Bernie Herms

Last updated

Bernie Herms
Birth nameBernhard Herms
Also known asBernie
Born (1972-03-26) March 26, 1972 (age 51)
London, Ontario, Canada
Origin Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres CCM
Occupation(s) music producer, [1] composer, [1] songwriter [1]
Instrument(s) Multi-instrumentalist [1]
Years active1997–present
Labels Benson

Bernhard "Bernie" Herms (born March 26, 1972) is a Canadian composer, songwriter, and music producer in Nashville, Tennessee. He has received and been nominated for Grammy Awards, GMA Dove Awards, and GMA Canada Covenant Awards, due to his songwriting and music production work.

Contents

Early and personal life

Herms was born, Bernhard Herms, on March 26, 1972, [2] in Canada, the son of a Pentecostal minister. [3] [4]

His teenage years were mainly spent in Edmonton, Alberta, before he moved to Chilliwack, B.C. and later enrolled in Trinity Western University, in Langley, B.C. [4]

He later moved to the United States, transferring some of his school credits and enrolling in Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Shortly after moving to the school he met classmate Brad Paisley, [4] another aspiring musician with similar taste in music. In an interview with The Canadian Press Herms described their early friendship as Paisley being a "guitar picker from Virginia" while he was "this long-haired classical piano player from Canada." [4] The two men quickly built a friendship and worked with their classmates in the studio on a regular basis.

Herms graduated from Belmont with his baccalaureate degree in Classical Composition, during their 1995 commencement. [5] He was honored by the university in 2009, with their Curtain Call Award. [5]

Music career

Around the same time Paisley was signed to a record label and brought several of his school friends—including Herms—under his wing as bandmates. [4]

Herms began his own music recording career in 1997, with the studio album, Nocturne, released by Benson Records. [6] The subsequent studio album, Softly & Tenderly, was released by Brentwood Records, in 1998. [7]

Eventually, he began to focus on a songwriting and production career, saying, "I realized my best game was having people I work with discover their best performances." [4]

He has gone on to a successful music production and songwriting career and worked with artists such as Josh Groban, Kelly Clarkson, Barbra Streisand, Selena Gomez, Casting Crowns, Natalie Grant, Danny Gokey, Tauren Wells, and many others.

Herms co-wrote the GMA Dove Award Song of the Year, "East to West", with Casting Crowns vocalist, Mark Hall, at the 39th GMA Dove Awards, in 2008. [8] The song was nominated for the Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony, and the following year at the 51st Annual in the same category.[ citation needed ]

Throughout his career he has also worked with artists like Josh Groban ("Stages"), Kelly Clarkson ("All I Ask of You" duet with Groban), Andrea Bocelli and Barbra Streisand. [9]

He won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance or Song for "Thy Will" by Hillary Scott and the Scott Family in 2017. The award was shared with fellow songwriters Hillary Scott & Emily Weisband. [10] [11]

Personal life

Herms still resides in Nashville with his wife Natalie Grant, whom he married in a ceremony on August 27, 1999. They have three daughters, the first two are twins. [12]

The couple has worked together on music numerous times and frequently speaks about their supportive and collaborative professional relationship. [4] [10]

Both he and Grant were separately nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance or Song in 2017. Herms won the award. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbra Streisand</span> American singer and actress (born 1942)

Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand is an American singer, actress, songwriter, film and television producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment and is among the few performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Foster</span> Canadian record producer and songwriter

David Walter Foster is a Canadian record producer, film composer, and music executive. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. Foster's career began as a keyboardist for the pop group Skylark in the early 1970s before focusing largely on composing and production. Often in tandem with songwriter Diane Warren, Foster has contributed to material for prominent music industry artists in various genres since then, and is credited with production on over 40 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100. He has also chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Paisley</span> American country musician (born 1972)

Bradley Douglas Paisley is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Starting with his 1999 debut album Who Needs Pictures, he has released twelve studio albums and a Christmas compilation on the Arista Nashville label, with all of his albums certified Gold or higher by the RIAA. He has scored 35 Top 10 singles on the US Billboard Country Airplay chart, 20 of which have reached number one. He set a new record in 2009 for the most consecutive singles (10) reaching the top spot on that chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon Kennedy (musician)</span> American musician

Gordon Scott Kennedy is an American songwriter, musician, and record producer based in Nashville, Tennessee whose most successful composition is the international hit song "Change the World", recorded by Eric Clapton, for which Kennedy and his co-writers received a Grammy Award for Song of the Year (1996). Kennedy also received a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album (2007), co-producing, composing, and performing on Peter Frampton's Fingerprints album. He was a member of the Christian rock band White Heart for six years in the 1980s. Kennedy has written 15 songs recorded by Garth Brooks, and has done projects with Frampton and Ricky Skaggs. Kennedy's songs have been recorded by artists including Bonnie Raitt, Alison Krauss, Stevie Nicks, Faith Hill, and Carrie Underwood. His compositions have been heard in the film soundtracks of Tin Cup, For Love of the Game, Where the Heart Is, Almost Famous, Summer Catch, Someone Like You, The Banger Sisters, Phenomenon and Disney's The Fox and the Hound 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy LiPuma</span> Musical artist

Tommy LiPuma was an American music producer. His productions received 33 Grammy nominations, five Grammy wins, and sold over 75 million albums. LiPuma worked with many musicians, including Barbra Streisand, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, George Benson, Phil Upchurch, Al Jarreau, Anita Baker, Natalie Cole, Gábor Szabó, Claudine Longet, Dave Mason, the Yellowjackets, the Sandpipers, Michael Franks, Diana Krall, Paul McCartney, Ben Sidran, The Crusaders, Joe Sample, Randy Crawford and Dr. John. In 2020, his biography, The Ballad of Tommy LiPuma, written by Ben Sidran and published by Nardis Books, was named "the music biography of the year" by The New York City Jazz Record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalie Grant</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1971)

Natalie Diane Grant is an American singer and songwriter of contemporary Christian music. She received the Gospel Music Association's Dove Award for Female Vocalist of the Year four consecutive years, 2006–2009, and a fifth award in 2012. She has also been nominated for eight Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Maher</span> Musical artist

Matthew Guion Maher is a Canadian contemporary Christian music (CCM) artist, songwriter, and worship leader from Newfoundland, Canada, who lives in the United States. Three of his nine albums have reached the Top 25 Christian Albums Billboard chart and four of his singles have reached the Top 25 Christian Songs chart. His notable writing credits include "Your Grace Is Enough", "I Will Rise", "Because He Lives (Amen)", "Christ Is Risen", and "Lord I Need You". Maher has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards in his career and was awarded the Songwriter of the Year at the 2015 GMA Dove Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humberto Gatica</span> Chilean-born American recording engineer, mixing engineer and record producer

Humberto Gatica is a Chilean-born American recording engineer, mixing engineer and record producer, best known for his work with Celine Dion, Chicago, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Cher and Michael Bublé. Gatica's international collaborations include producing artists singing in over six languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tell Him (Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion song)</span> 1997 single by Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion

"Tell Him" is a song written by Linda Thompson and producers Walter Afanasieff and David Foster. It was recorded as a duet between American singer Barbra Streisand and Canadian singer Celine Dion for their 1997 albums, Higher Ground and Let's Talk About Love, and released as the lead single from these albums on November 3, 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonas Myrin</span> Swedish musician

Jonas Myrin is a Swedish singer, songwriter and producer based in Los Angeles, California. His solo career began in 2012 with the gold-certified song, "Day of the Battle" in Germany. Myrin won two Grammy Awards for the song "10,000 Reasons ", which he wrote for Matt Redman. He also won both Billboard and multiple Dove Awards, as well as many nominations for those awards. He has written songs for artists such as Barbra Streisand, Idina Menzel, Andrea Bocelli, Lauren Daigle, Nicole Scherzinger, and others, and has often produced the works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">39th GMA Dove Awards</span>

The 39th Annual GMA Dove Awards presentation was held on April 23, 2008, recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2007. The show was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee.

<i>Live Concert at the Forum</i> 1972 live album by Barbra Streisand

Live Concert at the Forum is the second live album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released physically on October 1, 1972, by Columbia Records. Produced by long-time collaborator Richard Perry, it was recorded at The Forum in Inglewood, part of Greater Los Angeles, on April 15, 1972, during Four for McGovern, a concert held in benefit for George McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign. A CD version of Live Concert at the Forum was released on September 6, 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy Waldman</span> Musical artist

Randy Waldman is an American pianist, arranger, composer, and conductor. He has frequently collaborated with Barbra Streisand, serving as her pianist and conductor since 1984. Waldman has worked with notable artists including Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Ray Charles, and Stevie Wonder. His 2018 album Superheroes garnered the award for Best Arrangement at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hope in Front of Me (song)</span> 2014 single by Danny Gokey

"Hope in Front of Me" is a song co-written and recorded by American singer Danny Gokey for his second studio album of the same name (2014). Gokey wrote the song with Brett James and its producer, Bernie Herms. It was released to Christian radio on January 24, 2014 and to digital retailers February 18, 2014 through BMG Rights Management as the record's lead single. "Hope in Front of Me" serves as Gokey's debut release on the BMG label and his first single in almost three years.

<i>Partners</i> (Barbra Streisand album) 2014 studio album by Barbra Streisand

Partners is the thirty-fourth studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released on September 16, 2014, by Columbia Records. The album features Streisand singing duets with an all-male lineup including Stevie Wonder, Michael Bublé, Billy Joel, John Legend, John Mayer, Andrea Bocelli, Lionel Richie, and from an earlier recording, Elvis Presley. The collection also features Streisand's first studio-recorded duet with her now 47-year-old son, Jason Gould. The album release was promoted on The Tonight Show, where Streisand was the evening's sole guest and sang a medley with host Jimmy Fallon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Garcia (musician)</span> Music producer and songwriter

David Arthur Garcia is an American record producer and songwriter. He has received four Grammy Awards, and has won nine GMA Dove Awards, for his songwriting and record production. He was honored with the ASCAP Christian songwriter on the year award, in 2015. He co-wrote and produced the smash hit single "Meant to Be" with Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line, and co-produced "Let You Down" by NF.

Jeffrey Thomas "Jeff" Pardo is an American Christian musician, who is mainly a music producer, songwriter, and composer. He has received a Grammy Award nomination at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards.

<i>Music Inspired by The Story</i> 2011 compilation album by Various artists

Music Inspired by The Story is a 2011 compilation album of songs by various contemporary Christian music artists. The songs were inspired by scripture passages found in the Bible; it is included in a series with books by Max Lucado and Randy Frazee. The album was named the Special Event Album of the Year at the 43rd GMA Dove Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Hebel</span> Musical artist

Christian Hebel is an American violinist, songwriter, arranger and concertmaster. He has appeared on multi-Platinum, Gold, Emmy Award, Academy Awards, Tony Award, and Grammy Award winning recordings as well as film scores and Broadway theatre.

Jay Landers is an American record producer, songwriter, A&R executive, music publisher and writer of liner notes best known for his work with Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra, Neil Diamond, and Hilary Duff.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Bernie Herms : Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  2. ↑ Family Search (2009). "U.S. Public Records Index" (Document). Family Search. 272296530.[ better source needed ]
  3. ↑ Herms, Bernie. "Worship: Beyond Mere Performance". Worship Leader (July/August 2006): 26–8. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Friend, David (February 3, 2017). "Grammy Q&A: Canadian Bernie Herms on writing for stars, competing against wife". Vancouver Times Colonist. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  5. 1 2 Collins, Kirsty (February 9, 2009). "Bernie Herms (95) to Receive Curtain Call Award". Belmont University . Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  6. ↑ Cross Rhythms. "Nocturne – Bernhard Herms". Cross Rhythms . Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  7. ↑ Obrey, Paul (June 1, 1999). "Review: Softly & Tenderly – Bernhard Herms". Cross Rhythms . Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  8. ↑ GMA Dove Award. "Search: Bernie Herms". Gospel Music Association. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  9. ↑ "JFH News: Bernie Herms Celebrates Barbra Streisand's #1 Album Debut!". www.jesusfreakhideout.com. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  10. 1 2 Friend, David (February 12, 2017). "Edmonton-raised Bernie Herms wins Grammy". Global News Online. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  11. ↑ "59th Annual GRAMMY Awards Winners & Nominees". GRAMMY.com. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  12. ↑ IMDb. "Natalie Grant – Biography". IMDb . Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Past Winners Search". GRAMMY.com. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.