Susan Ashton

Joel Caballero
1 day ago
5 min read

Susan Ashton (born Susan Rae Hill, July 17, 1967 in Irving, Texas) is an American contemporary Christian music and country artist who has topped the Christian music charts throughout the 1990s. In 1991 she began using her mother's maiden name, Ashton, when she recorded her first single, in order to distinguish herself from fellow CCM singer Kim Hill. Ashton has recorded seven studio albums to date, of which four were released on Sparrow Records, and an EP. She has also charted fourteen number one hits on the Christian charts, and four singles on the Hot Country Songs charts; her highest-peaking song on the latter is 1999's "You're Lucky I Love You," which reached No. 37.

After high school, Ashton committed her life to "sing for the Lord," and took on a number of session projects, notably singing with Wayne Watson on his 1987 hit "Watercolour Ponies" and also sang backing vocals on albums by Carman, Sheila Walsh, Rich Mullins and Steve Green. She signed with Sparrow Records in 1990 and started on her debut album Wakened By the Wind. A year later, it was released in 1991 and it became a top-selling album by a debut recording artist. Ashton had her first No. 1 hit with "Down On My Knees" on The CCM Update's Christian AC chart and more songs followed like "In Amazing Grace Land," "No One Knows My Heart" and "Benediction." In 1992, Ashton earned her first Dove Award nomination for New Artist of the Year and later released her second album Angels of Mercy.

The lead single and music video "Here In My Heart" was an even bigger hit topping the Christian AC chart for a week and peaking at No. 3 on the Christian CHR chart. In 1993, Ashton earned her first, and only, Grammy nomination for Best Pop Gospel Album and at the Dove Awards, she earned three nominations including Female Vocalist of the Year. She participated in the Amy Grant-led praise and worship youth project Songs From the Loft, which was released in September 1993. A couple of months later in November 1993, Ashton released her self-titled third album Susan Ashton. "Waiting For Your Love to Come Down" and "Remember Not" topped the Christian AC chart. In 1994, she picked up another Dove nomination for Female Vocalist of the Year. Later in August 1994, she collaborated with Sparrow label mates Margaret Becker and Out of the Grey's

Christine Denté for a trio album Along the Road. The title track is a remake of the 1979 composition by Dan Fogelberg, while the remaining songs are original to this album. Lead vocals are split evenly among the three singers.

Also in 1994, country music superstar Garth Brooks approached Ashton to open for him on his European Tour. She stated in 2005,"I did a leg of his '94 European tour, but we weren't playing to his largest crowds. But there was still something very special about his audience. Initially I was a little nerve-wracked, worrying they'd boo me off the stage, but I got a wonderful response. I was also really nervous about meeting him, but he was so nice and supportive. He told me if there was anything I ever needed, just to let him know."

In 1995 with just three albums in, Ashton released her first compilation collection So Far...The Best of Susan Ashton featuring her previously released Christian radio hits and two new recordings including "Stand." Her final Sparrow release is her fourth studio album A Distant Call in 1996. It contains the tracks "All Kinds of People" that was co-written by Grammy Award winning rock singer Sheryl Crow and "You Move Me," that Garth Brooks would later record for his 1997 release Sevens. Later, Ashton provided vocals along with Collin Raye for the 1997 Jim Brickman single "The Gift," from Brickman's Christmas album of the same name. That single was number one on the mainstream AC chart for three consecutive weeks.

In 1998, Ashton worked on her first mainstream country album on Capitol Nashville entitled Closer and was released in 1999. She reached the country music charts with "You're Lucky I Love You," which peaked at No. 38. Included on this album is Ashton's cover of "Can't Cry Hard Enough," a song originally recorded by The Williams Brothers. This album was not a commercial success. When asked about this, Ashton responded in 2005, "My perspective is that it did not turn out what I wanted it to be. I wanted it to be a great country record because I'm from Texas and I love that music. But the producers I was working with—who I wholeheartedly believed wanted the best for me—loved my Christian records [with Sparrow], and they were trying to emulate those a little

bit. I'm proud of those records, but they aren't country records." Song writing for this album includes Kim Richey, Matraca Berg, Bill Mann and Diane Warren. Ashton only co-wrote one song. Closer was produced by Emory Gordy, Jr., husband and producer to Patty Loveless.

During the 2000s, Ashton recorded her follow-up album for Capitol, but it was shelved and has never been released (although the first single "She Is" was released in 2003 as a stand-alone track). She spent three years recording but was later dropped by Capitol. Ashton said "So I've spent the last year being a nanny, sitting, waiting and hearing what God wants me to do with my life. It was really difficult, but at the same time I've I needed some healing and clarity. This past year has been really emotional and ultimately turned out really good. I think I was probably aware that I was going to lose my deal, but it's a whole different story knowing you're going to lose it and then actually having it be gone."

In 2004, Ashton released a second collaboration album with Christine Denté and Michelle Tumes entitled Kisses From Heaven that was originally released in Europe and Australia and then was released in the United States as Lost in Wonder: Voices of Worship. Sparrow released the 2-CD retrospective The Ultimate Collection in 2006.