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With her vivacious personality, infectious optimism, and passionate spirit for the Lord, Tammy can't help but make an impression on everyone she meets. Her fire for music and sharing the gospel fuels her boundless energy and keeps Tammy inspired as she follows the path that has led her from Grand Rapids,
Michigan to her new home at Sparrow Records.
On her Sparrow debut "Set You Free", Tammy is excited about the opportunity to minister through her music. She comes by her musical talent naturally, having grown up watching her mother, a speaker and performer on the gospel circuit. Tammy often traveled with her Mom to churches, women's conferences, nursing homes and prisons, and decided early on that music would be her chosen path as well. "I would sit on that front row watching my Mom minister, and I learned at a young age that Christian music was a very powerful thing, full of hope and a huge source of strength", recalls Tammy. "I'd see people's lives being so affected by the music, and it really shaped me and molded me and gave me a real passion for what I was doing".
After high school, Tammy elected to do a year at Southeastern Bible College in Lakeland, Florida before beginning to seriously pursue her music. In 1991, her best friend, Pam Thum, introduced her to songwriter John Mandeville, and she and John worked on a demo that would later land her a record deal with the indie label, R.E.X. Music. In 1995, she released her self-titled debut which yielded a #1 song, "Your Love Is 4 Always", and three other Top 10 singles. On her second album titled, "You Have My Heart", Tammy enlisted the production talents of Fred Hammond and long time friend John Mandeville and recorded a solid Pop/R&B effort that generated another three Top 10 hits. When R.E.X. got bought out by Platinum Entertainment, she moved for a time to Platinum's Light Records. Shortly thereafter, Platinum phased out their Christian label interests.
"At that time still under contract, Platinum strongly encouraged me to do a mainstream project with them, but my heart just wasn't in it. So I took the next six months begging them to let me out of my contract. I had to really learn to trust God and have faith that He would see me through this. And He did. I watched Him do a real miracle and after six months they finally released me. You see, my heart is for the church and encouraging Christians. It's a part of my personality being full of energy and helping to stir people up with the passion and fire that I've found, and I think that's where I'm used the most. Going into a church that hasn't laughed in awhile and make them laugh...going into a church that hasn't cried in awhile and watching the tears flow - I love that. And with all that's happened in my life, how could I turn away from that just to do a mainstream thing? I have no future in that. My future is in Christ alone!"
Sparrow recognized that dedication and invited Tammy into their label family in 1999. Appropriately titled, "Set You Free", Tammy's debut is peppered with plenty of uplifting tracks and fun-filled rocking R&B tunes. Produced by talents like Mark Hammond, Joe Priolo, Todd Collins, Michael Quinlan and Michael Linney, the songs are a reflection of Tammy herself, full of light and energy, spunk and contagious enthusiasm. And she is excited to finally have a new album of songs to perform that match her zest for life and spreading God's word.
Its imperative to Tammy that she record only songs that speak truth that she can both relate to and relate to others. She takes her responsibility as a conduit for God's love seriously and hopes to continue growing and reaching more and more people as she stretches as an artist in future years.
"For me, having something to say is really important. I want to make people feel comfortable and loved through my music, so I've got to have songs on my record that'll support my heart and what's going on in my life, so I'll have something to say and to sing. Where people's hearts are is still so important to me and my place in their life through my music is still critical to me. Every night I'm challenged to say something deeper or more meaningful, and it challenges me to keep growing in my own faith. I want to be one of those artists like Steven Curtis Chapman or Twila Paris. I think of their heritage, how they've been so consistent with their walk and faithful with their music and lyrics. They walk it, talk it, sing about it and live it. And I would love for people to have said that about me...for people to say she made a difference."
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