Rebecca St. James

SSM: When did you first get started in the music business?
Rebecca: Well God started leading me into music at twelve. I was in a Christian rock band at school and then I did my first album at fourteen and then, actually no, thirteen and then I got signed at 15 in the states and my first album came out at 16. So it was kind of like He slowly moved me into music and showed me this calling for me.

SSM: What made you decide to share the message of God through music?
Rebecca: Yeah, really because God just showed me real clearly that this was His calling for me, at least in this part of my life. Ya know I’d like to eventually get married and have a family and I’m hoping that that’s going to be God’s calling for me at some stage too.

SSM: Can you describe what a normal day is like for you?
Rebecca: Well right now like I’m in the studio a lot so I mean I’ll kind of describe yesterday and today cause it’s two different worlds when I’m on the road and back in Nashville. So yesterday I was in the studio writing in the morning for about three or four hours. Then I had a meeting at my record label and then went to my management office and did some stuff there. Then I cleaned my house and actually mowed the yard and then left, packed up and left for the road last night. And uh, we caught a flight- caught the bus at midnight caught a flight first thing this morning in Birmingham, flew to Baltimore and then to Providence and then drove for two hours here and then got ready for the show. Did the concert tonight then pack up leave at 3:30 from the hotel tomorrow morning. And go to the next place.

SSM: Out of all the songs you’ve recorded to date which one is your favorite one to perform live?
Rebecca: Probably right now Blessed be your name. It just ya know it really is a moving song to sing for me. I can really worship god with it and the crowd really responds and worships and engages with it too.

SSM: Which one of your songs holds the most meaning to you?
Rebecca: Wait for Me.

SSM: How do you feel when girls say they look up to you?
Rebecca: Pleased, like I suppose glad that I have an opportunity to have a positive impact on people because I think there’s a lot of real negative role models out there and so if I can point girls and guys hopefully too, ya know in God’s direction too, I’m happy about that.

SSM: Your books on the moral issues young women face today has had such an impact on so many young women. What made you decide to get so involved in speaking to young women about pre-marital sex and saving yourself for marriage?
Rebecca: It was something that I really didn’t like plan. God just really led me into it. Cause I sang at a True Love Waits rally and made that commitment to wait and then sang at a bunch of different True Love Waits rallies. Then they would keep just asking me to ya know say a few words about it and we got such a response to it and saw such a need that ya know for a young person to speak out about that issue and so I have ever since. Nearly for ten years.

SSM: What is one thing you would love to do, but you’re too scared to try?
Rebecca: There’s really nothing that I want to do that I haven’t tried. Because even like acting is something I wanted to do for a long time. I was involved in my first Christian movie with a script. I’d been on a Christian movie set before like Left Behind but I just did my first speaking part in a movie and I loved it. I was real nervous for it but I really enjoyed it. So, nothing, because I feel like if God’s calling you to something he’s going to help you to overcome your fear and enable you to do it.

SSM: How did you react the first time you saw yourself in a magazine, or heard yourself on the radio?
Rebecca: I was pretty excited when I first heard my song Here I Am on the radio, which was kind of a happy, almost historic moment.

SSM: If you could be anyone for a day, who would you want to be and why?
Rebecca: Oh my gosh, ahhhh, that’s a really hard question. I don’t know that I’d want to be anybody else. I know it sounds funny but like I would quite like to have been Jenniffer Lopez when she was filminhg the Wedding Planner. I love that movie. So if I could have been like on the set for a day, that would be really cool.

SSM: What was your favorite Disney movie as a kid?
Rebecca: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White one of those. Sleeping Beauty.

SSM: Is that still your favorite?
Rebecca: Favorite like childhood movie or like Disney movie specifically? I think Beauty and the Beast, actually. I haven’t seen it for a while but I like it a lot.

SSM: If you could have any super power, what power would you have and why?
Rebecca: Does power to heal people count?

SSM: Yes
Rebecca: Then that.

SSM: When you see yourself in a magazine, what goes through your mind?
Rebecca: Good picture: like I’m glad it’s there. If it’s a bad picture, and I’ve had bad ones, I’m like ughh, why did they put that in there?

SSM: What do you miss most when you're out on the road?
Rebecca: My friends and normal life.

SSM: Do you have anything you’d like to say to your fans?
Rebecca: Just keep on keeping on for God. Like don’t get discouraged. Keep on pressing on for him and know that the good fight is worth it. And Look up 1 Corinthians 15:58 if you ever feel discouraged about it.