With a raspy voice and a New York accent, Heather Headley is a Trinidad-born Broadway star set to release her third album, her first gospel recording, Jan. 13, 2009.

Headley has appeared in starring roles in Broadway shows like The Lion King and the Tim Rice-Elton John version of Aida, and is now set to release Audience of One, a return to her gospel roots.

Born a pastor’s kid, she has always had to deal with the scrutiny that comes from being in the spotlight. “It’s a lot of pressure; especially growing up on a small island in the Caribbean,” said Headley, 34. “There are some (pastor’s kids) who rebel … but I always wanted to learn from someone else’s mistakes, not make mistakes of my own.”

That is partly why she has taken so long to release a gospel album. “I always kind of made a deal with God that when He thought I was ready to do it, I would do it,” she said.

“I wasn’t going to go into this spiritually unready. … I wasn’t going to go to churches and sing to people and minister to people and be a complete mess.”

Read more in the Jan. 5, 2009 issue of Christian Retailing.

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