After college, Wayne played in churches until another
divine appointment brought
him to lead worship at a Christian camp. The father of one of the children
videotaped the performance and then sent it to a Nashville music rep. The
rest, as
they say, is history. Now with the release of his thirteenth album and
Warner alliance
debut, sure to be another contemporary Christian landmark, Wayne is poised
and
ready for a new chapter in his already illustrious career.
Twice nominated for Grammys and a multiple Dove award
winner, Wayne has had
an amazing 30 Top 10 singles, 18 of them reaching Number 1. His compassion
and
concern for others and his awareness of the challenges and rewards of family
life
have provided a unique foundation for artistry.
"I take what I do and say as an artist a lot more seriously than I
did in the
beginning," allows Wayne. "I realize every night we play, how
much people look at
what I say for hope and encouragement. Because of that, I try to be responsible
and sensitive. It's not all about me and what I want to do."
On the subject of his Warner Alliance album, Wayne remarks
"Field of Souls is the
first album where I stepped back and let someone else take the helm."
Notwithstanding, Wayne didn't bow out of the production end of things entirely
but
produced both "Rock Steady" and a powerful plea for sexual purity,
"Wait A Little
Longer."
"It made me a little nervous turning things over,"
Wayne admits. "While others may
work on it for a few months, I have to live with the songs for years, recreating
them
in a live format. As a writer and artist, I hope the songs are strong enough
to stand
on their own without a lot of smoke and mirrors. Fortunately, both Michael
Omaritan
and David Pack understood and respected that from the beginning."
Field of Souls' first single was
"The Class of '95," released in the spring coinciding
with graduation and creating quite a media stir. Wayne says, "It was
a personal
message to my son on his graduation. That's very special and makes the
song
particularly meaningful to me." "Field of Souls," the second
single (soon to be a
video) was an album highlight for Wayne from the beginning, reflecting,
as it
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