Jennifer Knapp

Jennifer Lynn Knapp (born April 12, 1974 in Chanute, Kansas) is a Dove Award-winning Christian folk rock musician. She is best known for her first hit single "Undo Me" from her debut album Kansas (1998), and the song "A Little More" from her Grammy Award-nominated album Lay It Down (2000). Her last studio release, The Way I Am (2001), was also nominated for a Grammy. In total, the three albums have sold approximately 1 million copies. After taking a 5-year hiatus, Knapp recently announced on September 18, 2009 that she was returning to music.
==Biography==
Knapp was born in Chanute, Kansas on April 12, 1974, and was brought up irreligiously along with her twin sister Lori. 
As a classically-trained performer Knapp played trumpet in high school, and attended Pittsburg State University on a music scholarship. It was there that she converted to Christianity and eventually incorporated Spiritual themes into her music.
From there, Knapp began performing throughout the Midwest selling her two custom recordings at shows. Her second indie album, Wishing Well, attracted the attention of Nashville label Gotee Records, who signed her the following year.
===Musical career===
Kansas, her critically acclaimed debut release, was received widely and eventually sold over 500,000 copies, becoming Gold-certified by the RIAA. She began touring America, singing primarily in churches, but has also appeared at festivals such as the 1999 Lilith Fair, and at large venues. 
For Lay It Down, her 2000 release, she began moving toward a mainstream sound. This release garnered a Grammy Award nomination in 2001. She also gained a Grammy nomination for her third release The Way I Am.
In addition to her own releases, she has collaborated with a number of artists on various studio projects and releases.
===Alabaster Arts===
Alabaster Arts was the company that Jennifer co-founded with her manager/business partner Steve Thomas early on in her career. In early September 2001 right before the release of the highly anticipated The Way I Am Knapp split with the company. Steve Thomas said that the reasons for Jen's decision were "personal to her and would remain that way."
===Hiatus===
In an interview from the January/February 2004 issue of Relevant Magazine, Knapp stated that she was taking a break from music for a while, leaving the future of her career in God's hands.
"It was definitely time for a break," she said. "I was touring Lay It Down while recording The Way I Am, then went directly into touring that record. It got to where I was just doing shows to support the record, rather than having a record support the heart of the people I was supposed to be serving. I don't want to make and tour another record just because that's what people expect, or because 'it's about that time.'"
Knapp gave no indication of when new material will surface. "Truly, no plans and no promises of when," she said. "At this time there's really not enough material, and I don't want to force anything just for the sake of getting a record finished."
Knapp is still listed as an artist on Gotee Records' web page. Gotee has continued to release albums using her material, including The Collection in which she left a final note to her fans in the CD jacket and a live album produced and put together by her former guitarist Mark Lee Townsend.
On February 26, 2008, Gotee Records re-issued a 10th anniversary edition of Kansas with re-mastered and additional tracks, including "Jesus Loves Me (Wishing Well version)" and other tracks from her 2006 live album.
===Return to Music===
On August 28, 2009, Patrol Magazine reported that Knapp's management confirmed she is "starting to write and record again." Then on September 18, 2009, Knapp issued a personal letter to fans on her website in which she discusses her hiatus and her plans to return to music.http://www.jenniferknapp.com
Jennifer Knapp's officially returned to the scene on September 24, 2009 with a concert at Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles, California. She has additional shows posted on her official Myspace account, you can link it from her main website link below.
==Discography==
*1994: Circle Back
*1996: Wishing Well
*1998: Kansas - RIAA Gold certified
*1999: Lay It Down (promo CD)
*2000: Lay It Down
*2001: The Way I Am
*2003: Jennifer Knapp: The Collection
*2006: Jennifer Knapp Live
*2008: Kansas: 10th anniversary edition
*2010: TBA
==References==
==External links==
* Jennifer Knapp's official website
* Shoutlife profile
* Unofficial Jennifer Knapp Forum
Category:1974 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from Neosho County, Kansas
Category:Contemporary Christian music
Category:Performers of Christian music
Category:Pittsburg State University alumni
Category:American Christians
Category:Former atheists and agnostics