Musical Career
After graduation, she attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston for a year, studying jazz and opera, before returning home to attend college in the Long Island region. While working to pay her college bill, she committed herself to Christ (1978), and her alto voice gained prominence when she opened for Ed Nalle's group GLAD in 1980 during a concert in the area.
Nalle assisted Troccoli in her career, helping the young artist record demos which would be given to Michael Blanton and Dan Harrell (Amy Grant's brother-in-law), who formed the Reunion label to start her career in 1982 with Stubborn Love, A second album, Heart and Soul, was released in 1984 and gave her first Grammy nomination a year later, followed by Images in 1986. Troccoli also provided backing vocal for Taylor Dayne's song "I'll Be Your Shelter" in 1989/1990.
After her mother's death, she paired with Reunion again in 1991 with Pure Attraction, which launched her on the national charts with the single "Everything Changes," which peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Help Myself To You" became her first #1 hit in her ten-year career, and began a string of GMA Music Awards nominations, including numerous attempts at Female Vocalist.
Numerous hit songs came afterwards, including 1994's "My Life is in Your Hands", jointly written and composed with Bill Montvilo, which defined her career and inspired the devotional book of the same title, written in 1997, and 1995's "Go Light Your World", which began the rise of writer Chris Rice and was used for charity efforts that year.
In 1996, Troccoli was featured on the Beach Boys's now out-of-print album Stars and Stripes Vol. 1, singing lead vocals on a cover of their 1969 song "I Can Hear Music", itself a cover of a Phil Spector song. The Beach Boys sing on the track as well, providing harmonies and backing vocals.
She had no success at the GMA Music Awards from 1992 until 1997. The release of Love & Mercy in 1997 changed her career. One song, "A Baby's Prayer", written and composed after she and collaborator Scott Brasher had observed the abortion issue and Brasher's viewing of Holocaust documentaries, made her a well-sought speaker in 1998, and with the "Inspirational Song" award, she finally won her first GMA Music Award.
Her 1998 release Corner of Eden resulted in an "Inspirational Album" award at the GMA Music Award in 1999, her second GMA Music Award.
Her second Grammy nomination came in 2003 with her album The Heart of Me.
Troccoli was voted the fourth most influential Christan woman in America by Today's Christian Woman magazine.
Read more about this topic: Kathy Troccoli
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