Jennifer Judy "JJ" Heller (born October 19, 1980, née Kellner) is an American Christian folk singer. After releasing multiple albums, she had two songs that charted. "Your Hands" from her 2008 album Painted Red and "What Love Really Means" from the album When I'm with You both peaked at number 13.
Career Heller grew up in San Jose, California in a family with strong Christian values. She didn't listen to music much as a child. She attended high school at Valley Christian High School and then went on to attend college at San Jose Christian College (now William Jessup University) and began writing songs in her second year. She joined a band which played at coffee shops in the area; the band included her future husband Dave Heller. He continues to collaborate with writing, recording and producing her works.
Heller released multiple albums before she had her first chart appearance in 2009. Her song "Your Hands", from her album Painted Red hit number 13 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart.
Heller released her next album When I'm with You in 2010 and it charted, peaking at number 33 on Billboards Christian Albums. She released "What Love Really Means" as the first single from the album and it peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Singles chart. In 2011 she released her Deeper album, which is a collection of acoustic songs, which were put aside to allow her to release the more pop-oriented When I'm with You. When I'm With You was covered by Jennifer Love Hewitt's character Riley Parks on Season 2 Episode 6 of The Client List entitled "Unanswered Prayers". The shortened cover was released on iTunes on April 9, 2013.
Heller released Loved on March 12, 2013. Her song "Control" was featured on Season 7 Episode 19 of One Tree Hill.
Heller performed "Find Me in the River" with KJ Apa on the soundtrack for the 2020 film, I Still Believe.
Since 2018, Heller has released several full-length albums featuring covers and re-imagined versions of her own songs for her passion project titled "I Dream of You".https://www.jjheller.com/home-1 With each album produced by her husband David Heller, each song contains production elements of orchestral, chorale, and minimalist pop-rock flavors. https://open.spotify.com/artist/7dq8KEwf0kQXJhM79iwcPh?si=vw5BvVEHSECAUFS73sIrJg
Heller released "I Dream of You: HOME" in October 2024. This album features covers of "Fix You" by Coldplay, "Home" by Phillip Phillips, and "Two of Us" by The Beatles.
Musical style She credits Damien Rice and Patty Griffin as influences to her style. AllMusic describes her sound as being comparable with Jewel, Alison Krauss, Sara Groves and Griffin.
Discography
Albums Year Album Chart USChrist USFolk USHeat USKids 2004 Songs That I Know — — — — 2005 Collection of Thoughts (EP) — — — — 2006 Only Love Remains — — — — 2007 Wake Up the World (Christmas EP) — — — — 2007 The Pretty & The Plain — — — — 2008 Painted Red — 12 50 — 2010 When I'm with You 33 9 19 — 2011 Deeper 38 — 22 — 2013 Loved 42 10 6 — 2014 I Dream of You — 23 43 — 2015 Sound of a Living Heart 15 16 — — 2016 Unto Us (Christmas album) 23 24 11 — 2018 I Dream of You Vol. II — — — 19 2021 I Dream of You Vol. III — — — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart
References:
Singles Year Single Peak Album USChrist2010 "What Love Really Means"13When I'm with You2009 "Your Hands"13Painted Red2014 "The Perfect Gift" — non-album single 2015"This Year (Happy New Year)" 43 Sound of a Living Heart 2015 "Meant To Be" 31 Sound of a Living Heart 2017"This Little Light of Mine" — non-album single 2017"Paving the Runway (You're Gonna Fly)" — I Dream of You (Volume II)2018"God Is Still Here" — non-album single 2019"A Mother Like You" — non-album single 2019"Even Here" — non-album single 2019"Born In Me" — non-album single 2020"Missing Peace" — non-album single References:
Guest appearances Year Artist Album Song 2011 The City Harmonic I Have a Dream (It Feels Like Home)"Holy (Wedding Day)"
References
External links