Michelle Louise Tumes (born 1971) is an Australian
contemporary Christian musician from
Adelaide. In 1993, she moved to the United States and has released four studio albums, Listen (1998), Center of My Universe (2000), Dream (2001) and Michelle Tumes (2006).
Career
Michelle Louise Tumes was born in 1971 and grew up in
Adelaide.[1] She has a younger sister and younger brother. Tumes learned piano from the age of four years, and as a teenager was enrolled into a classical piano course.[2] She first signed with an Australian publisher, but by 1993 had moved to
Nashville, Tennessee. She wrote songs for
Christian contemporary musicians such as
Jaci Velasquez and
Jump5.[2] In 1997 she signed with
Sparrow Records, her debut album, Listen, was released in 1998.
Her music has become popular worldwide, frequently being played on radio stations for the genre. Her style is a blend of soft acoustic pop with an ethereal element. She appeared on the
Thomas Kinkade 2001 album, Music of Light, with
Rob Mathes and
Bill Miller. It included her 1998 hit, "Healing Waters", which was co-written by Tumes with Matt Husemann of
Franklin, Tennessee. She also composed and performed songs in the movie No Greater Love.[citation needed]
In 2015, she began working as the music director at Calvary Community Church in
Westlake Village, California.[3] She left that job in March 2023.[4]
Personal life
Michelle Tumes married Douglas Higgins on 26 December 1999.[1]