Julie de Azevedo

Julie de Azevedo stands among the rare Latter-day Saints who have crossed into the broader commercial arena, demonstrating remarkable endurance as a singer and songwriter. Her compositions explore an array of modern themes through understated folk influences that nevertheless anchor a robust pop-rock framework. Spiritual motifs surface frequently in her work, yet the references remain so thoroughly contemporary that only seasoned LDS listeners typically detect them. In an industry often marked by explicit content, her words remain entirely free of profanity. Beyond her musical gifts, de Azevedo holds formal training in Social Work and Psychology; music began as a personal outlet through which she created songs later recorded by fellow performers. Everything shifted with the 1988 arrival of her debut album, Julie, after which her recording career expanded rapidly and brought both acclaim and honors. The 1996 project Pray for Rain secured multiple Pearl Awards from the newly formed Faith Centered Music Association, among them Songwriter of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Contemporary Album of the Year, Contemporary Song of the Year for the title track, and Inspirational Song of the Year for “Window to His Love.” Until 1999 her principal instruments remained voice and piano; once she acquired guitar proficiency that year, she steered her music toward fresh directions, a shift clearly audible throughout the strong 1999 album Dive Deep. She maintains a full-time Social Work practice and resides in Salt Lake City alongside husband Jeff and their two children.