Michael Whitaker Smith is an American musician who has charted in both contemporary Christian and mainstream charts. His biggest success in mainstream music was in 1991 when "Place in This World" hit No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Over the course of his career, he has sold more than 18 million albums.
DC Talk is a Christian rap and rock trio. The group was formed at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1987 by Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait, and Kevin Max Smith. They released five major studio albums together: DC Talk (1989), Nu Thang (1990), Free at Last (1992), Jesus Freak (1995), and Supernatural (1998). In 2002, the Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music called DC Talk "the most popular overtly Christian act of all time."
Geoff Moore is an American contemporary Christian music singer. He began recording as a solo artist in 1984. In 1987, he formed Geoff Moore and The Distance, his touring band, which released eight albums generating a string of No. 1 radio hits throughout their 10+-year tenure. In 1998, Geoff retired the band from full-time touring. After a "farewell tour", Moore has continued as a solo artist, releasing eight more records between 1999 and 2015. The Next Thing was released in April 2016, making it his 25th album to date.
Star Song Communications is a Christian record label that was started in 1976 by Wayne Donowho, who recruited his friend Darrell Harris. It gained notoriety when it issued Resurrection Band's ground-breaking debut album, Awaiting Your Reply in 1978. Originally, a distribution deal was made with Benson Records. From 1983 until 1986, distribution was done by Word Records. After that, a deal was made with Sparrow Records. Independent distribution was started in 1989, and picked up distribution for ForeFront records and DC Talk in 1991. This distribution was maintained until the sale of the company to EMI, and the launch of Chordant Distribution in 1994.
Petra is an American music group regarded as a pioneer of the Christian rock and contemporary Christian music genres and was, for many years, regarded as the "world's most popular Christian rock band". Formed in 1972, the band took its name from the Greek word for "rock". Though it disbanded formally in 2006, incarnations have played reunion shows in the years since and released two albums in November 2010, and in November 2017. In 2013, it reformed with a new drummer, Cristian Borneo, and recorded a new song titled "Holy is Your Name", before going back on tour.
Across the Sky was a Dove Award-nominated Christian band formed in Nashville, Tennessee, during 2001 by singer-songwriters Ben Kolarcik and Justin Unger, with a music style combining light rock, pop, and folk. Their self-titled debut was released in 2003, spawning a top ten song and three wide release singles. The group toured and recorded for two years under the Word Records Label before disbanding in 2005 and deciding to follow separate career paths.
The W's were a Christian ska and swing revival band, formed in Corvallis, Oregon in 1996. Success came quickly to the band and their first album, Fourth from the Last, was a sleeper hit, unexpectedly having had the strongest debut of any Christian album to date for its distributor. They toured the United States several times with a variety of artists. Touring highlights include Pope John Paul II's 1999 visit to St. Louis and dc Talk's Supernatural support tour.
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.
Steve Green is an American Christian music singer.
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.
5 Minute Walk was an independent record label founded by Frank Tate in April 1995. Operations were based in Concord, California in the back offices of The Screem, a music club operated by Tate. They only carried Christian bands and considered themselves to be a Christian ministry. Most records were produced by Masaki Liu at Masaki's One Way Studio and executive produced by Frank Tate.
Out of the Grey is a husband-and-wife Contemporary Christian music project consisting of Scott and Christine Denté. Christine provides lead vocals, while Scott plays guitars and sings background, along with the occasional lead vocals. They have released seven studio albums, one best-of compilation and one live EP and have been involved in a number of other projects. Their debut album was ranked 47th in the book CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music.
Matthew Ward is one of the pioneers of the Jesus music genre, later to be called contemporary Christian music. He is best known as a member of the trio 2nd Chapter of Acts, in which he sang and performed with his sisters Annie Herring and Nellie (Ward) Greisen. During his musical career with the 2nd Chapter of Acts from 1973 to 1988, he also recorded solo albums.
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".
Jonathan Pierce Hildreth, better known as Jonathan Pierce, was an American CCM, gospel singer from Odessa, Texas and an interior designer in Nashville. Pierce used his first and middle name while omitting his last name for career purposes.
Stronger is the second studio album by Contemporary Christian music singer Natalie Grant. It was released on June 12, 2001, through Pamplin Records, and was re-released on February 26, 2002, through Curb Records.
Wide Eyed is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Nichole Nordeman, released on September 22, 1998 by Star Song Records and Sparrow Records. After winning a songwriting competition hosted by the Gospel Music Association in 1998, Nordeman signed a record deal with Star Song and Sparrow and began to work on her debut record. A ten-song set, Wide Eyed sees her collaborating with Mark Hammond to co-write the tracks for the album, which he also produced. Describing it as having a piano-driven sound, Nordeman cites the facet of honesty as the Wide Eyed's main theme — using theological and philosophical concepts to write its lyrical content.
Nikki Leonti-Edgar is an American singer-songwriter. Prior to her work in urban, R&B, and electronic dance music, Leonti recorded contemporary Christian music albums. She lent her vocals to over 250 songs during 4 seasons of the musical comedy-drama television series Glee.
The Journey is the fifth album by contemporary Christian pop trio, Sierra.
Farrell and Farrell was a Christian music husband and wife duo formed in 1977 by Bob and Jayne Farrell. They have released seven studio albums and one live album between 1977 and 1989 and have amassed many Christian radio hits during those times. Bob Farrell is the principal songwriter of the duo and outside of Farrell and Farrell has written songs for many CCM and mainstream artists like Sandi Patty, Amy Grant, Eric Clapton, Anne Murray, Laura Branigan and DeGarmo and Key.
