs . Albums & tapes. Miller Freeman Books, 1994.
- Billboard . February 22, 1992, March 21, 1992, February 25, 1995.
- Keyboard . March 1992.
- Today's Christian Woman . (May / June), 2002.
- The Wall Street Journal . January 6, 1993.
Web links
swell
- David O. Bowen: Twila Paris (1958-). 2008, accessed January 15, 2010 .
- Paris' website. Retrieved January 15, 2010 .
- Jason Ankeny: Twila Paris - Biography at Allmusic (English). Retrieved March 19, 2010.
- Deborah Evans Price: TWILA PARIS: Paris' Songs Are Prayers To God. American Songwriter, March 1, 1991, accessed March 19, 2010 .
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c d David O. Bowen: Twila Paris (1958–). 2008.
- ↑ Jason Ankeny, allmusic.com.
- ↑ a b Deborah Evans Price: TWILA PARIS: Paris' Songs Are Prayers To God. 1991.
- ↑ a b c d e Chart sources: US
- ^ PAST WINNERS (1992-2002). Gospel Music Association, accessed March 19, 2010 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Paris, Twila |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Wright, Twila Inez Paris (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American Christian singer, songwriter, and author |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 28, 1958 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Fort Worth , Texas |