Annie Herring

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Annie Herring

Background information
Birth name	Annie Ward
Origin
Genre(s)	CCM, Jesus Music
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)	Singing Piano
Years active	1971-present
Label(s)	Myrrh Records Sparrow Live Oak Records Spring Hill
Associated acts	2nd Chapter of Acts
Website	annieherring.com

Annie Herring is one of the pioneers of the Jesus music genre, later to be called Contemporary Christian music. She was more notably a part of the trio, 2nd Chapter of Acts in she which wrote most of the songs and sang lead and harmony vocals with her brother Matthew Ward and sister Nellie (Ward) Greisen. However, during her musical career with the 2nd Chapter of Acts from 1973 to 1988, she also recorded solo albums. She continues to record and perform her solo work to the present time (2007).

[edit] Early history

Annie Herring’s music and ministry was in no small part, forged from personal family tragedy. In 1968 her mother, Elizabeth Ward, died of a brain tumor; two years later her father, Walter, died of leukemia leaving her youngest sister, Nelly, and brother, Matthew, orphaned. The Ward siblings all decided that Annie and her new husband,record producer Buck Herring should take in the two younger Ward siblings.^[1]

Annie was a self styled (and self taught) singer and song writer who wrote and played her songs around the family piano. Her brother and sister would often join in as she played, and eventually they developed extremely tight and intricate harmonies.^[2]^[3]

As they gradually started singing for local coffee houses and small gatherings, they eventually gained the notice of Pat Boone who arranged a contract to record and release two singles with MGM, "Jesus Is" (1972) and "I'm So Happy" (1973). The fledgling trio also came to the attention of 1960s folk singer Barry McGuire, who had recently become a Christian and was preparing to record his first Christian music album, produced by Buck Herring. The siblings provided background vocals for Seeds and McGuire's 1974 follow-up Lighten Up.