Jill Phillips grew up in Chesapeake, Virginia, where she learned her love for music at an early age. She sang in church and school choirs, participated in band, and studied piano before moving to Nashville to attend Belmont University. She went on to graduate from Belmont with a degree in Commercial Music Vocal Performance.
Jill met her husband, Andy Gullahorn, while attending Belmont, and they married in August of 1998. Soon after, Jill signed a recording contract with Word Records and released her self-titled debut album in August of 1999. The album was produced by Grammy award-winning songwriter Wayne Kirkpatrick, also known for his work with Amy Grant, Garth Brooks, Michael W. Smith, and Susan Ashton.
"It was the honesty of her songs, the charm of her voice, and the strength of her character that drew me to her. I knew that being involved with someone like that would be time well spent," says Wayne.
Jill and Andy spent the summer and fall of 1999 promoting the album opening for the band Caedmon's Call on their 40 Acres tour. Jill was also featured on the cover of the October 1999 issue of Contemporary Christian Music magazine with Bebo Norman as one of Christian music's new up and coming artists. Songs from Jill's debut album, Jill Phillips, have been featured in television shows Felicity and Roswell as well as the Sally Field directed film Beautiful starring Minnie Driver.
After leaving Word Records in the Spring of 2000, Jill set out to record an independent album through her company, St. Jerome Music. The new project, God and Money, was released on Jill's web-site March 20, 2001 and is distributed through Grassroots Distribution. God and Money was produced by Matt Stanfield, formerly of the group Plumb, along with Jill and Andy. The album features a variety of talented musicians including Aaron Sands, Joe Porter, Stephen Mason, Bebo Norman, Tom Yarbrough, Andrew Osenga, John Catchings, and the return of Matt Stanfield and Andy from Jill's debut album.
"It was a very different experience making this record," Jill reflects. "This album was much more hands-on for me in that I was out on my own apart from a record label or management. I think it enabled us to think outside of the box a little bit and really experience the joy of making music without any pressures of the industry sneaking in."
Jill is currently performing at colleges and churches across the country, writing for other artists and projects, and teaching a vocal studio. She and Andy will be touring much of the next year to promote the new album.