Best known for finishing in second place on the ABC competition series Rising Star, singer-songwriter Austin French is an emerging voice of contemporary Christian music. • French grew up in Cordele, Georgia. At 13, he attended a church camp with hopes of learning to play guitar. He later credited the experience as a spiritual and musical awakening that altered his life. • At 18, French became worship pastor at Journey Church in Tifton, Georgia. • While working as a pastor, he continued with music. In 2014, he was a runner-up on ABC's Rising Star, featuring judges Brad Paisley, Ludacris and Kesha. • French cowrote his 2017 debut single, “Freedom Hymn”, a streaming hit that reached No. 8 on Billboard’s Christian Songs chart. • He included “Freedom Hymn” on his 2018 debut album, Wide Open.