Joy Williams | |
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![]() 2011 photo of Joy Williams on stage |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Joy Elizabeth Williams |
Born | November 14, 1982 (age 29) |
Origin | Santa Cruz, California, USA |
Genres | Pop, Folk rock |
Instruments | Vocals, piano, concertina |
Years active | 2000–present |
Labels |
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Associated acts | The Civil Wars |
Website | www.myspace.com/joywilliamsmusic |
Joy Williams is an American singer-songwriter.[1][2] Williams grew up in a Christian family and recorded three Christian music albums, receiving 11 Dove Award nominations. After recording several EP's of popular music she joined the Grammy Award winning duo, The Civil Wars, in 2009.
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Williams grew up in a Christian household. Her parents worked full time in the ministry. Her father was the executive director of a local Christian conference center called ‘Mount Hermon’. [3]Williams attended Valley Christian High School in San Jose, CA, and graduated as valedictorian.[4]
After declining earlier offers, Williams signed a recording contract with the label Reunion Records (a division of Sony/BMG music) at the age 17.[5] She released the albums Joy Williams (2001), By Surprise (2002), and Genesis (2005) collectively selling more than 250,000 copies. Williams has received 11 Dove Award nominations including nominations for Female Vocalist of the Year nominations and Song of the Year.[citation needed] Her song, "Hide" won an ASCAP Music award for the "Most Performed Song" in 2005.[6] Williams severed her contract with Reunion Records in 2005.[5]
In October 2008, she and her husband, founded Sensibility Music as a recording, marketing, management and licensing firm. In the Spring of 2009, Williams released a four song EP called One of Those Days. One of the songs, "Charmed Life", appeared on the season finale of Grey's Anatomy in 2009 and "One of Those Days" was heard on Drop Dead Diva. On May 28, 2009 she released another EP titled Charmed Life (Remixes).[7]
In 2009 she released a double EP, titled Songs From This and Songs From That.[8][9] "Sunny Day" from the former EP was featured on 90210, while "Speaking A Dead Language" from the latter EP was featured on Grey's Anatomy.[10] "Sunny Day" was featured on Grey's Anatomy on the Nov. 12, 2009 episode.[11]"Sunny Day" was also in a Dutch commercial for a fruit juice called Appelsientje which made the song well known in the Netherlands[12] Williams released the EP, We Mapped the World in 2010[13]
In February 2009, Williams formed The Civil Wars with John Paul White. The duo appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in both January and May 2011 and their first studio album, Barton Hollow was released in February of that year.[14] The group received 2012 Grammy Awards for Best Country Duo/Group Performance and Best Folk Album.[15]
Williams is married to Nate Yetton, and in February 2012 she announced her pregnancy and expectation to give birth in June of that year.[16]
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Joy Williams may refer to:
Joy Williams is the self-titled debut album by contemorary Christian music singer Joy Williams, released on August 7, 2001. In an interview after the album's release, Williams said: "Working on my first album, I wanted the music to be indicative of my relationship with Christ and how I was growing." The album featured the hit singles "Serious" and "I Believe In You".
Joy Williams (born Eileen Williams; a.k.a. Joyce Riley Williams, Joy Williams Wiradjuri, Janaka Wiradjuri) (born 13 September 1942 in Sydney; died 22 September 2006 in Primbee, New South Wales, Australia) was an Aboriginal Australian author of poetry.
Joy Williams was born Eileen Williams at the Crown Street Women's Hospital in Sydney. Joy was born illegitimate so her mother gave her to Bomaderry Home. At the age of six she was sent to the Lutanda Children's Home run by the Plymouth Brethren, first at Wentworth Falls and later to Pennant Hills, Sydney. Williams was sent to Lutanda, where she was the only indigenous resident, rather than the Cootamundra Domestic Training Home for Aboriginal Girls because of her fair skin. Williams went to Hornsby Girls' High School and then at the insistence of the Brethren was sent to the Nurses' Home at Parramatta District Hospital at sixteen to become a nurses aide. She was later sent to the North Ryde Psychiatric ward and while on weekend leave she became pregnant with her first child, a daughter. Being heavily sedated Williams was forced to sign adoption papers.