Carol was born in Jersey, Channel Islands. She wrote her first song at just 9 years old, began piano lessons at 11, and guitar at 14. Her first public performances were as a young teenager, taking part in numerous youth events and concerts.
At 19, she entered an inter-island talent contest and came runner-up, so with her prize money and some money that her Dad had left her (he had died a few years earlier) she invested in a PA system. Soon after this, she was invited to sing regularly at a local hotel.
The following year she progressed to being part of a duo cabaret act called ‘Just Friends’ – and spent that summer season performing at different hotels on the island.
Shortly after her arrival to the Midlands back in the 80’s, she began the club circuit, then landed a residency at the Celebrity Restaurant, Birmingham, where she continued working three nights a week for four years.
The next chapter of her career saw her teaming up with friend and fellow ‘songstress’ Zara Ashton’, and as ‘Girl Talk’ they travelled around the clubs and pubs of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.
The Old Smithy Recording Studios, Kempsey, Worcester, is where Carol gained many hours of experience singing on radio jingles, adverts and backing vocals for different recording projects.
1990 saw Carol move to West Sussex, where she became part of the music ministry at Colin Urquhart’s Kingdom Faith Bible College, and it was during this time that she wrote many songs for corporate church worship, and recorded numerous CD’s, as well as travelling around the UK, leading worship for conferences and church weekends. She’s also had the privilege of ministering in the Czech Republic, Belgium, America, Norway, Spain, Gibralta and Burundi.
Carol played in the worship band alongside Dave Bilbrough, for the annual ‘Faith Camp’ in 1991, at Peterborough Showground. She then went on to lead the worship at those camps for the next four consecutive years 1992 to 1995, attended by an average of five thousand people.
It was in the spring of 1995 that she was approached by Kingsway Music, which led to a publishing deal and a worship album, entitled ‘You Alone Are God’, which was under her former name of Carol Owen.
She gave birth to her son Jack back in 2002, and since then has been writing again – many of her songs reflecting on life, and relationships, as well as continuing to write for corporate worship.
She is currently heading up the music team at Eden Centre, in Malvern, Worcester, where she has now settled.
Music from Carol Lee Sampson
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