Songwriter, electric guitarist, and vocalist Margaret Becker has had no less than 14 superb number one radio hits and three distinguished Dove Awards, and has been nominated for a Grammy four times during her extraordinary Christian rock career -- and she's nowhere near done. Born to German/Irish parents, Becker was raised in Long Island, NY. When she began performing, she did the coffeehouse circuit, playing where and when she could. In between she studied journalism, taught music, took opera lessons, and did odd jobs, even working as a department store bill collector for years, just to pay the rent and keep food on the table. In 1985, only weeks after moving to Nashville so she could devote all of her energy to her music, Becker was signed by the Sparrow Records label, but as a songwriter, not a singer. Within a year, though, she had the recording contract that she had prayed about. In 1986, Becker, with her husky voice and strong stage presence, began her climb up the stardom ladder when she combined her talents with those of Steve Camp on the album One on One. She also toured with the Rick Cua Band, supplying background vocals. Becker finally saw the release of her own debut album in 1987, Never for Nothing. From that first album came her first hit single, "Fight for God." Her next album, The Reckoning, brought her two more hits, "Light in the Darkness" and "Find Me." Some of her other hits singles are "The Hunger Stays," "You Remain Unchanged," "Clay and Water," and "All I Ever Wanted." Becker followed The Reckoning with several other successful albums, including Immigrant's Daughter, Simple House, her best-of album Steps of Faith, Grace, and the Spanish language album Fiel A Ti. She took a three-year self-imposed sabbatical following the release of Grace in 1995. She began several new endeavors, including co-writing a children's series, writing a column for Campus Life magazine, and writing a book, With New Eyes. She released her next album in 1998, Falling Forward, and released another album, What Kind of Love, in 1999. Over the years Becker has toured extensively, including Germany, South Africa, Ireland, Australia, Finland, the U.K., Holland, and all over the United States. She has also been nominated for and/or won awards for New Artist of the Year, Contemporary Album of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Inspirational Song of the Year, Best Pop Gospel Album, Song of the Year, Best Rock/Contemporary Gospel Album, and many others. ~ Charlotte Dillon