Jeff Deyo - Vocals
jeff@jeffdeyo.com

I was born in Pasadena, CA on November 5, 1969 - just after they landed on the moon! My parents (Art and Lois) had me involved in church from the day I was born. My father has worked for Youth for Christ for over 40 years, so I have always been around ministry. I have an older sister named Deanna who is married to Tim and has two beautiful adopted boys, Luke and Levi.

After two years in California, my parents moved to Denver, CO where we lived for 9 years. I am a huge Broncos fan! My parents had season tickets to go see the Orange Crush back then, and my dad would alternate taking my sister and me each week.

It was in Denver at age 6 that I started taking piano lessons. I also received the Lord Jesus as my Savior one night kneeling beside my bed with my father when I was 4 years old. Praise God that becoming a Christian is not too complicated, even for a 4 year old!

Then we moved to Columbus, OH in 1981. We had a dog named cookie and I played a little football and was on the wrestling team. I also started playing drums with hopes of being in the marching band like my big sis who was incredible on the flute. I began getting into BMX bikes, jumping ramps and doing tricks, and was pretty good at it. But in 1982 I broke both wrists and my collar bone in a bike jumping accident as well as my elbow in wrestling. I think that was when I realized God was more interested in me focusing on music than sports!

In 1984 we moved to Indianapolis, IN where I started high school at Lawrence North. I was on the drum line and ended up being drum line captain my junior and senior years. We won state my freshman year. I started focusing more on songwriting in high school while still taking piano lessons and getting into recording gear. I even put a band or two together, and I began developing a sincere heart for the Lord.

I went to Wheaton College near Chicago as a Music/Communications major in 1988, but transferred in 1990 to Anderson U. in Indiana. This is where I met my beautiful, incredible, amazingly, wonderful sweetheart, Martha. We had our first date February 2, 1991 - I think we went to Wendy’s. We both knew right away we were bound to get married. I waited until October 25, 1991 to propose (you’ll have to hear that story sometime) She said “yes” and we were married just after we graduated from AU on May 23, 1992.

We honeymooned in Florida and then stopped in Hawaii for 4 days on our way to Singapore, where we were missionaries for 8 months. We moved to Nashville in March of 1993, and I spent 5 years busting my tail trying to get a record deal and recording 3 independent CD’s (anything from hip hop to alternative rock - maybe I’ll put some of that on the website one day…) After much frustration and brokenness during those years over not breaking into the “professional” music scene, I finally told God that I was 100% his and that I would do or be anything for him - no matter what. And what followed was me figuring out that what God wanted from me was not for me to be a big star, but for me just to be close with him. That’s when I started really seeking him and worshiping him in my “quiet times” (which became loud times).

In December 1997, a band named Zilch asked me if I would be their lead singer. The guys in Zilch played for dcTalk back then. After a ton of changes God made in our lives, Otto Price, Jason Halbert and I, took a “risk” and followed the Lord’s leading to make a Zilch praise and worship CD. 3/4 of the way through recording it we felt led to change our band name. And that was where SONICFLOOd was born.

The first SONICFLOOd CD came out March 26, 1999. We had a wild ride for 15 months while God allowed this CD to touch many lives and sell around 900,000 copies. I’ve had countless people tell me that the SONICFLOOd CD was their first Christian CD ever!

Then in May of 2000, God broke me out of SONICFLOOd through some challenging circumstances within the band. I was distraught over finally discovering my calling as a worship leader, and then, BAM, it was over! Even so, I am convinced that God’s path is the best one, even when it is tough.

Now, I am blessed with 15 years of incredible marital bliss, 2 amazing sons, Roman (5) and Evan (3.5) and with my forth “solo project” as a worship leader (Unveil). I couldn’t have done it without my label, Indelible Creative Group, my family, the guys in my band, my manager, my previous record company, Gotee, and so many others who stretched me, encouraged me and stood by me though it all.Thank you Jesus!