Joshua Payne

小簡介
Joshua Payne生下就先天失聰，幸好幼年手術(shù)成功聽力恢復了大半。為了訓練他的聽力，手術(shù)后他父母在家不斷播放各種類型的音樂，好讓他浸淫在音樂的環(huán)境里自然康復。與此同時Joshua的父母發(fā)現(xiàn)他們的兒子擁有一副天生的好嗓子，因此就鼓勵Joshua參加教堂及學校里的合唱團，Joshua最早的歌唱生涯就此開始。此后他就以這得天獨厚的天賦戰(zhàn)勝了先天的聽障，為自己的人生道路以及樂團增添了一個傳奇。大學畢業(yè)后他贏得多項古典樂大獎，后來為了生計在餐廳工作、演舞臺劇。盡管如此，他依然沒有放棄成為歌手的目標，直至有天遇到監(jiān)制 Michael Omartian并深得其欣賞，一顆閃亮的星星就此誕生。
With a booming baritone voice and an opera background, singer and songwriter Joshua Payne brings an unique set of skills to the pop table. Payne was born almost completely deaf, although an operation while he was still a toddler managed to restore most of his hearing, and music became a big factor in his rehabilitation to a world full of sounds. Payne's early childhood was spent in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, but when he was eight, he moved with his family to rural Arkansas. Both his parents had strong musical backgrounds -- his mother as a classical singer, his father as a preacher and choir director -- and the home was full of music, from James Taylor to Prokofiev, but Payne preferred sports, although his strong singing voice was already apparent. He graduated high school in 1991, attending Ouchita College on a football scholarship, but a serious knee injury turned his attention back to music; he began studying voice , and soon was winning opera competitions. Payne enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts program in vocal music at the University of Memphis, and began touring with Opera Memphis, where his strong baritone won him several title roles.
Following graduation, he relocated to Nashville, which was where pianist Jim Brickman heard Payne sing in 2002, quickly offering him a spot on his package tour. At tour's end, Payne was introduced to noted producer Michael Omartian, who was impressed by this kid from Arkansas with the big booming baritone and a trunk full of songs. The two put together a demo and were shopping it to labels when Ron Goldstein at Verve Music Group heard it and signed Payne to a deal. Payne's debut album on Verve, Your Love, My Home was produced by Omartian and released in 2004.