Amid The Frenzy, A Voice of Hope

The "mystery singer" who provided the finale to Michael Jackson's memorial service at Staples Center is no mystery to her friends. She is Biola alum Judith Hill.

J.HillHill, a Biola alumna from 2005, gave a stand-out performance at Jackson’s memorial service July 7. Originally slated as a back up singer in Jackson’s “This is it!” tour, she sang lead in the closing song “Heal the World,” and left the audience and approximately one billion viewers asking “Who is that?”

Judith is already overwhelmed with interview requests, including from Access Hollywood and Entertainment Tonight, and only hours after her performance at the memorial service Rolling Stone published an article about her. Rolling Stone called her the “mystery singer” and reported that the performers’ names were not listed in the gold programs handed out at Jackson's memorial, therefore making her and others anonymous.

Judith has been active as an alum of Biola's Multi-Ethnic Programs this past academic year. She sang at Reconciliation Chapel last semester (November 2008) and was the featured worship leader at Worship Mosaic, the opening session for SCORR (Student Congress on Racial Reconciliation) last February. She also was a guest performer last April for Step It Up, Admissions' preview day for incoming students of color. Glen Kinoshita, Director of Multi-Ethnic Programs, said, "She did such a great job, and I was so proud to see her up front on stage. I would tell our students that Judith is going to be famous someday so we have to get her now while we can."

The singer was born in Los Angeles and raised in a Christian home with a family of musicians. She studied music composition under John Browning from the Conservatory of Music at Biola, where she won several awards and was very involved.

Her mother, Michiko Hill, an immigrant from Japan, met her father in a funk band in the 1970s. According to her website, judithhillmusic.com, her bi-racial experience growing up made it hard for her to fit in.

Depending on the social circle, she was labeled ‘too quiet,’ ‘too loud,’ ‘too black,’ ‘too Asian,’ or too something.  On her website, Judith writes, "I was a traveler, kind of a drifter.  But, looking back I see how all of those experiences, friends, and cultures made me who I am today."

Her mother said Judith’s assignment from God is to sing and hers is to pray. She would love for Judith to be able to share her songs with the world now. After Judith's performance at Jackson’s memorial, Michiko said they are overwhelmed right now.

“We didn’t expect this, but it seems like God put her there for a purpose — to bring hope,” she said. “We’re praying that the Lord will use her and she will be an ambassador for Christ through her music... I think her music is deep and real art. This is the opportunity to bring that to the world now, something music is lacking right now.”

Written by Jenna Bartlo (Biola Media Relations Coordinator) with additional material from John Tuttle (Student Communications).