Background
Nancy Henigbaum ("Honeytree" being a translation of her family"s German name) was born into a family of professional classical musicians.
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Nancy Honeytree
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As a teen Nancy Honeytree was drawn toward the hippie kids at her school, University of Iowa High School, eventually drifting into the drug culture. In 1970 she met some Jesus People at her sister"s art school, and became one herself. After graduating, she worked at a youth ministry in Fort
Billed simply as "Honeytree" most of her career, the singer"s folk rock-soprano style was influenced by mainstream artists such as Joni Mitchell, Carole King and Judy Collins, but her lyrics were largely dealing with one"s personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Still, she was somewhat unusual in that some of the songs on her albums were not just dealing with Jesus, but with friends and relationships, the loss of a friend, family memories and, increasingly, the solitary life of an unmarried Christian adult woman. Her songs were intricate and at times, playful.
"Hummer, Bummer, Bashmobile" recalled the trials and joys of her first car, using her blue Valiant as a metaphor for friendship, or, some said, Christ. Some of her fans fondly recall the pivotal line, "Sometimes the friends who give the strongest love/are the ones other people don"t think much of.. but that"s the kind of love you need to get you by." Her third album, Evergreen, is often considered among her best.
As her career progressed, Honeytree"s style shifted to a classical/bluegrass mix.
On October 30, 1983, Honeytree was formally ordained by her church, Calvary Temple, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. During the 1980s she developed a ministry to single adults, a focus she maintains to this day.
