Who is Paul Baloche? Born in 1962 in Camden, New Jersey, Paul Baloche is an American songwriter and worship pastor, based in Lindale, Texas. Author of Open the Eyes of My Heart and Above All, he has also recorded two albums in French, Ouvre les yeux de mon cœur in 2009 and Glorieux in 2013.
Paul Baloche was born in 1962 in Camden, New Jersey, into a Catholic family of French origin: his grandparents, who were from Paris, had settled in Canada in the early twentieth century. After becoming a Christian, he studied at the Grove School of Music, where he crossed paths with several artists who would go on to shape the American Christian music scene. He became worship pastor at Community Christian Fellowship, in Lindale, Texas, and wrote songs now sung around the world, such as Open the Eyes of My Heart and Above All, named song of the year at the Dove Awards in 2002 and 2003.
Part of this success came through France: as early as 2009, Paul Baloche recorded his first fully French-language album, Ouvre les yeux de mon cœur, with French-speaking artists such as Thierry Ostrini and André Favreau. He did it again in 2013 with Glorieux, recorded in Quebec and in Lyon with local translators and worship leaders, an album that earned him a Covenant Award for international album of the year from GMA Canada.
- Origin
- Camden, New Jersey (United States); worship pastor in Lindale, Texas
- Style
- contemporary evangelical worship, adapted into French with French-speaking artists
- Active since
- late 1990s in the United States, two French-language albums in 2009 and 2013
- Good to know
- author of Open the Eyes of My Heart and Above All, Dove Award winner in 2009
How did Paul Baloche get started?
Paul Baloche grew up in Camden, New Jersey, in a Catholic family whose grandparents, originally from Paris, had settled in Canada in the early twentieth century. After his conversion, he studied at the Grove School of Music, where he met several future artists of the American Christian music scene, before becoming worship pastor at Community Christian Fellowship, the church in Lindale, Texas.
It was there that he wrote most of his most widely sung songs, including Open the Eyes of My Heart, which became a standard in evangelical churches from the late 1990s onward, and Above All, named song of the year at the Dove Awards in 2002 and 2003. His collaboration with Michael W. Smith and his wife Debbie Smith on A New Hallelujah also earned him a Dove Award in 2009.
What makes Paul Baloche unique?
Few American worship songwriters have invested as much in the French-speaking market as Paul Baloche. Rather than simply letting others translate his songs, in 2009 he himself recorded an entirely French-language album, Ouvre les yeux de mon cœur, with artists such as Thierry Ostrini and André Favreau.
He deepened this approach in 2013 with Glorieux, recorded both in Quebec and in Lyon, working directly with translators and worship leaders from each region to refine the French rendering of every text. This work earned him a Covenant Award for international album of the year presented by GMA Canada, a rare recognition for an American artist in the French-speaking market.
Where should you start to discover Paul Baloche in French?
To discover Paul Baloche in French, start with Ouvre les yeux de mon cœur, the title track of his first French album from 2009, which remains one of the most widely used opening songs in French-speaking worship services. Hosanna, taken from the same record, makes a good companion piece.
Glorieux, the title track of his second French album released in 2013, shows a more mature stage of this translation work, carried out with musicians from Quebec and the Lyon region. Both albums are available on streaming platforms, and some of their songs circulate on YouTube in official audio versions.
songs
Ouvre les yeux de mon cœur
Title track of Paul Baloche's first French album, released in 2009, an adaptation of Open the Eyes of My Heart.
Hosanna
French version of Hosanna (Praise Is Rising), taken from the same 2009 album.
Glorieux
Title track of Paul Baloche's second French album, recorded in 2013 in Quebec and in Lyon.
Discography
- 2013Glorieux
- 2009Ouvre les yeux de mon cœur
Read also
Frequently asked questions
Who is Paul Baloche?
Paul Baloche is an American songwriter and evangelical worship pastor, born in 1962 in Camden, New Jersey. Worship pastor at Community Christian Fellowship in Lindale, Texas, he is the author of songs sung worldwide such as Open the Eyes of My Heart and Above All.
What is Paul Baloche's best-known song?
Open the Eyes of My Heart, released in the late 1990s, became a standard in evangelical churches around the world. In French, its version Ouvre les yeux de mon cœur, the title track of his first French album from 2009, remains his most widely used French-language song.
Does Paul Baloche have French-language albums?
Yes, he has recorded two: Ouvre les yeux de mon cœur in 2009, with French-speaking artists such as Thierry Ostrini, then Glorieux in 2013, recorded in Quebec and in Lyon, which earned him a Covenant Award from GMA Canada.
Where can you listen to Paul Baloche in French?
His two French albums, Ouvre les yeux de mon cœur and Glorieux, are available on streaming platforms such as Spotify and Deezer, as well as in official audio versions on YouTube, through his label Integrity Music.
Is Paul Baloche a pastor?
Yes. Paul Baloche serves as worship pastor at Community Christian Fellowship, a church in Lindale, Texas, alongside his career as a songwriter and performer.
Who did Paul Baloche collaborate with on his French albums?
For Ouvre les yeux de mon cœur in 2009, he worked with artists such as Thierry Ostrini and André Favreau. For Glorieux in 2013, he recorded in Quebec and in Lyon with local translators and worship leaders from each region.