Jody McBrayer (born June 25, 1970) is an American singer/songwriter and a member of

Christian pop Contemporary Christian music, also known as CCM, Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and s ...

groups

Cana's Voice Cana's Voice is an American Christian music trio from the United States; which formed in 2016. They have released one studio album, '' This Changes Everything'' (2016), with StowTown Records. Background The trio are Ernie Haase & Signature Soun ...

and

Avalon Avalon (; la, Insula Avallonis; cy, Ynys Afallon, Ynys Afallach; kw, Enys Avalow; literally meaning "the isle of fruit r appletrees"; also written ''Avallon'' or ''Avilion'' among various other spellings) is a mythical island featured in the ...

Career

McBrayer attended college at

Liberty University Liberty University (LU) is a private Baptist university in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia (Southern Baptist Convention). Founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell Sr. and Elmer L. Towns, Liberty i ...

. He got his start in contemporary Christian music right out of college in 1992 as a member of the vocal group Truth. In 1994, McBrayer was a vocalist in

Ray Conniff Joseph Raymond Conniff (November 6, 1916 – October 12, 2002) was an American bandleader and arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s. Biography Conniff was born November 6, 1916 in Attleboro, Massachusetts, United St ...

's Latin America tour. In 1995, McBrayer joined the Christian contemporary group

. He would go on to travel with the group for 12 years, during which the group released nine albums, garnered 21 No. 1 songs, three Grammy nominations and three Dove Awards. In 2002, McBrayer released his first solo album, ''This Is Who I Am'', with

Sparrow Records Sparrow Records is a Christian music record label and a division of Universal Music Group. History Sparrow Records was founded in 1976 by Billy Ray Hearn, then artists and repertoire (A&R) director at Myrrh Records. Purchased by Thorn EMI in ...

. In interviews regarding that album, he said the death of his father, Clyde "Sonny" McBrayer, on September 13, 2000, inspired the album. "My father's passing brought a moment of revelation. I returned home with so much on my heart and a vision for how to express it. Though Avalon has a common mission statement, these are feelings too personal for a group." One of the tracks, "Never Alone", featured

Jadyn Maria Jadyn Douglas (previously known as Jadyn Maria; born April 20, 1985) is a Puerto Rican singer. At the age of seventeen, she was signed to EMI and later to Universal Motown in 2008, releasing a few singles to little commercial success. Douglas th ...

. His song "To Ever Live Without Me" received the BMI Christian Music Award for Most Performed Christian Song of the Year in 2004. In 2007, he announced he would leave Avalon due to a rare form of the heart disease

hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM, or HOCM when obstructive) is a condition in which the heart becomes thickened without an obvious cause. The parts of the heart most commonly affected are the interventricular septum and the ventricles. This r ...

. He released what was thought to be his last record as a member of the group, '' Another Time, Another Place'' in 2008. In 2016, showing improvement in the management of his condition, McBrayer and fellow vocalists TaRanda Greene and Doug Anderson formed the group

. They released their first studio album, ''This Changes Everything'', in May of that year. In February, he released a second solo studio effort, '' Keep Breathing'', through StowTown Records. On October of the same year, a solo Christmas record, ''Christmastime,'' was released. In August 2018, McBrayer rejoined Avalon. In addition to his Avalon duties, he continues to perform with Cana's Voice and on solo tour dates.

Personal life

McBrayer is married to Stephanie Harrison and has one daughter, Sarah-Clayton. In his 2021 memoir ''So Far, So Good (... But It Was Touch and Go There for a While)'', McBrayer recounted the sexual abuse committed against him by a Sunday School teacher and his resulting struggle with depression and suicidal ideation as an adult. He also criticized Christian churches for ignoring depression. Additionally, McBrayer pointed out the hypocrisy he has observed in many churches.

References

1970 births Liberty University alumni Living people Sparrow Records artists {{US-musician-stub