Get to know Brooke Ligertwood.
Written by G Njuguna on February 25, 2022
Today we look at Brooke Ligertwood ‘Brooke Fraser,’ a Grammy award-winning songwriter, producer, and worship leader who is the head of Hillsong Worship globally.
Family & Early Life
Fraser is the eldest of three children born to former All Black Bernie Fraser, who was born in Lautoka, Fiji, and his wife Lynda. Her father is of Fijian, Portuguese, and Scottish descent. She has two brothers: Matthew, who lives in Wellington, and Shea, who lives in Dunedin. Fraser grew up in Naenae, Lower Hutt, and attended Dyer Street School, Naenae Intermediate School, and Naenae College.
She began writing for the Soul Purpose magazine at age fifteen and was later made editor in 2002. She gave up her job as editor shortly after moving to Auckland in late 2002 in order to pursue her music career.
Marriage
On 17 March 2008, she married Scott Ligertwood, in Sydney, and together are blessed with two girls (Dylan Wilde Ligertwood, and Rooney Ives Ligertwood).
Dylan Wilde Ligertwood was born on the 18th of September 2015, while Rooney Ives Ligertwood was born on the 10th of July 2017.
Brooke Ligertwood with her husband and children Dylan Wilde, and Rooney Ives
Music Career
Fraser took piano lessons between the ages of seven and seventeen. She started writing songs at age twelve and taught herself the acoustic guitar at age fifteen. In 2002, at the age of 18, Fraser signed a multi-album deal with Sony Music, after a fierce bidding war between labels.
Fraser became a member of the Australian Christian music group Hillsong Worship from 2005 to 2010; she rejoined the group in 2016 since she was the songwriter and lead vocalist for the Grammy-winning song “What a Beautiful Name”, which was credited under her married name Brooke Ligertwood. Other well-known songs written and performed by Fraser (both with Hillsong Worship and as a solo artist) include “Hosanna”, “Better”, “Who You Say I Am”, “King of Kings”, “Awake My Soul”.
Discography
Brooke has 5 albums to her name, the latest released today is called Seven. “SEVEN” is an album of entirely BRAND NEW worship songs, written by Brooke and husband/long time collaborator Scott Ligertwood, Jason Ingram (who is co-producing the album with Brooke), Ps. Steven Furtick and other friends spontaneously in 2021 (as Brooke says, “I never had a worship album on my heart until the Lord made it clear He had it on His”).
“SEVEN” features a band comprised of gifted and anointed musicians from the breadth of the modern worship movement (Hillsong, Bethel, Vineyard), a 30 piece choir, and a collection of stunning new prayer-soaked songs written and arranged in line with Brooke’s singular vision with Jesus at the center.
The others are “What to Do with Daylight” (2003), “Albertine” (2006), “Flags” (2010), and Brutal Romantic (2014)
Accolades
In 2018 during the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards, Brooke won in the ‘Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song’ with the song ‘What A Beautiful Name’.
NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 28: Brooke Fraser of musical group Hillsong Worship accepts her award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song onstage at the Premiere Ceremony during the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018, in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
She has also been nominated in many Christian Awards throughout her music career.
Recently Brooke became the 13th woman in history to have a custom artist signature edition Martin Guitar.
Brooke Ligertwood holding the 000-28 Brooke Ligertwood guitar
