Joshua Payne is an American baritone. He is the 8 time winner of the National Association of Teachers of singing; Federation of Music Clubs Scholarship winner; and the Memphis Theatre Award (Ostrander) winner for best actor in the title role of Sweeney Todd. Joshua is an OBU and Memphis University alum and holds his Master‘s degree in music. He has performed leading and title roles in Sweeney Todd (Sweeney), The Little Mermaid (Triton), Carousel (Billy), Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni), Die Zauberfløte (Papageno), Albert Herring (Sid), Hansel und Gretel (Peter), Carmen (Morales, Escamilio) to name a few. Most recently he and his cast won the Broadway Regional Award for best ensemble (he himself portraying the role of ANDY LEE TUCKER) in the Broadway world premiere: Part of the Plan (the Dan Fogelberg musical).
"The power and beauty of this instrument, this voice we call Joshua Payne, is a phenomenon and experience the world needs."
To date, Joshua has produced 12 solo albums and has been featured worldwide on more than 50 compilation records. The Decca Classics label hailed his work and ranked him among Pavarotti, Terfel, and Hvorostovsky as “one of the greatest voices of our time.” He has been featured in many publications including People magazine and InStyle. He has also been the featured artist on international and stateside television (PBS, CNN, ESPN, ABC, MTV, SOAP TALK). He has entertained live audiences as large as 21,000, but also enjoys playing in intimate settings.
Presenting Verve/Universal recording artist, & one of People magazine's sexiest men:
This is the voice and artistry of Joshua Payne.
"One of the most abundantly gifted of a new breed of singer and songwriter, blessed with a big, classically-trained voice and a soul to match. In 2002, pianist Jim Brickman, introduced to the world, not only a widely accomplished singer who moves fluently and effortlessly through many genres (including Rock, Opera, Jazz, Folk, Pop, Country, Music Theatre, Art Song and the like), but a lyricist and composer of uncommon sensitivity and power, whose work is clearly informed by the depth of his life experiences."
The Verve Music Group
"Joshua Payne is that unique talent one encounters only rarely. He is naturally blessed with a rich, dark, beautiful voice that is at times both powerful and fragile. But it is because Josh connects to a lyric with intelligence and a kind of wisdom beyond his years that makes him a great singer. He has a tender lyric style because that's who Josh is: no artifice, just a man with questions who is not afraid to put himself out there or to break your heart with a song while you feel that guilty pleasure that you always get when you discover a real artist."