User:Pakalomattam/munizzi

Martha Munizzi (mew-NIZ-ee) is an internationally acclaimed Gospel singer, songwriter, and musician. Along with figures like Ron Kenoly, Clint Brown and Israel Houghton, Munizzi is pioneering cross-cultural worship music that connects with both black and white Christian congregations.

Biography
A native of central Florida, Martha Munizzi was born into a religious musical family. The daughter of evangelists, Martha and her twin sister Mary were born in Lakeland, Florida but grew up traveling and ministering through music with her family. She began performing at age 8, touring the country with her family in concerts and crusades around the United States and Canada.

Martha, Mary, and their older sister Marvelyne were born with their parents' talent for music and became a part of the traveling family group as kids. The family settled in Orlando, Florida when Mary and Martha were 12, so that the children could attend formal, public school.

At age 16, Mary, Martha and Marveline (age 18) helped form a praise and worship band at the urging of a church friend. That group evolved into Testament and became popular enough to travel around the state of Florida performing in churches and at conferences and other events.

One year after completing high school, Martha married Dan Munizzi, who was a keyboard player in the band Testament. In 1993 she and Dan became the music directors and founding members of a new, fledgling church in Orlando, Florida shortly thereafter, initially leading a choir of about twenty people. They remained there for the next eight years until 2001.

She led worship at Lakewood Church while Cindy Cruse-Ratcliff was on maternity leave.

Munizzi's songs are self-published under the name Martha Munizzi Music. She released her first gospel album, Say the Name (2002), followed by The Best Is Yet to Come (2003) and When He Came (2004), both of which debuted high on Billboard's Gospel chart.

In 2004, Billboard Magazine named Munizzi as one of the top five Gospel Artists for 2004 and her project The Best Is Yet to Come was named one of the top ten selling Gospel projects for 2004.

Munizzi signed a distribution deal with Integrity Media, Inc. in 2005. Under this agreement her previously released albums The Best Is Yet To Come and Say The Name and all future releases were to be distributed to Christian retail outlets through Provident-Integrity Distribution and to general market outlets on the Epic Records (a division of Sony-BMG Distribution.

Munizzi currently resides in Orlando, Florida with her husband Dan Munizzi (her manager) and their 3 children (Danielle, Nicole and Nathan).

Award Nominations
Munizzi has been nominated for Dove, Stellar and Soul Train Awards as both a performer and songwriter. In 2006, Munizzi was nominated for a Grammy for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album. She has also been nominated for the 2007 Stellar Awards' Artist of the Year and Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year.

Miscellaneous

 * The Best Is Yet to Come peaked at #2 on the Billboard Music Top Gospel Album charts in 2004 and remained on the charts for more than a year.
 * In 2004 Munizzi had two music albums in the top five on Billboard's Gospel charts at the same time (The Best Is Yet to Come at #2 and When He Came at #5).
 * Munizzi has performed with several popular Christian ministries including; Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, CeCe Winans, and Bishop T.D. Jakes. She has also appeared on Trinity Broadcasting Network's (TBN's) Praise The Lord, on the Daystar Television Network, on Life Today with James Robison, and on Black Entertainment Television's BET Gospel.
 * Munizzi performed as a part of the 3rd annual "Sisters In The Spirit" tour with Yolanda Adams, Kelly Price, Juanita Bynum, Rizen and Sheila E in 2005. She was also a featured performer with Kirk Franklin at the "Imagine Me" all-star celebrity benefit concert on January 11, 2007 at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. The concert was a benefit for the Children's Defense Fund.
 * Martha's twin sister, Mary Alessi, performs with her on her 2006 album No Limits Live.
 * Martha performs with the Gospel trio Virtue on their 2006 album Testimony on the song Praises to You
 * Munizzi performs her song Glorious live on Donna Richardson-Joyner's 2006 exercise video entitled Sweating in the Spirit 2.