Janice Gaines- Gospel’s New “It Girl”
By Jeanelle Drysdale
Born and raised in Memphis, TN where many music legends derive; Janice Gaines and her family have been singing for generations. As a kid she had countless memories of watching her mom sing at church and as a “PK” (Preacher’s Kid) naturally she had to sing at church. Janice Gaines was destined to be Motown Gospel’s new emerging artist.
I had the pleasure to have dinner with Janice at the delicious Madiba’s Harlem at MIST ( My Image Studios) where we ate authentic South African food and then joined Janice’s listening party for her debut album “Greatest Life Ever”. At dinner I got a chance to sit down and chat with Janice. She is a sweet southern girl with a little bit of a New York twist. For a long time she did not see her gift as something that was special, not until she became a teacher at a Bronx Middle school. More than anything they wanted her to sing to them. Ironically, Janice decided to help a friend out by reading her new book about how to break into the gospel industry. From that day in 2009, she could not deny where God was calling her to, Gospel music.
After that she decided to do some background work where she sang at many studio sessions and conferences but did not quite find her voice. She then decided to take the time to find her voice and her musical styling. Once she decided to put on a showcase, the President of Motown Gospel attended and the rest as they say is history! After signing with Motown Gospel, Janice began working with her dream producer, Grammy Award winner Lashawn Daniels, who has also worked with the late greats Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, as well as Destiny’s Child, Brandy, Monica, Tamar Braxton and more. They went to the studio and made some awesome music, thus the creation of her debut album “Greatest Life Ever”.
Janice is a very strong soprano, but don’t expect the traditional Gospel and church sound. Her voice is very refreshing and her style is very contemporary, yet urban which makes her such a gem for today’s worshippers. Pick up Janice Gaines’ EP, “The Break Up Song” featuring Eric Dawkins and “Wait On You” on iTunes and all other digital outlets.
