Gaines was born, Janice Patrice Reddick, in St. Louis, Missouri, on May 22, 1981, but raised in Memphis, Tennessee.[8] She grew up singing in church, where her father was a Methodist minister, Lawrence Lewis Reddick III,[9] and her mother, a singer-songwriter/musician, Jacquelyn Reddick-Jones (née, Merriwether),[10][11] and she has a brother, Jon.[11] As a teenager, Gaines was the youngest member of the Memphis-based community choir O'Landa Draper & The Associates.[11] Gaines attended Oberlin College in Oberlin, OH,[8] during which time she sang background vocals for R&B singer Howard Hewett.[8] Following college, Gaines attended Ashland Theological Seminary, where she received a Masters of Divinity, before moving to New York City to teach seventh-grade math in the Bronx.[8] She presently resides in Franklin, Tennessee, with her husband, Erik Justin "E.J." Gaines.[3]
Music career
In 2010, Janice Gaines began touring the nation as a member of the Worship Team for Women of Faith, a Christian-based live events organization.[12] Following the 2012 release of her debut single, "One Day," Gaines caught the attention of Motown Gospel president Ken Pennell, who later signed her to a recording agreement.[13]
In December 2014, Janice Gaines was featured on the Motown Christmas album, singing a duet with GRAMMY Award-nominated R&B/soul singer Kem (singer) on the song "Bethlehem."[14]
In 2015, Motown Gospel released two singles from Janice Gaines-- "Wait On You" and "The Break-Up Song".[13] "Wait On You" peaked at No. 21 on Billboard's Hot Gospel Songs chart.[7] Her debut album, Greatest Life Ever, produced by GRAMMY Award-winning producer LaShawn Daniels, was released on October 9, 2015, and debuted at No. 7 on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart.[7]
In 2016, Janice Gaines earned her first GMA Dove Award nomination for her debut single, "Wait On You," in the Contemporary Gospel/Urban Recorded Song of the Year category.[5] In 2017, Gaines earned her first Stellar Award nomination for Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year.[4]
Discography
List of musical projects, with selected chart positions