By Jennifer Taylor
Despite the defeat and shame that came after her parents’ divorce, a troubled upbringing, and delays, Contemporary Christian Music Artist Jamie MacDonald shares how God’s grace turned her story around from desperate need to “Desperate” success.
Her debut single spent seven weeks at No. 1 on Billboard and Mediabase Christian charts that led to a Dove Award nomination and three KLOVE Fan Award nominations.
And the reimagined version of the song featuring Lauren Daigle continues to entertain new audiences all before her self-titled debut album drops on January 23.
The Michigan native loved singing, and she sang in many choir programs throughout her childhood. However, memories of singing with her dad and family in the car really reminded her that singing was her first love.
“He would belt out in the car and sing lots of Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman songs. It was like there was no talking in the car because it was only singing.”
Finding Her Voice in the Woods
Sadly though, the family sing-alongs did not last forever. When her father’s professional boxing career ended, he began to struggle with mental illness. Those struggles led to her parents’ divorce, and she was estranged from her father for years. Jamie’s mother would remarry, but her stepfather did not allow singing in the house.
“So, I would go sing in the woods a lot, and I still kind of do that to this day,” she said. “Around that age when my mom remarried, I actually got invited to church camp, and I gave my life to Jesus. I just had my own experience with Jesus there, and you know, the singing never stops at camp. So, I was like, ‘Okay, this is the family for me.’”
“I’ve always had a dream in my heart to sing,” Jamie said. “I was pretty shy, but a feeling started growing in my heart like I want to do this. I feel like I was made to do this.”
However, she never really pursued it as a career until everything changed during the Pandemic. During that time, she reunited with her dad, who was battling Parkinson’s, dementia, and facing end of life issues. So, Jamie moved in to help care for him.
When Music Became Medicine
“He didn’t always know who I was because of the dementia and not seeing me my whole life. He would remember me as a little girl, not as a grown woman,” she said.
“Something beautiful that happened was I still remembered all his favorite songs that he used to play when I was a kid. So, I started playing him all his favorite music, and something unlocked in him. He started remembering every word; he had not heard those songs in probably 20 years or more. Suddenly we had this bonding where we could sing together. Maybe we couldn’t always have a conversation, but we could sing these songs together. It unlocked my passion for music and a deeper reason to go for it.”
Jamie admits she always had a lot of fear and shame in her life that kept her from really going for music.
“But finding my deeper why was really what got me to go for it with all my heart. That experience with my dad got me thinking, I really want to sing again. I really want to release music again.”
It had been about seven years since she released anything. She got involved in leading a prison choir and started teaching songwriting in a women’s prison. She knew she wanted to sing and use her gifts for God, but she was not ready for the industry yet because she was caring for her father.
From Prison Choirs to Platinum Charts
“Singing in that prison unlocked another layer of purpose behind the music and brought hope back into my world. Those girls encouraged me. They walked me through losing my dad. From then on, I was like ‘Alright ladies, I love you so much, but I feel like I gotta move back to Nashville and go for music. If I could get a song on the radio, I could reach all the prisons at one time,’” she said.
“I saw the way music was keeping them alive in there and changing lives inside the prison. I thought, Okay, this is my deeper why. And now, I feel that nothing can stop me.”
Healing with a Limp
Jamie said it has been beautiful to see people respond to her music.
“I’m not singing from a place of victory. I’m still limping along, and facing a lot of my own issues, family traumas, and different things. And it’s like singing these songs is healing me, and it seems like it’s healing others along the way, which has been so beautiful.”
She started writing parts of the album when she was caring for her dad. She feels that the main theme is God can take any mess and make it into something that redeems you and a lot of other people.
“I want people to know no matter what they’ve done, no matter how messy their life is, it’s not too late,” she said. “Give it all to God and start over. Live the life you were meant to live. I’ve messed up so many times, and God has always met me there in the mess and presented a way out. He’s never left me, even when I’ve run out of His will and done things my way. I don’t want anyone to ever run from God. When they’re at their lowest or when they mess everything up, that’s the time to run to God.”
In her first year, Jamie has released multiple power ballads, collaborated with the likes of Lauren Daigle, Chris Tomlin, Toby Mac, Lecrae, Passion. And there are more collaborations on the way. She just wrapped up touring with Benjamin William Hastings. She tours with Chris Tomlin this Christmas season, her album drops in January, and she will be touring with Phil Wickham and Tauren Wells in the spring.
Bigger Than Me Is Where God Steps In
Jamie said she felt like she was going from zero to 500 mph, but it’s been really good. Honestly, she does not always feel ready. But she knows if she waits until then she would never be ready.
“It’s like God’s pushing me in, and I feel He’s with me. Some of it is crazy, and I’m like ‘Are you sure we can do this?’ It feels bigger than me; I’ve never done any of this stuff before,” she said. “So, it’s fun to lean into Him and have Him meet me there in those moments. This spring I will be doing my first arenas. I’m just thinking about taking a deep breath and wondering what that is going to be like. God is going to meet me there.”
“I’m kind of a one day at a time girl. So, I look at what God’s called me to do today, and I find the grace and strength for that moment. Then I don’t think too much about what I have coming up until I get closer to it. That’s kind of a way I protect my nervous system,” she said. “I just feel so welcomed and supported in the industry for my first year. It’s been really, really beautiful.”
Find out more about Jamie listen to more of her music, check out jamiemacdonaldmusic.com and @jamiemacdonaldmusic all socials.
