Born on June 24, 1958, in Brooklyn, New York, Kathy Troccoli rose to prominence as one of contemporary Christian music’s foremost figures throughout the 1980s. While still in junior high she made her stage debut by performing a set of Carole King material at her school’s talent show. Her attraction to CCM developed in the late ’70s, culminating in the 1982 appearance of her first album, Stubborn Love, on Reunion Records, a label created expressly to issue her recordings. Although certain observers judged her smoky voice excessively “sexy” for Christian listeners, the project registered as the fastest-selling debut ever by a female CCM artist. After issuing Heart & Soul in 1984 and Images in 1986, she withdrew from the business, returning to Long Island once her six-year residence in Nashville ended. She later reemerged as a session vocalist and, in 1991, delivered Pure Attraction, her first new album in five years. Signing with RCA, she released a self-titled LP in 1994 and followed it the next year with Sounds of Heaven. Love and Mercy appeared in 1997, Corner of Eden the following year, and the seasonal collection Sentimental Christmas in 1999. Further solo outings included Love Has a Name in 2000, Heart of Me in 2002, and Comfort in 2005, yet her musical momentum waned amid television hosting and book projects. Activity resumed with the 2015 album Better Days and its subsequent tour across the United States.
