At the age of 18 months old Heather was signed to a modeling agency that started her in modeling and runway. While continuing to do that, she took up tap and jazz dance classes at the age of 2. She started singing in church by age 4 and went onto competitions around the area. She was runner up in the American Princess pageant in Columbus, OH and started doing print work for the department store Value City. She was acting and doing commercials by the age of 5. She had been signed with 3 different agencies between the ages of 18 months and 5 years old.
Due to a move 2 hours from the agency, jobs coming in, but always had to turn them down. Heather's mother decided to drop her from everything and just let her go to school and be a normal child. "I just decided I didn't want my child in this anymore. She was going to school and trying to handle this career as well. I found her concentrating more on the career than she was her school work" Joyce explains.
For two years that's just what she did, but still continued to sing in church. "I hated that period in my life. I was going to school, coming home and doing nothing. I wanted to be at an audition or on a stage or something."
After lots of begging, Joyce gave into her 8 year old daughter and signed her with another agency for acting and told her she could start singing around, but it could only be locally. "I did not want her in the Hollywood scene again, but when your child is looking up agencies in the phone book and calling them herself at 8 years old, you know its what she really wants. She knew her limits" Joyce says.
Heather continued to sing locally, but that eventually branched out as she got older. She was singing country and gospel music and performed at several festivals including Album Creek State Park and Cowan Lake. She also competed in many talent competitions such as The Sweetcorn Festival 4 years in a row.
Her first demo was recorded at the age of 12 with the help of her older sister and freshman year became home schooled throughout high school so she was able to travel more. She started becoming active in her church by singing more specials and becoming the Jr Church leader. At 16 she was approached by a local producer with an offer to do a 12 song CD. Heather went in and started to record a country/gospel album, but due to issues the album was never finished.
Heather started taking dance classes again that included Jazz, Tap, Hip-Hop, Clogging & Ballet and signed with another agency at age 18. She went on to perform at The New York Music Festival and The Nashville Music Festival which lasted 4 days. She was approached at the Nashville Festival with a few minor label record deals. She decided to go with KMA Records in December 2004. After a full 12 song CD, the record label was closed down and the CD discontinued.
In 2006 she then signed with Angel Fire/Fox Fire Records and started to do a 3 song strictly country demo, but 6 months later her producer died and the demo was never completed.
She auditioned for the CW Networks to be their spokes person and for the TV shows American Idol and Nashville Star and was declined for all 3. Though she was okay with that it didn't stop her from wondering what was going on with her career. "I kept wondering why I was getting all these opened doors and as soon as I would get my foot in then the door would slam. I kept praying to God why He gave me this desire to sing, but wasn't keeping any of the doors open. I soon realized that I was singing for the wrong reasons. You can get caught up so easily in the Hollywood scene and the music business that you forget everything else."
At a southern gospel concert one of the artists helped her realize that fame isn't everything and it's so much more rewarding to sing for God than for the world. So many doors have opened for her since she has started singing for Him again and this time they have stayed open. Would she take it all back if she could? "I don't think I would. It was all experience and I can take everything I learned and work with that."
In 2007 Heather has performed at churches and fairs and also has attended the Steve Hurst School of Music for 3 years where she was taught by some people in southern gospel music. Some of those include Jessica Harrison, Melissa Brady, Lauren Talley and Debra Talley. Heather also competed in the National Quartet Convention Solo Division Talent Competition in Louisville, KY.
In 2008 she recorded a third CD titled 'Blessed' and was released the week of NQC 2008. She was booked in churches and fairs right away, not only in Ohio, but in other states as well. In 2010 she was signed to a talent agency in the Columbus, Ohio area. In June 2011 she was hired to play the role of a fair goer at the Ohio State Fair in the 2013 feature film 'Parker' starring Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez. In February 2012 she got hired for a Safelite commercial playing the role of a customer service representative. "I love singing, but I also love acting. I got the acting bug really young and I would love to keep going and do more things in that part of my career as well." |