Colton Dixon praises medical heroes for saving life of newborn daughter, talks honoring God with career

By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor Thursday, March 07, 2024

Christian singer Colton Dixon is the first to acknowledge that if it weren’t for medical first responders, his 3-year-old twin daughters might not be here today.

In 2020, Dixon and his wife, Annie, welcomed identical twin daughters Ava Dior and Athens Elizabeth into the world — but their birth wasn’t without complications. Ava Dior emerged without a pulse and, after being resuscitated by nurses and doctors, spent several days in the NICU before going home with her family.

She is, according to Dixon, their “miracle baby.”

“I'm thankful for people in that line of work,” the 32-year-old “American Idol” alumnus told The Christian Post. “I think that God works through people a lot of the time, and He chooses to use first responders and medical workers and police officers. We had a little scare with one of our twins at birth and I'm so thankful for doctors, for nurses, for first responders. I don't know that it would be the same story if we were to rewind, however many decades, centuries ago, where it wasn't a thing. So, I'm super thankful for what they do.”

The Dove Award-winning “Made to Fly” singer makes a cameo appearance in the Great American Pure Flix show “County Rescue,” a faith-based series that honors medical workers on the frontlines. The action-adventure medical drama stars Julia Reilly ("Stranger Things") as an EMT in training who is vying for one of three openings on the team.

The five-part series also stars Stacey Patino ("Keeping Up With the Joneses"), Percy Bell ("Devotion"), Tim Perez-Ross ("The Vampire Diaries"), Riley Hough, Keller Fornes, Angel Luis, Kristin Wollett and Brett Varvel ("American Underdog").

“We love everyone involved with ‘County Rescue,’ and it has so much heart and humor and also deals with some real things that people go through, and one of those things was kind of a scare backstage,” Dixon said. “I get to play myself, and at the show … there is a medical scare that happens and I'm thankful that someone on the county rescue team is there to help out. The cast and crew were amazing and we just had a great time.”

Dixon shot to fame after spending two seasons on "American Idol," placing seventh in the 2012 season. Since then, he’s released five studio albums and has won numerous awards, including two GMA Dove Awards and Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for "Miracles" in 2020.

The artist is one of numerous “Idol” alums — including Danny Gokey, Lauren Daigle and Mandisa, among others — who are now working in the Christian music industry.

“‘American Idol’ was all the churchgoers' guilty pleasure to watch as a family,” Dixon said with a chuckle when asked about this trend. “Our family grew up going to church and when ‘Idol’ was on, it was the thing we did. … God's real, and I think He becomes real to everyone at some point, and in their own life and in their own walk and in their own time. It's their choice, whether or not they choose to follow after God's heart, but He's just been really real to me since I was young.

So, any opportunity that I have, I want to use that to glorify Him. It’s so cool to me to see other contestants as well, some before and some after me, following the same suit. It’s so much bigger than just me. Don't get me wrong; I love writing songs; I love crafting a great live show. I love doing all those things. But the goal is to maybe illuminate new things for people about God that they didn't know or just to love on people to give joy to people.”

Though people have been “pretty supportive” of his faith in the entertainment industry, Dixon said he’s been cautioned about being overly political or religious in case he “alienates” audiences.

“But my faith in the Lord is everything with me, so that wasn't something I was going to shy away from,” he said. “What's actually kind of funny, after ‘Idol,’ I signed with a Christian label, got dropped by the Christian label a few years in, and now I'm signed to a secular label, which I kind of love. It just presents an opportunity to reach people outside the Church.”

As his career diversifies, Dixon said he’s intentional about remaining grounded in his faith, a constant guiding force. For the singer, maintaining this focus involves daily conversations with God and prioritizing his family.

“It's something you have to be intentional about,” he reflected. “I think it's something that you have to constantly check in to make sure that you're doing what God has asked you to do. Because I think so quickly, you can turn from God's calling into just what you love. And then, like the love of telling people about Jesus becomes more important than actually doing the deed.

So for me, it's checking in and it's a daily conversation with God. It's a relationship and, not only that, but even with my wife as well. The moment my wife is like, ‘Hey, we think we need you at home,’ it's like, alright, cool I'm home. It's God first, family second, ministry third for me, and I don't always get those priorities right. I'm still learning how to manage. But I know at the end of the day, that's what it needs to be.”

And fatherhood has significantly influenced Dixon's choices in both music and acting. Being a father in the entertainment industry often rife with negative content, he said, is a tremendous responsibility he takes seriously.

“Ultimately, you need to be led by the Spirit of God,” he said. “Being a dad, it just kind of reemphasizes that, and it's such a great filter, honestly, for anyone. If there were ever any rough edges in your life, you might not have even realized, but it’s like, ‘If I don't want my kids doing this or saying this or watching this, maybe I shouldn't.’ It’s just a really good filter. I'm so thankful for them and I'm also thankful for TV and kids shows that don't have all the ‘stuff’ that this world is trying to throw at so many of us.”

For young artists aspiring to express their faith through music or acting, Dixon advised focusing on the present and valuing the opportunities at hand.

"God is going to give you an opportunity now," he said, urging up-and-coming artists to be good stewards of their current circumstances — something he works daily to practice as his star continues to rise.

“Look for what God has for you now,” he said. “Steward that time, and He'll make you ruler over much.”