The sports world's loss was the music world's gain. And over the years, that has added up to quite a plus on the musical side of the ledger.
Janice Kapp Perry grew up in a musical home; her parents played in a dance band. She majored in music at Brigham Young University. But she set music aside for her family (she and her husband, Doug, have five children and numerous foster children) and for sports. She pitched on a fast-pitch softball team, played co-ed volleyball, excelled at racquetball.
Then, at age 39, she broke her ankle while playing basketball. "My bishop said that since I was laid up with a cast on my foot, maybe I could write the ward roadshow."
Next came a song that Perry wrote for her son to sing in church — and her musical career took off from there.
"No one is more surprised than me that music has taken up so much of my life," Perry said. "But I've just loved being involved with it."
She released her first album of original songs in 1978. The Perrys now have their own company, Provo-based Prime Recordings Inc., which involves the whole family. And in between is an impressive list of work — more than 800 songs, 40 recorded albums, two full-length musicals, eight sacred cantatas and several albums in Spanish, Japanese and Korean.
One of her hymns, "As Sisters In Zion," is in the current LDS hymnbook; 10 songs are in the Primary songbook. Her works have been performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (she sang with the choir until 1999), the Mormon Youth Symphony and Choir and countless other choirs throughout the world. Her "greatest hits" include such songs as "No Ordinary Man," "A Child's Prayer," "In the Hollow of Thy Hand," "Love Is Spoken Here" and "We'll Bring The World His Truth."
In recent years, Perry has collaborated with Sen. Orrin G. Hatch on five albums of patriotic, inspirational and Christmas songs. "We've developed a nice friendship."
Perry will be honored for her many contributions to LDS music with the 2001 Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be presented as part of the Faith Centered Music Association's Pearl Awards. "It's humbling. It's not something I ever expected. And I've admired so much those who have received the award in the past." (Previous honorees include Naomi Randall, author of "I Am A Child of God," and composer Crawford Gates.)
"I hope it doesn't mean my life is over," Perry joked. But she is also deeply touched that the award comes from others in the music industry. "To do something you love and to be recognized by your peers is a sweet feeling."
Her music is filled with love and faith, with messages that inspire and words that motivate set to lyrical tunes that linger in the memory. "I love simple music," she says. Music takes the faith and the love and whatever message and "makes it go deeper into your heart."
And that's why a lot of her music, including an album she is currently finishing based on LDS President Gordon B. Hinckley's six B's, is written for children, to help them learn and understand.
But as anyone who has been touched by Perry's music knows — and that includes a wide, wide circle — "simple" doesn't make it any less profound or meaningful.
Like a skilled archer, Janice Kapp Perry sends musical arrows straight to the heart.
E-MAIL: carma@desnews.com