Nicole C Mullen's Heart

She's got more than 20 Dove and Grammy nominations under her belt, but much of her career has been spent quietly (or not so quietly) in the background.

Mullen got her start providing background vocals for $6 per hour in a fellow church member's recording studio. Then her husband-to-be, songwriter and producer David Mullen, helped her land a gig as a background singer on Amy Grant's "Baby, Baby Tour." She went on to write "On My Knees," which became a hit for Jaci Velasquez before being named "Song of the Year" in 1998 by the Gospel Music Association. Then she stayed behind the scenes again when she sang the "Larry-Boy Theme Song" for the popular VeggieTales series.

It's only in the new millennium that she's taken her place center stage and people quickly took notice. Her timeless classic "Redeemer" nabbed her Dove Awards for both "Song" and "Songwriter of the Year" in 2001. But the song, like so many of her compositions, was written for the hurting people she feels compelled to comfort rather than any accolades she might win.

The song was penned in Mullen's music room, inspired by the book of Job. She was struggling with some personal trials of her own at that point, but they were nothing compared to Job's misery. As she looked at his ability to proclaim his faith in the midst of his trials, she was motivated to do the same - through song. Once completed, the ballad's primary goal wasn't radio success, but rather to offer hope to others.

"I sing to a hurting audience because I live in a hurting world so I feel like it's part of my job to present hope," Mullen says, adding "My goal in life is to encourage those that are out there listening. How can I make the next four minutes of this song worth more than just four minutes? How can I leave somebody with hope? That's my goal and if I accomplish that then it's worth more than a Grammy, worth more than a Dove, worth more than any of them."

Print Article

Email Article

View All Articles

How to subscribe to feeds