From the start, her resolve was as clear as her voice. "Nobody needed to tell me I was going to be a singer," says 18-year-old Jordan Hill. "I always knew that's what I wanted to do." And that resolve has now become reality, with the release of Jordan's self-titled debut album on the Atlantic-distributed 143 label.
A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Jordan has spent the past couple of years performing with pianists and accompanying bands at intimate venues throughout the Los Angeles area. It was in 1994, following one of her weekly performances at Le Mondrian Hotel in Hollywood, that she was invited to sing at a special party at the California home of 12-time Grammy winner David Foster. "I was shocked," says Jordan, who now lives in West Hollywood. "I knew who David Foster was because I'd fallen in love with The Bodyguard soundtrack. So I immediately said, 'Of course, I'd love to.'" Fittingly, Jordan chose to include the Foster & Linda Thompson-penned Bodyguard track, "I Have Nothing," in her performance at the party. "As you can guess, my head was spinning after that night," says Jordan with a smile.
Hill and Foster (143's CEO and an Atlantic Vice President) soon began their first work in the studio together. Initial sessions yielded Jordan's recording debut -- the Foster/Thompson composition, "Remember Me This Way," which was included on the soundtrack for the film Casper. For Jordan, this marked the realization of creative aspirations dating back to her childhood. "I can't remember a day when I wasn't singing for people," she says. From her earliest work in community musicals to her recent Los Angeles shows, Jordan has always poured all of her energy into reaching audiences. "I've always been a performer, ever since I was tiny," says Hill. "I never had to learn that. Somehow it's part of me. I guess I'm just a big ham."
Jordan's all-encompassing love of music was always complemented by a discerning ear for great singers -- in particular Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, and Whitney Houston. (She still remembers the time when - at six-years-old - she first heard Whitney on the radio.) From those influential roots, Jordan's pursuit of music gained momentum. By the time she was preparing to enter high school, she was eager to go that much further to pursue what, around the Hill house, was simply termed "Jordan's dream." So she made up her mind to pack up and move to Los Angeles.
"I talked to my folks at dinner one night, just before I was supposed to start high school," recalls Jordan. "I said, 'Mom and Dad, I think this would be a really good thing for me to do. I want you to come with me. If not, the day I graduate from high school, I'll have to go without you.' That's when they realized what a serious young person I was," she adds laughing. Jordan's parents agreed to the West Coast move on a one-year trial basis. Dad stayed behind to hold down the fort in Knoxville while Jordan and her mother faced up to the challenge of L.A.
Once settled, Jordan continued her high school studies at L.A.'s Hamilton Academy of Music, while singing in the school choir, a local gospel choir, and maintaining her club gig schedule. It was at the beginning of her second year in California that Jordan met David Foster.
After completing work on "Remember Me This Way," life proceeded at a fast-forward pace as Hill spent much of last summer traveling and performing. The itinerary was highlighted by an appearance at a festival show in Canada on a bill that included Celine Dion and Bryan Adams; over 35,000 people were on hand for the concert, held during the Calgary Stampede. "I was a little nervous," confesses Jordan. "It was the first time I had ever performed songs from my album." Later in 1995, she appeared before 20,000 at New York City's Madison Square Garden and 15,000 at L.A.'s Forum, both in conjunction with professional ice skating events. Work on "JORDAN HILL" commenced last fall at Foster's Chartmaker Studios in Malibu, where Jordan and company spent 15 hours a day, often working into the early morning hours. Additional sessions took place with other producers, including Greg Charley, Rhett Lawrence, Jeff Pescetto, SoulShock & Karlin, and Mario Winans. But even when exhaustion crept in, "it was the excitement that came from knowing I was making an album of my own that kept me going," says Jordan. With songs ranging from the melodic "For The Love Of You," the album's first single, to the sassy "Got To Be Real," to the melancholy "How Many Times," "JORDAN HILL" showcases a voice full of energy and range, and a remarkable natural talent emboldened by conviction. The singer's young age only makes her artistic accomplishment that much more remarkable. "I may be eighteen, but I've been at it long enough that I sure feel like a veteran," she says laughing.
For Jordan, the album's sessions were highlighted by the appearnce of two special guests -- Barry Gibb, who added his backing vocals to Jordan's cover of the 1978 Bee Gees smash "Too Much Heaven," and Delious of All-4-One, who dueted with her on "Until The End Of Time." I've been a big fan of All-4-One ever since 'I Swear' came out," says Jordan. "Delious has that deep, rich voice that I love so much." Written by Foster with R&B singer/songwriter Brian McKnight, the duet is one of the songs on the album - among its other hand-picked gems - written specifically for Jordan.
The singer also found a perfect fit in working with Foster, the songwriter. "David's songs are very emotional and they really touch you," she says of such tracks as "Never Should Have Let You Go" and her favorite, "How Many Times." "There's a feeling there that goes beyond just a collection of melodies. He comes from the heart and hits you on a strong emotional level."
"If I've learned anything since I first came to California, it's that there's no secret formula between you and your dreams," says Jordan. "Sure there's fate, but at the heart of the matter it's all about being determined, working hard, and - most of all - loving what you do. That's all gone into this album, which is why it means so much to me. I hope people can hear that." Loud and clear. 6/96
