Jurni Rayne

 

This Dallas, Texas native has a great sound and unique flair. Do not judge a book by its cover because this anomaly of a diva will have you melting over the sultry sounds of her voice and the depth of her lyrics. Jurni Rayne is well versed in guitar, piano and flute; however, it is the voice that pulls everything together.

Jurni Rayne has a fierce determination and an undefeated spirit. She doesn’t allow the difficulty of being an independent, “starving” artist control her destiny in music. With support from many friends and family, she has consistently been encouraged to keep on striving toward her musical goals. Her hard work and determination has gotten her many opportunities. She was warranted a chance to open for Fantasia Barrino and Monifah and she had her song, "What Happens When," placed in a film titled “The Last Fall.”

While music is important to Jurni Rayne, it is equally important for her to be an OUT lesbian artist. Jurni feels that your race, socioeconomic background, “hood” or sexual preference does not define the person or the talent. Because Jurni Rayne is a feminine identified lesbian, it would be easy for her to pretend to be heterosexual or, from the advice of many, just keep silent and let people make whatever assumptions they would like to make. Jurni Rayne takes a visible and vocal stand against “hiding” by intertwining her lyrics and lifestyle without fear or regret. Jurni Rayne uses any opportunity to educate the public and eradicate stereotypes and stigmas, whether that is homosexuality or HIV/AIDS awareness; she stands for justice in all forms.

Jurni Rayne wasn’t always a pursuant of music. She studied and received two Bachelor’s degrees, one in Spanish and the other in Hospitality Administration. Immediately following college she became a restaurant manager. Jurni did what she felt society deemed right, which was to go to school, get a degree and a career. In her title song, “Finding My Way,” she sings “got my degree/and a career for me/but deep down I wasn’t happy. Then suddenly/I couldn’t breathe /and I just had to leave.” This song was written as the onset of Jurni Rayne leaving the career world to pursue music.