Renée, was born in Nashville and raised in country music. This
singer/songwriter has spent many years touring as a featured
background vocalist with Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Patty Loveless,
Pam Tillis, Billy Dean, Jessica Andrews and countless other artists
in country, pop and Gospel music. She has appeared on most every
major television network in the United States, as well as many
broadcasts overseas. Her career highlight came in 2000 during Tim
and Faith’s record breaking, soled out, Soul2Soul Tour, when she
was featured on CBS during the ‘Faith Hill Thanksgiving Special’.
When Faith personally asked Renée, “What does your family do for
Thanksgiving?” she was able to share a very spiritual moment of how
they express gratitude on their favorite holiday. That one event
renewed a passion in Renée’s soul for helping people build deeper
relationships and experience more of God’s Grace in their lives.
She even received a confirmation from within the band to “Step out
on Faith” (pun intended) into ministry, and as God would have it,
Faith decided to take some much needed time off, to be with her
children and not tour between Soul2Soul 2000 and Soul2Soul
2006-7.
Renée is now in full time ministry as a singer, songwriter,
motivational speaker, and author. She also still makes much of her
living in the recording industry doing vocals, jingles and
voice-overs, as well as acting in television with a national
commercial to her credit.
Her story of salvation begins with the unconditional love of an
old, retired preacher. Renée met Brother Loy Cook in 1986, almost
exactly one year after tragically losing her father in a car
accident. They worked together for a sales organization and
sometimes after work some of the co-workers would meet at Wendy’s.
Over a frosty, Loy would talk to Renée about Jesus and the
conversation with, “You ought to come to church on Sunday.” She had
not grown up in church and had never experienced the kind of love
that Jesus had to offer. Loy helped Renée understand that only God
could fill the void from the loss of her earthly father and he
showed her the unconditional love of her heavenly Father.
After 3 months, the investment Loy made in Renée paid off. She not
only surrendered to Loy’s invitation to come to church, she also
surrendered the rest of her life to Jesus Christ. Since that day,
21 years ago, God has been preparing Renée for “The Call” of
passing on this beloved gift of God’s Grace. Renée refers to Loy as
the first tangible evidence that made her believe how real Jesus
is. He was “Jesus with skin on.” The first Christian song she ever
wrote was a tribute to him entitled “You’ve Been Jesus To Me.” In
Renée’s own words she remembers, “God so lovingly brought Brother
Loy Cook into my life after the sudden shock of losing my father in
a car wreck 24 tears ago. (ooops…that was actually a typo
(years), but I think I will leave it as is.) My dad was my hero. I
was 20 years old and absolutely devastated. Okay, so now you know I
am 44. Anyway, God sent Loy to help fill that void left in my
heart. He became my mentor, loved me like a daughter and showed me
the love of Jesus like no one I have ever known. He was Jesus to me
for 13 years right up until the day he died. He never gave up on
me.
I had carried a song around in my heart and head for 10 years
without actually ever writing it down or recording it. No one had
ever heard it but me. Loy became very ill and I knew I could not
let him go until he heard how he had changed my life for eternity.
I immediately recorded his song and he got to hear it before he
died. They say he played it all the time for everybody who came to
visit him. I loved him like a father.”
When Renée sings Loy’s song in her concerts, she poses the
question:
“Who has been Jesus to you?”
