Jennifer Knapp

Alternative Contemporary Christian folk-rocker, Jennifer Knapp, debuted in 1994 with a self-released cassette that sold over 2,000 copies in its first year. Her first full-length CD, Wishing Well, appeared two years later.

This Kansas-born singer and songwriter quickly proved herself as a folk-inspired rock artist whose masterful strokes paint redemptive portraits of life's bumpy road. Song after song, she empties her soul through catchy poetic lyrics that utter the precise words so many hearts have long struggled to find.

Jennifer tried other religions, destructive relationships and alcohol in a futile attempt to find happiness. While attending Pittsburg State University, some fellow students who were Christians, inspired her to turn her mind and heart to matters of faith. Jennifer eventually responded to the truths of the Gospel and naturally began incorporating them into her music. The harsh realities from her childhood and teen years combine with her hope in Christ to make Jennifer a powerful lyricist and musician.

In 1999, Jennifer won the Dove Award for 'Rock Song of the Year' and 'New Artist of the Year'. Her other albums include Kansas, Lay it Down, The Way I Am, and Live.

Though Jennifer has left the Christian music scene she is still one of the most influential singer/songwriters Christian music has ever had.

Jennifer Knapp “Unplugged”

Our team spent some time with Jennifer during a ministry project. We asked her some questions about becoming a Christian and writing music. You can see more of Jennifer in one of the Bluefish TV video resources on the right.

Bluefish TV: What inspired you to start writing music?

Jennifer Knapp: Music is a great outlet for me…one of my friends said, “Why don’t you write about what you’re learning with God? Why don’t you write a song about Him?” I wrote a couple over the summer and came back to school…I kept writing because it actually meant something to me…when I was a new believer I would write songs with scriptures in it that I wanted to learn…those were ways for me to write an anthem for myself…I didn’t really realize that years down the road I’d have to be sharing that with thousands of people.

Bluefish TV: How have your music-writing skills improved over the years?

Jennifer Knapp: Artistically I feel like I have more control to do what I want. When I first started writing, whatever came out is what came out. If I could play my guitar along with it then great. As I’ve gotten older I can sing something in my head and later go pick up my guitar and figure it out…now I know how to move in music, along with it and not just accidentally have a good melody. Say, I want the music to make you feel like you’re in a wide space that’s beautiful and free—I know how to do that better than when I got started.

Bluefish TV: You speak openly of your past and how God has transformed your life, what was it that drew you to Christianity?

Jennifer Knapp: I saw other people who were actually living a life that I wanted…I wanted to not wake up in the morning and not know where I was. I wanted to have people realize that I could be a person with confidence…that is one of the first things that drew me to several of the Christians that I knew…they had a relationship with Christ…their confidence was drawn from a higher place…they had relationships and were literally praying and receiving words from God, reading the Bible and getting a conversation out of it…it didn’t take long after that for me to realize that’s where I wanted to be.