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Ray Boltz | |
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| Born | June 14, 1953 Muncie, Indiana, U.S. |
| Genres | Contemporary Christian |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, piano, guitar |
| Years active | 1986–2004, 2008–present |
| Website | RayBoltz.com |
Raymond Howard "Ray" Boltz (born June 14, 1953) is an American retired [1] singer and songwriter who first came to wide notice in contemporary Christian music. Many of his songs tell stories of faith and inspiration.
Raised by his parents William and Ruth Boltz in Muncie, Indiana, Ray Boltz is the middle of his parents' three children (a fourth child died shortly after birth). [2] Boltz was married to Carol (nee Brammer) [2] Boltz [3] for 33 years (1975-2008), and they have four children: Karen, Philip, Elizabeth and Sara. [2] Boltz graduated from Ball State University with a degree in business and marketing. [2]
Boltz was virtually unknown when he wrote "Thank You", which won the Song of the Year prize at the 1990 GMA Dove Awards. [4] His song "I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb" also won a Dove Award for Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year, at the 25th GMA Dove Awards in 1994. After the release of Songs from the Potter's Field in 2002, and his last tour in 2004, Boltz retired from the music industry. He separated from his wife in 2005 before moving to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with their divorce being finalized in early 2008. [2]
On September 12, 2008, during an interview with the Washington Blade , Boltz disclosed that he was gay. [5] Since then, Boltz has performed at several churches of the Metropolitan Community Church, a gay-affirming Christian denomination. [6]
In 2010, he released the album True, which won Album of the Year at the OUTMusic Awards. [3] Boltz currently lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with his husband Franco Sperduti, [2] who is also his talent agent.
Boltz has twice been a recipient at the Gospel Music Association's Dove Awards. "Thank You" received the 1990 Song of the Year award, and "I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb" received the 1994 award for Inspirational Song. He also was one of various artists contributing to God with Us: A Celebration of Christmas Carols & Classics, which won the 1997 award for Special Event Album.
| Year | Album | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | The Concert of a Lifetime | Billboard 200 | 194 |
| 1996 | No Greater Sacrifice | Billboard 200 | 173 |
| 1997 | A Christmas Album: Bethlehem Star | Billboard 200 | 169 |
Twila Paris is a contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, author and pianist. Since 1980, Paris has released 22 albums, amassed 33 number one Christian Radio singles, and was named the Gospel Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year three years in a row. Many of her earlier songs such as "He Is Exalted", "We Will Glorify", "Lamb of God", and "We Bow Down", are found in church hymnals or otherwise sung in church settings. She was inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in May 2015.
Anointed is a contemporary Christian music duo from Columbus, Ohio, known for their strong vocals and harmonies, featuring siblings Steve Crawford and Da'dra Crawford Greathouse, along with former members Nee-C Walls and Mary Tiller. Their musical style includes elements of R&B, pop, rock, funk and piano ballads. The group has won seven Dove Awards, two Stellar Awards and three Grammy Award nominations. The group has also been featured on several Christian compilation albums such as Real Life Music, 1996 and WOW The 90s.
"The Little Drummer Boy" is a popular Christmas song written by American composer Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941. First recorded in 1951 by the Austrian Trapp Family, the song was further popularized by a 1958 recording by the Harry Simeone Chorale; the Simeone version was re-released successfully for several years, and the song has been recorded many times since. In the lyrics, the singer relates how, as a poor young boy, he was summoned by the Magi to the Nativity of Jesus. Without a gift for the Infant, the little drummer boy played his drum with approval from Jesus's mother, Mary, recalling, "I played my best for him" and "He smiled at me".
Larnelle Steward Harris is an American gospel singer and songwriter. During his 40-plus years of ministry, Harris has recorded 18 albums, won five Grammy Awards and 11 Dove Awards, and has had several number one songs on the inspirational music charts.
The 36th Annual GMA Dove Awards, also called the 36th Annual GMA Music Awards, were held on April 13, 2005 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2004. The show was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee and was hosted by Steven Curtis Chapman, CeCe Winans, Rebecca St. James, Smokie Norful, Darlene Zschech and Israel Houghton.
MercyMe is an American contemporary Christian music band founded in Edmond, Oklahoma. The band consists of lead vocalist Bart Millard, percussionist Robby Shaffer, bassist Nathan Cochran and guitarists Michael Scheuchzer and Barry Graul.
"Stars" is the first single released from American rock band Switchfoot's fifth album Nothing Is Sound. "Stars" was released to radio on June 28, 2005, and again on July 5. It was the most-added song on Modern Rock Radio in its first week of release and peaked at number sixteen on the US Modern Rock chart. The song was certified gold as a digital single on December 13, 2005. It is the band's third most successful song, behind previous hits "Meant to Live" and "Dare You to Move". On iTunes, an acoustic mix of the track is available.
Phillips, Craig and Dean is a contemporary Christian music trio composed of pastors Randy Phillips, Shawn Craig, and Dan Dean. Since forming in 1991, the group has sold over two million units. They have also received ten GMA Dove Award nominations, winning four, including Praise and Worship Album of the Year in 2007 for Top of My Lungs, and Inspirational Album of the Year in 2010 for Fearless.
Wayne Watson is an American singer-songwriter in contemporary Christian music. Some of his songs have become CCM classics, including "Another Time, Another Place", "For Such a Time as This", "Friend of a Wounded Heart", "People of God", "Touch of the Master's Hand", "New Lives for Old", "Watercolour Ponies", and from the 1998 The Way Home album "Here in This Town". He has won eight GMA Dove Awards.
Red is an American Christian rock band from Nashville, Tennessee, formed in 2002 by brothers guitarist Anthony Armstrong and bassist Randy Armstrong, with lead vocalist Michael Barnes. The band's first lineup also consisted of drummer Andrew Hendrix and guitarist Jasen Rauch. Currently, the lineup has consisted of the core trio of the Armstrong brothers and Barnes, along with drummer Brian Medeiros.
Paul Joseph Baloche is an American Christian music artist, worship leader, and singer-songwriter. A native of Maple Shade Township, New Jersey, Baloche was the worship pastor at Community Christian Fellowship in Lindale, Texas, for 26 years. He and his wife, Rita left Texas in January 2015, moving to New York City to be nearer to family. Baloche composes on piano and acoustic guitar, favoring guitar when leading worship. His wife, Rita Baloche, is also a Christian songwriter. Baloche is one of the writers for Compassionart, a charity founded by Martin Smith from Delirious?.
"El Shaddai" is a contemporary Christian music song. It was written by Michael Card and John Thompson, using direct quotes from scripture as their inspiration, and recorded by Card on his 1981 debut album, Legacy. However, the best known version of the song was by singer Amy Grant, whose rendition was recorded in 1982 on her platinum-certified album Age to Age.
"Voice of Truth" is a song recorded by Casting Crowns and written by Mark Hall and Steven Curtis Chapman. It was the third song released from Casting Crowns' 2003 debut album, Casting Crowns. "Voice of Truth" reached number one on the US Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart in 2003 and remained in the top spot for 14 weeks. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA. Casting Crowns received a Dove Award for Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year in 2005 for "Voice of Truth".
End of Silence is the debut studio album by American Christian rock band Red. It was released on June 6, 2006 through Essential Records and Sony BMG. It was produced by Rob Graves. According to Billboard, the album made it up to position 194 on its top 200 album chart. This is the only Red album to feature drummer Hayden Lamb.
Clay Crosse is a contemporary Christian music artist. He has won four GMA Dove Awards, and is probably best known for the single "I Surrender All".
Live Wire is a 2004 live CD/DVD released by Christian rock band Third Day. All of the tracks, except for "Sing a Song" and "Blackbird", are from their album Wire, released earlier that year. "Thank You All" was recorded especially for Live Wire. Some of the songs were cut off the CD but can be found on the DVD. The concert was shot and recorded in Louisville, Kentucky, at the Palace Theater. It has been certified Platinum by the RIAA.
The 29th Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on April 23, 1998, recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 1997. The show was held in Nashville, Tennessee, at the Nashville Arena. Live coverage on The Nashville Network was hosted by John Tesh and Naomi Judd, with a one-hour pre-show hosted by Clarence Gilyard and Kathy Troccoli.
The 26th Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on April 27, 1995, to recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 1994. The show was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hosted by Gary Chapman, Steven Curtis Chapman, Twila Paris and CeCe Winans.
The 21st Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on April 5, 1990, recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 1989. The show was held at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hosted by Clifton Davis and Sandi Patty.
Live Revelations: Onstage, Offstage, Backstage is a 2009 live CD/DVD released by the Christian rock band Third Day. Most of the tracks are from their album Revelation, released in 2008. Some of the songs were cut off the CD but can be found on the DVD. The package won the Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album Grammy Award.
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