This page is mostly for people who have booked Sam to perform at one kind of event or another, and have asked for some biographical information. If you're one of those folks, scroll down to find three different bios. We hope that one of them will serve. But If you need more specific information, feel free to click on the "contact" button in the navigation bar. We can likely provide whatever you like.
Sam Payne: Bio
Short Bio
Payne's performance of his original stories and jazz-inflected folk music has turned the heads of critics and audiences around the west. Alone or backed by his band (The Sam Payne Project), Payne's arresting stage presence, his craft as a poet/storyteller, and his soaring tenor voice have established him as an enduring and engaging performer; the songwriter's songwriter.
General Bio
Sam Payne’s contemporary folk recordings and live performances of stories and songs tales have established him among the premier acts of the Intermountain West and beyond. Playing to audiences large and small, as a solo act or with his band The Sam Payne Project, Payne has brought his peculiar stories and jazz-inflected folk tunes to halls in Canada, Bulgaria, Tokyo, and from coast to coast in the United States. Payne also writes and produces for radio, and his clients have included Glenn Beck, the popular syndicated radio and television host. Find more information about Sam and his work at www.sampayne.com.
“Let's talk about storytelling: Sam Payne is a master at it.”
--Carma Wadley, Deseret News
"Listening to the lyrics--that song about his grandfather; Holy Cow! Some of the best lyrics I've ever heard."
--Glenn Beck, the Glenn Beck Program
"Payne, known for his jazzed folk tunes and flair for good stories, is a 'must see' show full of entertainment that's just right for audiences across the board."
--Rich Panessa, Southern Utah Songwriters Association
“Hence, as a public service to anyone who enjoys thoughtful, energertic, jazz-inflected folk -- and even to people who think "jazz-inflected folk" sounds iffy, but who enjoy a good guitar sound and strong vocals -- I am opening the bag, and letting out the cat: Sam Payne rocks.”
--Cody Clark, The Daily Herald
"He's one of the best in his field … the consummate performer. The connection he makes with people onstage or in person is a rare thing that many artists don't have the ability to do."
--Earl Madsen, Sounds of Zion
“The songwriting is fun, sublime, and masterful. The lyrics are poetic and profound. There are life lessons hidden in his songs, and when found they are more powerful than just stating the truth. More true than truth. Highly, highly recommended.”
--Tim Jones, Deseretbook.com
"Payne delivers his riveting folktales with passion, emotionally stirring hooks, and an almost supernatural ability to tell a story." --Kevin Jones, "The Independent" magazine
"Payne is one of those few musicians who can successfully combine both songwriting and stage performing. He can write poignant and meaningful lyrics, combine them with a melodic hook, and perform them in a voice that makes you want to close your eyes and drift away."
--The Spectrum
More Businessy Bio
As a performing artist, Sam Payne has shared the stage with rock legends Toto and Foreigner, pop stars Air Supply and Marie Osmond, and more. He has entertained as a storyteller, songwriter and jazz musician in concert halls from Bulgaria to Tokyo, and from the Will Rogers Auditorium in Dallas, Texas to the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. He holds a bachelor's degree in English from Weber State University, and a Master's degree in Education from Southern Utah University. As a radio writer and personality, he has written for the Glenn Beck Program, directed the nation’s number one inspirational Internet radio station, YLDSR.com, and created and syndicated “The Radio Family Journal,” a popular radio feature on faith and family. Mr. Payne has also authored publications for children, with a readership of some 200,000 elementary school students. His work has been adopted as core curriculum by state boards of education in Florida and Arkansas. He has also authored works of historical fiction. Mr. Payne co-directed the "Soundcheck Series," an artist development program for independent songwriters, and is currently the school director of Pioneer High School for the Performing Arts in Lehi, Utah.