Bonnie Keen

Author, speaker, recording artist Bonnie Keen has emerged as one of the most compelling singer/songwriters of this generation. Her new album, God of Many Chances (due to release July 15!), continues the journey of faith, hope, healing, and restoration that she began with her breathtaking solo debut, Marked For Life. Blessed with one of contemporary Christian music's most distinctive voices, Bonnie is also a writer of rare insight and vulnerability. With songs that run the gamut from soaring hymns to intimate worship arias; from fragile, sensitive ballads to sinewy, rock-inflected barnburners, Bonnie has the unique ability to build bridges over those boundary lines that separate the hurting from the Healer. Indeed, the songs on God of Many Chances create a safe place of restoration in this too often fragmented world - a place where people can wrap Bonnie's mellifluous vocal interpretations around their shoulders and feel welcome.

"This record speaks hope in many ways," Bonnie asserts. "It is about being broken, embracing forgiveness, and realizing that we do have second chances. There are so many things that happen in life when it seems like God has left you. Everybody has that secret place in their heart where they wonder, 'Why is God allowing this?'"

Bonnie and her friend, Suzanne Gaither Jennings (Bill & Gloria's daughter) co-wrote the poignant song, "When God Says No" to take on the tough questions head on. "This side of heaven I do not think we will ever understand some of the things that happen in our lives," Bonnie continues. "The Cross looked like the biggest 'No' in the universe - but it was the biggest 'Yes.' I believe that God is redemptive, and His redemption is always at work. I believe there is always another side to what's coming, and it is always something that God intended to be good for us."

Having walked through the rejection of divorce, the loneliness of depression, and the desperation of single motherhood, Bonnie knows first hand the redemptive power of God.

"The enemy would love to use depression, heartache, loneliness, and bad situations to wipe us out. But when we take it to the cross, God takes it and turns it into something tremendously powerful for His kingdom and His glory. It is a humbling thing to live long enough to see that happen over and over again."

Bonnie's fearless insight, as well as her ear for authenticity, infuses her songs with a visceral and emotional resonance that connects with her audience on multiple levels. The scope of her remarkable appeal has been recognized by her peers and fans alike with five Grammy nominations and three Dove Awards for her work with seminal Christian vocal group, First Call, and an Emmy for her discussion of "The Whirlpool of Depression" on the television show, On Main Street. Superstar performers from Garth Brooks to Michael W. Smith call on Bonnie for her remarkable vocal prowess.

But rather than fostering pride, these accolades merely serve to reinforce Bonnie's conviction that God loves messy people, and delights in providing second, third, fourth, and fiftieth chances. It is a conviction that is inextricably woven throughout the fabric of Bonnie's eagerly awaited follow-up project, God of Many Chances. And it is a conviction she walks out in her everyday life through her work with relief organization, World Vision, and The Blue Skies Foundation for Fatherless Sons, the retreat center founded by Bonnie's friend, the late Grant Cunningham. She has set up her website, www.BonnieKeen.com, as a resource for hurting people. "If you are suffering with depression, or if you are a single mom, or if you are someone who is going through a divorce, or if you are dealing with lose or loneliness, you can find resources to help you," Bonnie says.

While her confessional, debut project served to introduce the world to Bonnie Keen - the solo artist, with God of Many Chances Bonnie is just as quick to point the world back to its Maker. "Watching God answer my prayers every time as a solo artist and as a speaker gave me confidence in what God was doing through me on this project. I took more chances both as a writer and as a singer than I had. In every way, it has been like a rebirth, a new vista, and opportunity in ministry."

To help her with the task, Bonnie enlisted the aid of her husband, producer Brent King. The collaboration resulted in a project of amazing breadth, and breathtaking beauty, delivered with just the right blend of passion and grace. Marked by multi-layered, no-boundaries song crafting, God Of Many Chances offers a stunning collection of shimmering pop ballads, book ended by funky, R&B-inflected cuts, reverential hymns, and a cappella numbers which perfectly display Bonnie's unbridled creativity.

Their efforts produced a plethora of riveting songs such as the resurrected and rejuvenated camp lullaby, "Kum-ba-ya," with its caroming, primal drum track, the Celtic-flavored, dance celebration, "My Bel