Susan Ashton
| Susan Ashton | |
|---|---|
Ashton in 2011
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Susan Rae Hill |
| Born | July 17, 1967 |
| Origin | Irving, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | Contemporary Christian music, country |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Labels | Sparrow, Capitol |
Susan Ashton (born Susan Rae Hill, July 17, 1967) is an American contemporary Christian Music and country music artist who topped the Christian charts throughout the 1990s. In 1991 she began using her mother's maiden name, Ashton, when she recorded her first single, in order to distinguish herself from CCM singer Kim Hill.
Ashton has recorded eight studio albums to date, of which six were released on Sparrow Records. She has also charted fourteen number one hits on the Christian charts, and four singles on the Hot Country Songs charts; her highest-peaking song on the latter is 1999's "You're Lucky I Love You", which reached No. 37.
In 1991, she released her debut album, Wakened by the Wind, which became the top-selling debut in the history of the Sparrow Records label, with Ashton repeatedly reaching number one in the Christian charts that year. She was nominated for a Dove award for New Artist of the Year and won a CCM readers and reporters poll for Best New Artist. Ashton claimed that her fondest memories with Sparrow Records were during the recording of her first album, "That was so special and since I was so young and green, there was a real innocence in that process that's still beautiful to me. I can listen to anything on that record, and it's all very clear with distinct emotions attached to making it. I love everything about the lyrics, musicianship and instrumentation. There's one song, "No One Knows My Heart," where the drummer played a shoebox. On "Suffer in Silence," one of the instruments credited was a "pencil guitar."
In 1992, her second album, Angels of Mercy, produced four CCM number one singles and was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Pop Gospel Album category.
On her eponymous 1993 release, Ashton was quoted during the recording of the album track "Heart Like a Rock, "I was messing around doing vocals and singing along trying to sound like an electric guitar. We actually recorded it and that sound of me imitating the guitar is still kept in the final record. There was so much fun stuff on all those records and they were all a reflection of growth and maturity and life experience through those years."
Ashton won the 1993 CCM readers award for Favorite Inspirational Album and a reporters poll for Best Female Artist. Later that year, she married John David Cunningham.
In 1994, Ashton, in collaboration with CCM artists Margaret Becker and Out of the Grey's Christine Denté, released a trio album Along the Road. The title track is a remake of the composition by Dan Fogelberg, while the remaining songs are original to this album. Lead vocals are split evenly among the three singers.
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