Avalon Worship

Joel Caballero
1 day ago
4 min read

Avalon Worship (also known as Avalon) is an American contemporary Christian vocal quartet that was formed in 1995 in Nashville, Tennessee after Norman Miller of Proper Management took the idea of beginning a vocal group to Grant Cunningham, A&R Director at Sparrow Records. Cunningham attended an artist showcase in Nashville where he heard singer Michael Passons and made him the first Avalon member. Former Truth vocalist and South Carolina native Janna Potter (later Janna Long) became the group's second member. Rikk Kittlemann and Tabitha Fair became part of the group, but each left after a short time. Long contacted Jody McBrayer, her former Truth bandmate, who joined the group. Nikki Hassman (now Nikki Hassman-Anders) was also chosen. Hassman recorded two albums with Avalon, Avalon (1996) and A Maze of Grace (1997), before leaving in May 1998 to pursue a solo career with Sony Records.

Avalon's breakthrough came in 1998 when their second album, A Maze of Grace, was released and contained "Testify to Love" and it became the group's biggest hit and signature song climbing to number one on The CCM Update's Christian AC chart. A year later, "Testify to Love" won them a Dove Award for Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year. CCM Magazine named the song as one of the 100 greatest songs in Christian music in 2006.

Cherie Paliotta (later Cherie Adams) replaced Hassman in the group. Adams recorded four albums with Avalon: In a Different Light (1999), Joy: A Christmas Collection (2000), Oxygen (2001), and a remix album, O2: Avalon Remixed (March 2002). She departed the group and was replaced by Melissa Greene, a former Truth member, in September 2002. That same month, McBrayer released a solo album, This Is Who I Am, which included the Top 10 duet with Jadyn Maria "Never Alone (Nunca Solo)" and a No. 1 single "To Ever Live Without Me." Janna Long released a self-titled solo album in October 2002 which contained the No. 2 song "Greater Is He."

On March 25, 2003, Avalon released their first greatest hits album, Testify to Love: The Very Best of Avalon, which featured two new singles that became No. 1 hits; "Everything to Me" and "New Day." It was the last album to include Passons.

Passons revealed in an interview in 2020 that he was forced out of Avalon due to his sexual orientation as a gay man and refusal to continue attending conversion therapy. Passions was replaced by Janna Long's husband Greg Long, himself a CCM vocalist. Avalon's next album The Creed was released in 2004 featuring the new line-up of the Longs, McBrayer and Greene. Two more albums followed: Stand and Faith: A Hymns Collection. For a time, McBrayer left Avalon in 2007 after being diagnosed with a heart condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyoparthy.

Jeremi Richardson replaced McBrayer while he was on leave. On November 11, 2007 at a show in Spring Arbor, Michigan, Greene announced that it was the first concert with Richardson officially being a member of the group. Avalon released their next album Another Time, Another Place: Timeless Christian Classics, their covers album of classic CCM songs including a new recording of "Testify to Love."

McBrayer recorded his vocals before he left the group. In 2009, Avalon released their second "best of" album The Greatest Hits which contained a new track "Still My God" and the first song with Richardson. It marked the departure of Greene and their contract with Sparrow Records.

Their next album Reborn was released on the E1 Music label (now MNRK Music Group). It was the first and only album to feature Jeremi and his wife Amy Richardson. On August 7, 2018, after a decade as members of Avalon, Jeremi and Amy Richardson left the group stopped touring. Later on, Avalon announced on their Facebook page that Jody McBrayer was returning to the group after being away for a decade and the addition of new member Dani Rocca. Two months later, Avalon announced that they were signed as the flagship artists on Red Street Records, a new label launched by Rascal Flatts bassist Jay DeMarcus. DeMarcus, before joining Rascal Flatts, was one half of the Christian music duo East to West in the mid-1990s. Avalon released "Keeper of My Heart" on December 7, 2019, 10 years after Avalon's previous radio single. It was followed by a new album, Called, on February 14, 2020 and tour.

In 2022, the group rebranded under the name Avalon Worship and have released a self-titled album with this moniker. Dani Rocca left Avalon Worship in 2025. The current line-up of the group is Greg and Janna Long and Jody McBrayer. A fourth member has yet to be announced.

More information on Avalon Worship on Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avalon_(American_group)

Discography

Avalon (1996)

A Maze of Grace (1997)

In a Different Light (1999)

Joy: A Christmas Collection (2000)

Oxygen (2001)

O2: Avalon Remixed (2002) (remix album)

Testify to Love: The Very Best of Avalon (2003) (compilation album)

The Creed (2004)

Stand (2006)