Universal Life Church has no restriction on gender when getting ordained and countless women have become ordained, including famous rocker Alanis Morissette. Explore this rundown of her life and career.
Exploring the Early Years and Initial Success
Born in Canada in 1974, Morissette was raised by parents who taught in military schools. This meant that she moved from one location to the next frequently in her childhood, including spending many years living in Germany. By the age of six, the young girl found herself drawn to music and began taking piano lessons. According to family, she was writing her own songs before she turned 10. She would also show an interest in performing and was briefly a featured player in the Canadian children’s sketch show “You Can’t Do That on Television.”
Morissette’s singing career saw immediate success in Canada after she released her first album, “Alanis,” which won her the Juno Award for “Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year” in 1992. When her second album, “Now Is the Time,” failed to see as many sales as her first, the artist found herself without a label and set her sights on expanding her musical skills by learning guitar.
Reaching International Acclaim
In 1995, Morissette would produce her first international release, “Jagged Little Pill.” The album was a huge hit in the United States, with the breakout single being the semi-controversial “You Oughta Know.” Anecdotal stories surrounding the single suggest it is about Morissette’s breakup with “Full House” actor Dave Coulier. Morissette has never officially confirmed this theory. Other songs like “Ironic” and “Hand in My Pocket” received heavy radio play and helped to cement Morissette as a powerhouse female rock vocalist of the 90s.
After touring the album, Morissette spent six weeks in India with several family members and friends. According to the singer, her time there had an incredibly profound impact on her life and the trajectory of her songwriting. She would release her next album, “Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie,” in 1998, which featured the single “Thank U.” Though not as commercially successful as “Jagged Little Pill,” critics would give the album glowing reviews.
Taking to the Stage and Screen
In addition to her musical career, Morissette has appeared in a number of television, film, and theater roles. Notably, she played God in Kevin Smith’s films “Dogma” and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.” Some of her television credits include recurring or guest roles on celebrated series like “Sex and the City,” “Weeds,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Morissette would appear in a 2003 off-Broadway production of “The Exonerated,” which featured monologues of real-life people who were on death row and proven innocent. Her performance was so powerful that she was asked to reprise her role in London in 2006.
Sharing Her Belief in Love
Reports state that Morissette became a registered minister of the ULC sometime in 2007. However, there are no details available on why the singer decided to become ordained. There is also no information on whether she has officiated anyone’s marriage. Still, her desire to become a minister shows that Morissette is the type of person who believes in love and wants to help facilitate romance however she can. She eventually married rapper Mario "Souleye" Treadway in 2010. The couple has three children together as of 2019.
Alanis Morissette is a singer who has written countless tunes about the power of love in all of its forms. From her early days penning lyrics about heartache and betrayal to her more recent albums centered on the peace romance can bring, it makes sense that Morissette would want to share her belief in love by becoming an ordained minister of the ULC.