Joy is a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Music, singing and songwriting has been passed down by generations. Joy’s great-grandfather, Prospero Baca from Bernalillo, NM was born in 1875 and was a Spanish folk poet. His talent as a musician, singer, and songwriter included a catalog of hundreds of original folk poems some of which became songs. The impact he created on New Mexican culture was featured in New Mexico Magazine in 1966.
Joy’s father, Phil Baca followed in his grandfather’s footsteps and also became a musician playing drums for a local, yet popular band in Albuquerque as a teenager. Joy’s father began playing drums at such a young age, that one of his bandmates agreed to be his legal guardian so he could perform. His musical journey did not stop there as Joy’s father learned to play guitar, bass, piano, and how to sing. He also became interested in learning how to record music and invested in a recording studio. Joy’s father led worship at his church and became a worship leader with local bands. He also created, recorded, and produced his own worship music catalog.
Since Joy was three years old, she has always been around worship music. It was where Joy first learned how to sing, where Joy first learned about worship, and where Joy first learned about God. Joy’s father would play his 12-string acoustic guitar for Joy while he taught her to sing. He also recorded her singing her first song, “Jesus Loves Me” in his recording studio. Joy also sang for the first time in public at her church with her older brother at the age of five. Christian music was always played in Joy’s home growing up, especially on a Sunday afternoon. By the age of 12, Joy began having an interest in singing, and is when she and her father would sing for wedding ceremonies at local churches. Within two short years, is when Joy’s father would invite her on stage to sing a song in Spanish with local bands that he would be playing bass guitar with. It was Joy’s Grandmother who first taught Joy to sing in Spanish. Rather than having a regular after-school job like every other teenager, Joy’s after-school job became singing in her father’s band on the weekends. Joy met her husband in high school and with him having a passion for Tejano music, he presented to Joy and her father a larger market where she could sing music in Spanish. Joy became an award-winning professional vocalist and songwriter touring the SW Region of the United States with the next level of music success on the horizon.
As a professional vocalist, Joy’s dedication to her faith and relationship with Jesus Christ however slipped away. Joy had been living a life of being on the road and not living her life for the Lord. Fast-forward to Joy being 30 years old, to the day she was in the labor delivery room. There were many seeds God planted that day. It was the day Joy’s Parents invited her back to a church she knew since she was 10 years old. Also on this day, this new baby girl was going to lead Joy into a much deeper relationship with God than she had ever known before. This new baby about to be born was Joy’s saving grace. Little did Joy realize the journey she was about to embark upon, was going to take her life on a different path.
Joy decided to take a break from touring so she could raise her new baby girl. She also returned to school and completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, a Master’s Degree in Accounting, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. Joy is currently pursuing her Doctorate Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on Management. Joy also co-founded three local businesses all servicing the hospitality industry and served on various boards, commissions, and organizations.
Over the years, Joy’s career as a vocalist led her to share the stage with many prestigious artists in the New Mexico, Tejano, and Contemporary Christian music industries. When Joy was in the recording studio working on a new music project, is when Joy noticed something different with her voice. She wasn’t sure what it was, but in 2019 a medical diagnosis forever changed her life! Everything that had happened in that labor delivery room was about to come to light and Joy relied on her faith like she never had before. It took her some time, but in 2023, she spent the time with a cinematographer who helped her create and share her medical diagnosis. Her original plan was to share the story in late September 2023 for Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, but she was so overwhelmed that her story came to life, that she needed time to process her story.
Shortly after her story was completed and was about to be released, Joy's Husband passed away unexpectedly in late October of 2023. This put releasing Joy's story on hold while she tended to her husband and daughter along with her own grief.
In early 2024, as hard as it was, Joy decided to share her story. She felt it was something that not only shared her experience of God's goodness through her medical diagnosis but also was a way to honor her Husband's legacy.
Philippians 4:13, Proverbs 3:5, Matthew 28:20
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