BELLEVIEW, FL (352today.com) – It seems as if Denee Varnum Richardson is genetically predisposed to be a singer and musician.

The music director at Souls Harbor First Pentecostal Church comes from a family rich in musical talent. Both her mother’s and father’s families have a strong background in music.

Richardson’s mother had also served as the music director at Souls Harbor when the congregation was only that of 15 people. A proactive parent, Richardson’s mother had a microphone in her hand at the age of three.

“As far as I know, I’ve always done it,” says Richardson.  “I’ve never not wanted to do it.”

Recording sessions 

While her parents traveled spreading the news of the gospel, Richardson would often perform serving as a precursor of what was yet to come. It was at the age of 10 that she found herself doing something that she had been preparing for entire life. The church would raise an offering for Richardson’s mother to record a vinyl record, at a period when the music industry was transitioning to cassettes.

“None of us had ever been in a recording studio,” says Richardson. “But my dad, who was a very progressive thinking person, he saw how being in the studio honed your vocal ability. It just helped your pitch. He saw it as a quick education that you would stuff into as many days as you could afford to rent the studio. And so, when I was 11, he saved his money and put me in the studio.”

Those early and humbling experiences would play a large role in Richardson’s evolution, allowing her to grow musically and strengthen her relationship with the Lord.

“Honestly, it wasn’t so much that I sounded all that great, but he wanted me to have that education,” says Richardson. “For both of my parents, it wasn’t just investing in me but investing in the future of the church. They truly raised their children to be partners with them.”

By her early teens, Richardson was already a skilled recording artist. She had released several albums, all funded by her father, and by the time she turned 15, she had recorded three records.  She recorded three more by the time she was 27.

“The opportunity to work with professionals in the studio, people that I didn’t have access to,” marvels Richardson. “My dad was so forward thinking to put me there.”

She later took on the role of full-time music director at Souls Harbor, but her pay was not 6equal to that position. She lived at home and had few expenses. To help with finances, Richardson also worked part-time answering phones at a law firm.

“That was my income, and the time that I was at the church,” says Richardson. “When you get to do music for church, I tell people this – especially up and coming singers at the time – when you’re gifted to sing, you will pay to sing. You will do whatever it takes. When you volunteer at a church, you get to go sing multiple times a week. I’m so grateful for it.”

Traveling the globe 

Richardson got the chance to perform abroad and traveled to a place that was not easy for westerners to reach. After the Iron Curtain fell and one-party Communist rule ended in Central and Eastern Europe, she began performing in Yugoslavia. At 17, it was her first international trip. Her father aimed to be among the first Christians sharing the gospel there, so he had their family’s passports ready for when the chance came.

She was invited to speak at a conference in her mid-20s instead of singing. The organizers believed she had important messages to share with a group of young girls.She was invited to speak at a conference in her mid-20s instead of singing. The organizers believed she had important messages to share with a group of young girls.

“The speaking started opening doors for singing and that’s really how things started for me internationally,” says Richardson.

Richardson finds the greatest significance in her faith and the church.

She has performed all over the world including:

  • France
  • Germany
  • Austria
  • Poland
  • United Kingdom
  • Asia
  • Thailand
  • South Korea
  • Japan

The singer, a grandmother, has a home studio equipped with what she says is the best microphone available. She says that her first studio was very cold, but now, thanks to new technology, she can record with her laptop, microphone, and headphones, while musicians work from their own locations.

Richardson also holds the distinction of being the first student to go through all the grades at Souls Harbor Christian Academy.

To learn more about Souls Harbor First Pentecostal Church at their website.