Colton Dixon
By Heather Salon, 700 Club
CBN.com –UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITIES
Colton Dixon is an artist with a mission - to be an encouragement and a light in a dark place. Brought up in the church, he felt called to music ministry when he was thirteen-years-old. Through his teens he was in a band, Messenger, which performed locally and led worship at his church. However, this path of music ministry is not all that God had in mind for Colton. In the summer of 2010, his younger sister Schyler was interested auditioning for the hit show American Idol. She convinced Colton to come with her. They auditioned, but neither one of them made it to the Top 24. This did not discourage Colton. He continued to develop his songwriting and performing abilities. The following year, he again went with Schyler to audition for American Idol during Season 11. He intended to just accompany Schyler and had no desire to audition himself. The judges (Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler) remembered Colton and asked him to sing for them. This time, both Colton and Schyler were sent to compete in Hollywood.
THE SECOND TIME AROUND
Colton made the Top 10 and finished in 7th place during Season 11 in 2012. Of this time on American Idol, Colton says he wanted to stay true to who he was and not compromise his faith. Especially of this second time on the show, he admits it was a challenging period for him. He felt disconnected from God and his family, friends, church, etc., but by the end it sharpened his faith and he really experienced the Lord. Colton learned that God would never leave him or forsake him. He was faced with situations that brought up the hard questions where he had to answer why he believed what he believed. This season on American Idol taught him patience. Also, it brought awareness that there are always people watching. Another thing he learned is that as Christians we need to understand how to live life the way Jesus lived it. We are representing the Lord. It's a challenge but we must remember to always live for God even in the little things. We need to depend fully on the Lord's will because God's plans are better than ours.
A MESSENGER
As for his elimination from American Idol, Colton saw it as a huge opportunity because he was able to get right to work on his debut album, A Messenger. The title comes from his favorite Bible verse John 13:16: "Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. (NIV)" Colton says this title is a good way to let people know that he is just playing the role of messenger and putting God first though he is sharing his personal experiences. With the album, Colton wants to bring encouragement and hope. He wants people to realize that they are not alone. His desire is that people will go to Jesus to fill their needs.
The songs "Never Gone" and "You Are" from this album have already been well received on iTunes and the radio. "You Are" is a worship song inspired by someone Colton knew who was going through depression and contemplating suicide. His friend came to know the Lord through his experience. Colton wants this song to encourage those struggling with difficult times in their lives.
Colton says he will see how far being a recording artist takes him. He is currently touring as the opening act for Grammy-award winning Christian group Third Day. After the tour he is going back to writing songs and working on his second album.