Growing up in Memphis, Janice was surrounded by music and ministry. “It’s just what we did,” she jokingly recalls. “We sang and we went to church!” Janice led songs in every church choir her mother directed, and listened intently to each of her father’s sermons. As a teenager, she was the youngest member of O’landa Draper & The Associates, while also singing in a local group led by her brother, Jon Reddick.

By the time she finished college, Janice had gained more experience through studio session work, appearing in a major motion picture, and as a professional background vocalist. But it wasn’t until early 2009, as she worked on a Master of Education (having already obtained a Master of Divinity), that Janice began to even consider that her musical experiences might have been more than a mere pastime. She began to wonder what God really wanted from her. And one day, prompted by a friend, Janice laid down her own will, and asked about His.

As if He were simply waiting for her question, God immediately began opening doors in music. Moving with her husband from New York City to Nashville, Janice transitioned from schoolteacher to full-time singer, immediately stepping into her artistry.

Within months, she joined the worship team of the popular Women of Faith conferences, where she currently leads as many as 12,000 women in worship each weekend in arenas across the country. In addition to these thousands of attendees, Janice Gaines has garnered the support of several of the biggest names in Gospel and Christian music, including Pastor Donnie McClurkin, Mary Mary, Donald Lawrence, Natalie Grant and Mandisa.

But perhaps the most profound work was done in Janice’s own heart. “I finally accepted the truth that God’s plans for my life are much better than mine. And the evidence of it was that, once I started to dive into my music, I was more at peace and felt more alive than I had ever been.”