In 1999, a rowdy college student from Kansas burst onto the contemporary Christian music scene to win Nashville's prestigious Dove Award for New Artist of the Year. Jennifer Knapp's guitar rock grafted into the growing renaissance of gospel music, offering an alternative to mainstream music for Evangelical youth. After three more years and two more albums, however, a burnt-out Knapp--decorated with chart-toppers, Dove Awards and Grammy nominations but frustrated by moralism and hypocrisy--walked away from the business with a firestorm of speculation burning behind her.
Facing the Music is Knapp's introspective, touching account of her volatile upbringing, self-destructive youth, humble Christian conversion and runaway stardom. She elaborates on her musical hiatus, reconciliation with her sexuality and her very public coming-out as a lesbian. While unabashedly honest, Knapp offers past antagonists grace by focusing more on her own internal struggles. Few names are dropped; one standout, however, is Katy Hudson, a young musician Knapp mentored while they toured together. (She goes by Katy Perry now.)
Knapp stays the swirl of gossip that has plagued her career without being vituperative. Her 2010 comeback album, Letting Go, added a new dimension to her work: she began presenting Inside Out Faith, events meant to establish room for LGBT people of faith to tell their stories. Whether her music is a touchstone for the reader or not, her journey is one of hope, resilience, passion and faith. Much may have changed since she entered the limelight, but Knapp powerfully expresses the importance of standing for what you believe. --Dave Wheeler, publishing assistant, Shelf Awareness