Michele Pillar (1982)

Joel Caballero
3 days ago
2 min read

Michele Pillar is the debut studio album by Christian singer Michele Pillar. It was released by Sparrow Records on June 29, 1982. The album was produced by musicians and songwriters J.L. Wallace and Lonnie Ledford. Wallace was one third of the studio pop group known as Bama, who were songwriters along with Ken Bell and Terry Skinner, who wrote The Carpenter's final number one AC hit "Touch Me When We're Dancing" in 1981. Ledford was a session bass player and was a member of Crystal Drive in the early 1970s. The album was recorded at East Avalon Recorders in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

After her collaboration album, The Misfit, with Erick Nelson was released, Pillar, at the time, was singing with The Maranatha Singers. She sang backing vocals on Phil Keaggy's 1981 album Town to Town, including her vocal duet with Keaggy on "What a Wonder You Are," which brought her to the attention Christian music label executive Billy Ray Hearn and a recording contract with Sparrow. Her self-titled debut release showcased her silky alto vocals, reminiscent of Karen Carpenter on some of the tracks. Her debut single "Walk Across Heaven" (written by Wallace and Ledford) was her first Top 10 Christian radio hit, peaking at number 4. Her second single "More Than Just a Man" was another hit climbing to number 11. The song "You" was written by Keaggy. Pillar even got involved in songwriting co-writing four songs and wrote solo on "The Things I Hope For You."

Michele Pillar helped establish Pillar as a significant voice in contemporary Christian music in the early 1980s and features a blend of gospel, jazz and soul-influenced styles.

Track listing

1. Walk Across Heaven (J.L. Wallace, Lonnie Ledford) -4:10

2. You Were There All Along (Ava Aldridge, Lenny LeBlanc) -3:43

3. More Than Just a Man (Michele Pillar, Cathy McGraw) -3:33

4. You've Known Me All My Life (J.L. Wallace, Lonnie Ledford) -3:18

5. Free From the Night (Michele Pillar, Lenny LeBlanc) -3:25

6. Rock of Love (Michele Pillar, Lenny LeBlanc) -3:19

7. The Things I Hope For You (Michele Pillar) -3:19

8. In Nazareth There's a Carpenter (J.L. Wallace, Lonnie Ledford) -4:20

9. You (Phil Keaggy) -2:41

10. I Can Do It All By Myself (Michele Pillar, J.L. Wallace, Lonnie Ledford) -4:25

Radio singles