Tasha Layton, a backup singer for popular artist Katy Perry, recently said that she turned down an opportunity to become a solo star in order to better serve God and stay true to her faith. In a time where many people put workday items before God, it is impressive to learn that Layton turned down the allure of becoming a famous artist on behalf of her faith.
Layton said, in an interview with Fox News Digital, that while she was growing up, all that she ever wanted to do was become a minister. And though her singing career was taking off, she couldn’t help but think about the dream left behind.
Layton said, “When I was growing up, I wanted to be in ministry full-time. I wanted to be married with a family. I just had this picture of what I wanted life to look like. I was in my 30s, and that still hadn’t happened. I just thought, ‘What’s wrong with me? God, are you holding out on me? Did I do something to deserve this?”
She said that she began to have a feeling of being left out by not being a become a minister, saying, “The deepest part of my heart wanted this thing, and it wasn’t happening. I just felt like I was forgotten and abandoned.”
Layton’s singing career took off somewhat by chance when her friends begged her to audition for American Idol. “Some people I knew were auditioning and asked me to go just hang out. I ended up learning that you can’t go hang out in the line unless you are signed up,” Layton said. “I thought everyone was crazy. There’s 14,000 people coming to the Rose Bowl and they’re only choosing 300. Like, none of us have a shot. This is just for fun. And then when I got picked… I was like, ‘Oh, I gotta follow through with this now!'”
Layton says that the firsthand experience that she received while touring with Perry allowed her to come to the conclusion that a live of touring is not the life she wants. “I had no interest in it at all,” Layton said. “Having experienced that culture and that pressure from being on the road with Katy and seeing it firsthand, I got a bird’s-eye view of how damaging it can be to your soul. And I just missed singing songs that directly connected people to God. I’ve always led worship in church.”
When asked if she regrets that decision, Layton is certain that she does not. She said, “And you know, when I’m on my deathbed looking back, I’m not going to care that I built a career. I’m going to care that I helped people. I just didn’t see how a mainstream deal and the music that they wanted me to sing, the kind of thing that they wanted me to do, was going to be helpful for anyone and much less, connect people to who I believe is the creator of the universe.”
"*" indicates required fields