Detail from Religion by Charles Sprague Pearce (1896)

Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something.^[1]

Evelyn Underhill (2001) defines worship thus: "The absolute acknowledgment of all that lies beyond us—the glory that fills heaven and earth. It is the response that conscious beings make to their Creator, to the Eternal Reality from which they came forth; to God, however they may think of Him or recognize Him, and whether He be realized through religion, through nature, through history, through science, art, or human life and character."^[2] Worship asserts the reality of its object and defines its meaning by reference to it.^[3]

An act of worship may be performed individually, in an informal or formal group, or by a designated leader.

Worship in various religions[link]

Worship in Christianity[link]

This section requires expansion.

Adoration versus veneration[link]

In the New Testament various words are used for worship. The word proskuneo "to worship" means to bow down to Gods or kings.^[4]

Catholicism, Anglicanism, Oriental Orthodoxy, and Eastern Orthodoxy make a technical distinction between adoration or latria (Latin adoratio, Greek latreia, [λατρεια]), which is due to God alone, and veneration or dulia (Latin veneratio, Greek douleia [δουλεια]), which may be lawfully offered to the saints. The external acts of veneration resemble those of worship, but differ in their object and intent. Protestant Christians, who reject the veneration of saints, question whether such a distinction is always maintained in actual devotional practice, especially at the level of folk religion.

According to Mark Miravalle the English word "worship" is equivocal, in that it has been used in Catholic writing, at any rate, to denote both adoration/latria and veneration/dulia, and in some cases even as a synonym for veneration as distinct from adoration:

Adoration, which is known as latria in classical theology, is the worship and homage that is rightly offered to God alone. It is the acknowledgement of excellence and perfection of an uncreated, divine person. It is the worship of the Creator that God alone deserves. Veneration, known as dulia in classical theology, is the honor due to the excellence of a created person. This refers to the excellence exhibited by the created being who likewise deserves recognition and honor. We see a general example of veneration in events like the awarding of academic awards for excellence in school, or the awarding of the Olympic medals for excellence in sports. There is nothing contrary to the proper adoration of God when we offer the appropriate honor and recognition that created persons deserve based on achievement in excellence. Here a further clarification should be made regarding the use of the term "worship" in relation to the categories of adoration and veneration. Some schools of theology use the term "worship" to introduce both adoration and veneration. They would distinguish between "worship of adoration" and "worship of veneration." The word "worship" (in the same way the theological term "cult" is traditionally used) in these classical definitions was not at all synonymous with adoration, but could be used to introduce either adoration or veneration. Hence Catholic writers will sometimes use the term "worship" not to indicate adoration, but only the worship of veneration given to Mary and the saints.^[5]

Orthodox Judaism and orthodox Sunni Islam hold that for all practical purposes veneration should be considered the same as prayer; Orthodox Judaism (arguably with the exception of some Chasidic practices), orthodox Sunni Islam, and most kinds of Protestantism forbid veneration of saints or angels, classifying these actions as akin to idolatry.

Similarly, Jehovah's Witnesses assert that many actions classified as patriotic by Protestant groups, such as saluting a flag, are equivalent to worship and are therefore considered idolatrous as well.

Worship in Islam[link]

View of the prayer hall of the Great Mosque of Kairouan, located in the city of Kairouan in Tunisia. The Great Mosque of Kairouan (also called the Mosque of Uqba), established in 670 AD, is the oldest and most prestigious place of worship in the western Islamic world.^[6]

In Islam, Worship refers to ritualistic devotion which is ordained by and pleasing to Allah (God). Worship has a unique role in Islam, and is included in the Five Pillars of Islam, primarily that of salat, which is the practise of ritual prayer five times daily.

According to Muhammad Asad, on his notes in The Message of the Qur'an translation on 51:26,

Thus, the innermost purpose of the creation of all rational beings is their cognition of the existence of Allah and, hence, their conscious willingness to conform their own existence to whatever they may perceive of His will and plan: and it is this twofold concept of cognition and willingness that gives the deepest meaning to what the Quran describes as "worship". As the next verse shows, this spiritual call does not arise from any supposed "need" on the part of the Creator, who is self-sufficient and infinite in His power, but is designed as an instrument for the inner development of the worshiper, who, by the act of his conscious self-surrender to the all-pervading Creative Will, may hope to come closer to an understanding of that Will and, thus closer to Allah Himself.^[7]

Worship in Hinduism[link]

This section requires expansion.

Worship in Hinduism involves invoking higher forces to assist in spiritual and material progress and is simultaneously both a science and an art. A sense of bhakti or devotional love is generally invoked. This term is probably a central one in Hinduism. A direct translation from the Sanskrit to English is problematic. Worship takes a multitude of forms depending on community groups, geography and language. There is a flavour of loving and being in love with whatever object or focus of devotion. Worship is not confined to any place of worship, it also incorporates personal reflection, art forms and group. People usually perform worship to achieve some specific end or to integrate the body, the mind and the spirit in order to help the performer evolve into a higher being.^[8]

Worship in Judaism[link]

This section requires expansion.

Worship in Sikhism[link]

This section requires expansion.

In Sikhism, worship takes place after the Guru Granth Sahib, which is the work of the 10 Sikh Gurus all in one. Sikhs worship God and only one God, known as "One Creator", "The Wonderful Teacher" (Waheguru), or "Destroyer of Darkness".

Worship in Buddhism[link]

This section requires expansion.

Worship in Buddha Dharma may take innumerable forms given the doctrine of skillful means. Worship is evident in Buddhism in such forms as: guru yoga, mandala, thanka, yantra yoga, the discipline of the fighting monks of Shaolin, panchamrita, mantra recitation, tea ceremony, ganacakra, amongst others.

Aspects of worship[link]

• Ancestor worship
• Animal worship
• Idol worship
• Intercession
• Imperial cult
• Major world religions

References[link]

1. ^ Kay, William K., Religion in education, Gracewing Publishing, 1997, 372 pages, ISBN 0-85244-425-7
2. ^ Underhill, Evelyn, Education and the Spirit of Worship, in Collected Papers, p.193, London, 1946.
3. ^ Nagata, Judith (Jun 2001). "Beyond Theology: Toward an Anthropology of "Fundamentalism"". American Anthropologist 103 (2). 
4. ^ Called to Worship: The Biblical Foundations of Our Response Vernon Whaley - 2009 - In the Greek, the word for worship, proskuneo, means to express deep respect or adoration—by kissing, with words, or by bowing down. Associated words include epaineo, “to commend or applaud”; aineo, “to praise God”; and sebomai,"
5. ^ Mark Miravalle, S.T.D, What is Devotion to Mary?
6. ^ Clifford Edmund Bosworth, Historic cities of the Islamic world, BRILL, 2007, page 264
7. ^ Muhammed Asad (Leopold Weiss). p918, 2003. The Message of the Quran. 
8. ^ "Worship", Krishna Maheshwari, Hindupedia, the online Hindu Encyclopedia

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. Its citation style may be unclear. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. Tagged since July 2011. It relies on references to primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject, rather than references from independent authors and third-party publications. Tagged since July 2011. It is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. Tagged since July 2011.

Matt Redman (born 14 February 1974^[1]) is an English Christian worship leader, songwriter and author based in Brighton.

He has worked with Newfrontiers, Passion Conferences, Hillsong London, Soul Survivor, is an artist for Sixstepsrecords and is a member of Compassionart a charity founded by Martin Smith.

He appeared with Hillsong London for a song on their 2005 album Jesus Is; he co-wrote and sang the song "Greatest Gift".

Many Contemporary Christian music (CCM) artists such as Matt Maher, Michael W. Smith, Rebecca St. James, Chris Tomlin, David Crowder Band, Tree63, and Hillsong United have covered a number of Redman's songs. Some of his most popular early songs include "Heart Of Worship", "Let Everything That Has Breath", "Once Again", "Undignified", and "Better Is One Day". More recently he has co-written songs like You Never Let Go, the 2005 Dove Award-winning "Blessed Be Your Name" (Worship Song of the Year) and the Grammy Award nominated "Our God". He regularly works alongside other Christian artists such as Chris Tomlin and Tim Hughes.

Redman started leading worship at St Andrews, Chorleywood, moving to help start up Soul Survivor alongside Mike Pilavachi and was the worship leader for the Soul Survivor Church in Watford. According to founder Mike Pilavachi, the Soul Survivor festivals (which began in 1993) grew out of worship sessions with him and the then 15-year-old Redman.^[2] Redman led worship at the early Soul Survivor festivals, returning to lead worship again in 2011.

In 2002, after a sabbatical in America recording Where Angels Fear To Tread, Redman moved to Brighton to work with Terry Virgo at the Newfrontiers church, CCK. He has been involved in their 'Newday' and 'Together on a Mission' conferences.

In 2004 Redman joined a new church plant, The Point, also in West Sussex, led by Will Kemp.

In 2008 Matt and Beth Redman, along with their three children, moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to plant a church with Louie Giglio and Chris Tomlin called Passion City Church. In August 2010 Redman and his family returned to the UK. They have since joined a church plant in Brighton at St Peter's Church, Brighton. ^[3][4]

On 18 and 19 February 2011, Redman joined Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio, and Nathan and Christy Nockels at LIFT - A Worship Leader Collective. His new live album, 10,000 Reasons, was recorded during this event.^[5]

He has authored and edited multiple books on Christian worship, including The Unquenchable Worshipper and the book Facedown which accompanied the album of the same name. His latest book Mirror Ball relays his thoughts and experiences of 'living boldly and shining brightly for the glory of God'.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Wake Up My Soul (1993)
• Passion for Your Name (1995)
• The Friendship and the Fear (1998)
• Intimacy (1998), released as The Heart of Worship in USA (1999)
• The Father's Song (2000)
• Where Angels Fear to Tread (2002)
• Facedown (2004)
• Blessed Be Your Name: The Songs of Matt Redman Vol. 1 (2005)
• Beautiful News (2006)
• We Shall Not Be Shaken (2009)
• Ultimate Collection (2010)
• 10,000 Reasons (2011) (UK chart peak: No. 149)^[6] (US Christian Album chart peak: No. 1)^[7][8]

Video albums[link]

• Facedown (DVD, 2004)

Passion event albums[link]

• The Road To OneDay (2000)
• OneDay: Live (2000)
• Sacred Revolution: Songs From OneDay 03 (2003)
• Hymns: Ancient and Modern (2004)
• How Great Is Our God (2005)
• Everything Glorious (2006)
• The Best of Passion (So Far) (2006)
• Live from Passion 07 Pt. 2 (2007)
• God of This City (2008)
• Awakening (2010)
• Here for You (2011)
• White Flag (2012)

Singles[link]

Awards[link]

Dove Award wins^[9]

• 2005: Worship Song of the Year: "Blessed Be Your Name"
• 2006: Praise and Worship Album of the Year: Blessed Be Your Name: The Songs of Matt Redman Vol. 1
• 2007: Children's Music Album of the Year: VeggieTales Worship Songs
• 2007: Special Event Album of the Year: Passion: Everything Glorious
• 2009: Special Event Album of the Year: Passion: God of This City
• 2011: Worship Song of the Year - TIE: "Our God"
• 2011: Special Event Album of the Year: Passion: Awakening

Published[link]

• The Unquenchable Worshipper, (2001)
• Where Angels Fear to Tread, (2002)
• The Heart of Worship Files, (2003)
• Facedown, (2004)
• Inside Out Worship, (2005)
• Blessed Be Your Name (with Beth Redman), (2005)
• Mirror Ball, (2011)

See also[link]

• Tim Hughes
• Mike Pilavachi
• Chris Tomlin

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Interview at Christian Music Today
• Interview @ Premier.tv

Chris Tomlin
Chris Tomlin
Background information
Birth name	Christopher Dwayne Tomlin
Born	(1972-05-04) May 4, 1972 (age 40)
Origin	Grand Saline, Texas U.S.
Genres	Contemporary worship music, CCM
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, instrumentalist worship leader
Instruments	Guitar, piano
Years active	1998–present
Labels	sixstepsrecords/Sparrow Records
Website	Official website

Christopher Dwayne "Chris" Tomlin (born May 4, 1972) is an American Christian Contemporary Music artist, worship leader, and songwriter from Grand Saline, Texas, United States. He was a staff member at Austin Stone Community Church and is signed to EMI's sixstepsrecords. Tomlin leads worship at many Passion events. Some of his most well-known songs are "How Great Is Our God", "Jesus Messiah", "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)", and the recent song "Our God" which he co-wrote with Matt Redman, Jesse Reeves and Jonas Myrin. He is currently a worship leader at Passion City Church in Atlanta, Georgia with Louie Giglio and Christy Nockels.

He was awarded Male Vocalist of the Year at the 2006, 2007, 2008 GMA Dove Awards, and Grammy Award Winner for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album in 2012. He was named Artist of the Year in 2007. Tomlin released his seventh studio album, And If Our God Is for Us..., on November 16, 2010. He is one of the members of CompassionArt, a charity founded by Martin Smith (and Smith's wife, Anna) of the band Delirious?.

His newest album is How Great Is Our God: The Essential Collection. released on November 15, 2011.

Early life[link]

Tomlin was born in Grand Saline, Texas in 1972 to Connie and Donna Tomlin. He has two younger brothers, Ryan and Cory.^[1] Chris Tomlin first learned how to play the guitar by playing along side Willie Nelson records.^[2]

Tomlin wrote his first worship song at age fourteen. He entered college planning to study physical therapy, but says he felt God's calling to something else.^{[citation needed]}

In the mid-1990s Tomlin was a worship leader at the Dawson McAllister Youth Conferences, as well as at various church camps in Texas.

After attending Tyler Junior College and Texas A&M University, Tomlin continued to play and write songs, and in 1997, youth speaker Louie Giglio asked if he would be interested in working with the Passion Conferences. Tomlin has been in that movement ever since.

Musical career[link]

Chris performing at a concert in Johnson City, Tennessee

His first nationally released solo project, titled The Noise We Make, was released in 2001, featuring the songs "Forever," "Be Glorified", and "Kindness", each of which made the top 200 in the CCLI 2005 top 500 worship songs.^[3] He released the live EP 545 in 2002, and the studio album Not to Us (2002).

Although he is a solo artist, Tomlin uses a consistent band lineup. He writes many of his songs with the band members. The band includes of Daniel Carson (electric guitar, backup vocals), Jesse Reeves (bass guitar, backup vocals), Travis Nunn (drums), and Matt Gilder (piano, keys). He plays guitar and piano.

According to Christian Copyright Licensing International's list of the top 25 worship songs in the US in August 2007, Tomlin held 5 spots with songs he has either written or co-written: "How Great Is Our God" (No. 1), "Forever" (No. 5), "Holy Is the Lord" (No. 7), "We Fall Down" (No. 12), and "Indescribable" (No. 22). In 2008, Tomlin held 6 spots on 20 The Countdown Magazine's top 20 praise and worship songs: "We Fall Down" (No. 14), "Forever" (No. 10), "Holy is the Lord" (No. 8), "Indescribable" (No. 6), "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" (No. 3), and "How Great is our God" (No. 1).^[4]

Tomlin has toured with contemporary Christian music artists, such as Delirious? during his first tour, and as a supporting act of Steven Curtis Chapman during his All Things New Tour. Tomlin has headlined several tours, such as the Chris Tomlin Indescribable Tour, which featured worship artist Matt Redman, and speaker Louie Giglio,^[5] and headlining the See the Morning Tour. From April to October 2007, Tomlin toured with Louie Giglio and Matt Redman on his "How Great Is Our God" tour.^[3] In 2008, Tomlin toured with Passion Conferences on its world tour. In early 2009, he was in the Hello Love tour with Israel Houghton and New Breed. In summer of 2010, he was in the "Hello Tonight" tour with TobyMac.

Tomlin has been featured at conferences and music festivals. Among these, he played at Grand Saline's annual Salt Festival.^[6] Hillsong's 2007 conference, and the 2008 Compassionart International Songwriting retreat, which was dedicated to writing songs whose revenue would support charities serving the poorest of the world's poor. Other prominent songwriters included were Matt Redman, Martin Smith, Stuart Garrard, and Steven Curtis Chapman. In 2009, Tomlin played at the Harvest Crusade at Anaheim Angels Stadium.

On June 14, 2007, Tomlin's version of the song "Indescribable" was used as the official wake-up call for Mission Specialist Patrick Forrester on Space Shuttle mission STS-117.

In May 2008, Tomlin announced a move from The Austin Stone Community Church, to start a new church with Louie Giglio in Atlanta, Georgia.^[7][8]

In 2009, Tomlin released a Christmas album, Glory in the Highest: Christmas Songs of Worship.^[9] It includes three original Christmas songs and features duets with Matt Redman, Christy Nockels, and Audrey Assad. The album peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 list and at No. 1 for Holiday albums.

Personal life[link]

Tomlin married Lauren Bricken,^[10] on November 9, 2010.^[11][12][13]

In May 2011, Tomlin announced that he and Lauren are expecting their first child.^[14][15] He announced on Twitter that the couple's daughter, Ashlyn Alexandra Tomlin, was born in September 2011.^{[citation needed]}

Discography[link]

• Inside Your Love (1995)
• Authentic (1998)
• Too Much Free Time (1998) with Ross King
• The Noise We Make (2001)
• Not to Us (2002)
• Arriving (2004)
• See the Morning (2006)
• Hello Love (2008)
• Glory in the Highest: Christmas Songs of Worship (2009)
• And If Our God Is for Us... (2010)
• How Great Is Our God: The Essential Collection (2011)

Passion event albums

• Better Is One Day (1999)
• The Road To One Day (2000)
• One Day: Live (2000)
• Our Love is Loud (2002)
• Sacred Revolution: Songs From OneDay 03 (2003)
• Hymns: Ancient and Modern (2004)
• How Great Is Our God (2005)
• Everything Glorious (2006)
• The Best of Passion (So Far) (2006)
• Live From Passion 07 Pts. 1 & 3 (2007)
• God of This City (2008)
• Awakening (2010)
• Here for You (2011)
• White Flag (2012)

Non-album songs

• "Whisper My Name" [Forefront] - Eterne: Never Be the Same (2000)
• "Salvation" - Pour Over Me - Worship Together Live 2001 (2001)
• "Give Us Clean Hands" - Pour Over Me - Worship Together Live 2001 (2001)
• "Satisfied" [Forefront] - Secrets Of The Vine: Music... A Worship Experience (2002)
• "Lord, I'm Gonna Love You" [Sparrow] - Your Love Broke Through (2002)
• "Expressions of Your Love" (duet w/ Rebecca St. James) [Sparrow] - It Takes Two: 15 Collaborations & Duets (2003)
• "Where the Streets Have No Name" [Sparrow/EMI CMG] - In the Name of Love: Artists United for Africa (2004)
• "You're The One" [Disney/EMI CMG] - Music Inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)
• "Angels We Have Heard On High" [Word] - WOW Christmas: Green (2005)
• "Mighty to Save" [Integrity] - Bonus disc included with Fruitcake and Ice Cream DVD (2008)
• "Your Heart [David] - Music Inspired by The Story (2011)

Charts[link]

Albums - Billboard (North America)

Singles - Billboard (North America)

¹ Currently active on the charts

Music videos[link]

• "Expressions of Your Love" (With Rebecca St. James) (2004)
• "Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)" (2007)
• "I Lift My Hands" (2011)

Awards[link]

Grammy Awards[link]

GMA Dove Awards[link]

Throughout his career, Chris Tomlin has been nominated to 32 Dove Awards (6 of them, collaborative efforts) and won 17 of them.

• *Denotes a collaborative effort or a song contribution to a "Various artists" album.
• ¹ The song was performed by Tomlin, but written and produced by Laura Story.
• ² The song was performed by LaRue Howard, but written by Tomlin.

[edit] Billboard Music Awards

Others[link]

Tomlin was nominated for two 2009 Visionary Award: Male Entertainer of the Year and Song of the Year for "Jesus Messiah".^[17]

Bibliography[link]

• Chris Tomlin, The Way I Was Made: Words and Music for an Unusual Life, Multnomah, 2004. ISBN 978-1-59052-327-8

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site
• Austin Stone Community Church
• Article in Time Magazine
• One Million Can

Paul Baloche
Paul Baloche in concert at St. John Lutheran Church-Ellisville, MO, USA
Background information
Birth name	Paul Baloche
Born	(1962-06-04) June 4, 1962 (age 50)
Origin	Camden, New Jersey, USA
Genres	Worship Contemporary Christian
Occupations	Worship leader, singer-songwriter
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Integrity
Associated acts	Don Moen, Rita Baloche
Website	leadworship.com
Notable instruments
Acoustic guitar

Paul Baloche (pronounced /bəˈlɒʃ/ bə-LOSH; born on June 4, 1962) is an American Christian music artist, worship leader, and singer-songwriter. A native of Maple Shade, New Jersey,^[1] Baloche is currently the worship pastor at Community Christian Fellowship in Lindale, Texas. 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?.^[2]

Several Christian artists, such as Michael W. Smith and SONICFLOOd, have recorded Baloche's songs. Many of his songs are among the most performed songs in services according to CCLI, a company that handles copyright licensing of Christian songs and other resource materials for use in churches. Among them are "Open the Eyes of My Heart" (ranked number 2) and "Above All" (ranked number 22), cowritten with Lenny Leblanc. "Above All" was nominated for Song of the Year in both the 2002 and 2003 Dove Awards, and in 2002, Michael W. Smith's recording of that song won Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year. Baloche was also nominated for Songwriter of the Year in 2002.^[3] In 2009, Baloche won a Dove Award for Inspiration Recorded Song of the Year as coauthor of "A New Hallelujah" with Michael W. Smith and his wife Debbie Smith.^[4]

Baloche uses his position as a recording artist to provide resources for churches. His catalog of six albums is focused on providing worship music for the listener to worship along with, and for churches to use in their own services. His albums are released by Hosanna! Music, a division of Integrity Music. Through Integrity, Baloche has also written a book, God Songs, and released instructional DVDs that cover a variety of issues central to contemporary worship, such as music styles, music theory, creating flow in worship, and guitar techniques (including his methods on open chord voicings). In addition to his material output, Baloche participates in several seminars for worship leaders and musicians throughout North America and Asia.^[5]

The 2006 release A Greater Song is a live recording featuring songs by Baloche, some cowritten with worship artists including Matt Redman ("A Greater Song") and former Integrity Music president Don Moen ("Thank You Lord").^[5]

The 2009 release Glorious featured the single "Just To Be With You," which Baloche explained "is simply about intimacy with God." ^[6]

Discography[link]

• He is Faithful (1992)
• First Love - Hosanna! Music (1998)
• Open the Eyes of My Heart (2000)
• God of Wonders - Hosanna! Music (2001)
• Offering of Worship (2003)
• A Greater Song (2006)
• Arise: A Celebration of Worship - Integrity Music (2006)
• Our God Saves (2007) – reached #39 on the top Christian albums charts in 2007.^[7]
• The Writer's Collection (2008)
• Live in Asia (2009) (Recorded live in Seoul, South Korea and labeled by Integrity Asia)
• Glorious (2009)^[8]
• The Same Love (2012)

References[link]

External links[link]

• leadworship.com – Official website
• Instructional Resources
• Paul's Myspace page
• Artist's Label Page

Michael W. Smith
Michael W. Smith performing in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, September 2005.
Background information
Birth name	Michael Whitaker Smith
Born	(1957-10-07) October 7, 1957 (age 54) Kenova, West Virginia, USA
Origin	Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Genres	CCM, Christian rock, pop rock
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician, composer, actor
Instruments	Piano, keyboards, vocals, guitar
Years active	1983–present
Labels	Reunion, Provident Label Group
Associated acts	Amy Grant, Kathy Troccoli, Chris Rice, Steven Curtis Chapman
Website	www.michaelwsmith.com

Michael Whitaker Smith (born October 7, 1957) is an American contemporary Christian musician, who is best known for his Billboard Hot 100 top ten hit song, "Place in this World". As a longtime Musician, he has charted primarily in the contemporary Christian and occasionally in the mainstream charts.^[1] His biggest success in mainstream music was in 1991 when "Place in this World" hit No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Smith is a three-time Grammy Award winner, and has earned 40 Dove Awards. Over the course of his career, he sold more than 13 million albums and recorded 29 No. 1 Hit songs, fourteen gold albums, and five platinum albums. Smith is an American Music Award recipient; he was also named one of People magazine's "Most Beautiful People".^[2]

Early life[link]

Michael Whitaker Smith was born to Paul and Barbara Smith in Kenova, West Virginia. His father was an oil refinery worker at the Ashland Oil Refinery, one of the top ten largest oil refineries in the world, in nearby Catlettsburg, Kentucky and his mother was a caterer.^[3] He inherited his love of baseball from his father, who had played in the minor leagues. As a child, he developed a love of music through his church. He learned piano at an early age and sang in his church choir. At the age of 10, he had "an intense spiritual experience" that led to his becoming a devout Christian. "I wore this big cross around my neck," he would recall, "It was very real to me."^[4] He became involved in Bible study and found a group of older friends who shared his religious faith.^[4]

After his older Christian friends moved away to college, Smith began to struggle with feelings of loneliness and alienation. After graduating from high school, he gravitated toward alcohol and drugs.^[3] He attended Marshall University for a few semesters while developing his songwriting skills. He also played with various local bands around Huntington, West Virginia. During that time, his friend Shane Keister, who worked as a session musician in Nashville, encouraged him to move to Nashville, the Country Music capital, and pursue a career in music.^[4]

In 1978, Smith moved to Nashville, taking a job as a landscaper to support himself. He played with several local bands in the Nashville club scene. He also developed a problem with substance abuse.

In November 1979, Smith suffered a breakdown that led to his recommitment to Jesus Christ. The next day he auditioned for a new contemporary Christian music (CCM) group, Higher Ground, as a keyboardist and got the job. It was on his first tour with Higher Ground, playing mostly in churches, that Smith was finally able to put the drugs and alcohol behind him.^[4]

Career[link]

In 1981, Smith was signed as a writer to Meadowgreen Music, where he wrote a number of gospel hits penned for artists such as Sandi Patty, Kathy Troccoli, Bill Gaither and Amy Grant, to the effect that some of these popular worship songs can now be found in church hymnals. The following year, Smith began touring as a keyboardist for Grant on her Age to Age tour. He would eventually become Grant's opening act and recorded his first Grammy-nominated solo album The Michael W. Smith Project (which he also produced) in 1983 on the Reunion Records label, a label started by Grant's brother-in-law, Dan Harrell, along with Michael Blanton. This album contained the first recording of his hit "Friends", which he co-wrote with his wife Deborah. They wrote it one afternoon for a friend who was moving away.

By the time Smith's second pop album was released in 1984, he was headlining his own tours. In 1986, Smith released The Big Picture, produced by Johnny Potoker. Smith intros "Tearin' Down the Wall" with an Amy Grant recording of "Emmanuel" played backwards via the CD search button. He has explained that he and Potoker were trying to come up with a different way to go into the song.^{[citation needed]}

After the release of his 1988 effort, i 2 (EYE), Smith once again teamed up with Grant for her "Lead Me On World Tour". The following year, Smith recorded his first Christmas album.

In the mainstream[link]

In 1990, Smith released Go West Young Man, his first mainstream effort, including the mainstream crossover hit "Place in This World," which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1992, he released Change Your World (which included the No. 1 adult contemporary hit "I Will Be Here for You"), 1995's I'll Lead You Home, and 1998's Live the Life. Also in 1998, Smith released his second Christmas effort, Christmastime. In 1999, Smith released "This Is Your Time" (about Cassie Bernall, one of the students killed during the Columbine massacre). In the music video for this song, the beginning shows a real video of Bernall talking about her religious beliefs and how she wanted to spread the word of God. Smith wrote the song with Wes King, the brother-in-law of Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris. Smith had been asked to perform at some of the memorial services that were held in honor of the victims.

In 1996, Smith opened his own record label, Rocketown Records, named for a song on The Big Picture. He does not personally record on it. He states the label is driven by the artists, and the first artist signed was Chris Rice, who had written "Go Light Your World", a No. 1 hit song by Kathy Troccoli, in 1995. In 1999, Smith collaborated with Jim Brickman on "Love of My Life" from the album Destiny, which went to No. 9 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks.

Nearly all of Smith's albums contain at least one instrumental track, and in 2000, Smith recorded his first all instrumental album, Freedom. The following year, Smith released an all Christian music album, Worship, on September 11. This album was followed by a sequel, Worship Again in 2002, recorded live at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY. Both albums were recorded live in concert. (Both are also the only two albums to be composed almost entirely of songs he did not write himself). A Worship DVD, which comprised a selection of songs from both albums, was recorded live in Edmonton, Alberta at YC Alberta and released in 2002. It immediately topped the Billboard video charts and went gold in both the U.S. and Canada.

Smith won the Male Vocalist of the Year award at the GMA Music Awards in 2003.^[5]

Smith wrote a song entitled "There She Stands", inspired by the September 11, 2001 attacks. He performed this song live for the 2004 Republican National Convention,^[6] saying that President George W. Bush, whom he said is a fan and a family friend, had asked him to write a song about the attacks.^[7]

Smith's album, Healing Rain, was released in 2004 and debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 200 Chart. The title track rose to No. 1 on the Radio & Records Charts and a music video for the song was released. The album nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album, combines the pop style of his previous recordings with the religious feel of his two releases in that genre. A new album, Stand, was released in November 2006.

In October 2007, he released It's a Wonderful Christmas. On June 20, 2008, Smith recorded his third live Worship album at the Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, titled A New Hallelujah. It was released in October 2008. That same month he began a tour with Steven Curtis Chapman. In September 2010, he released Wonder,^[8] and in October started touring with Third Day, tobyMac, and Max Lucado on the "Make a Difference" tour.

Other ventures[link]

In 1994, Smith opened a teen club, named Rocketown, in Nashville, Tennessee (6th Avenue). Later in early 2003, the club was moved to a new location—a renovated warehouse in downtown Nashville. The venue offers a large dance floor, extensive indoor skate park, and a cafe hosting live acoustic music.

Smith is actively involved in volunteer service and is vice chair of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, which is chaired by Jean Case of the Case Foundation. He is also an avid spokesperson for sponsoring children through Compassion International.^[9] Smith finished work on a film directed by Steve Taylor entitled The Second Chance which was released on February 17, 2006 in selected theatres. In the movie, he stars as a pastor assigned to work in the inner city. The DVD of the movie was released in July 2006.

Personal life[link]

Smith is married to Deborah "Debbie" Kay Davis (b. 1958) and has five children: Ryan Whitaker, Whitney Katherine Smith-Mooring (married to Jack Mooring (of the band Leeland)), Tyler Michael (keyboard player for the United Tour), Anna Elizabeth and Emily Allison. He resides in the Nashville suburbs and spends time at the Smith family farm.

Alderson-Broaddus College awarded Smith the degree Doctor of Music honoris causa in 1992.

Smith is the founding pastor of New River Fellowship in Franklin, Tennessee, where he was the lead pastor from 2006 to 2008. Currently Smith and his wife remain involved members of the church.

Smith supports the Republican Party, and is personal friends with several prominent Republicans, including former President George W. Bush.^[10][11][12]

Works[link]

Discography[link]

Publications[link]

• Old Enough to Know. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1987.
• Friends are Friends Forever. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997.
• Your Place in This World. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1998.
• This Is Your Time: Make Every Moment Count. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1999.
• The Price of Freedom. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2001.
• Worship. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2002.
• Freedom. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corporation, 2002.
• It's Time to Be Bold. New York: Doubleday Books, 2003.
• Above All. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2003.
• Signs. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2004.
• Healing Rain. Nashville: Thomas-Nelson. 2004.
• A Simple Blessing. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011.^[15]

Audio books[link]

• The Gospels Come to Life. Irving, Texas: Gospels Come to Life, 2003.

Awards[link]

Grammy Awards

• 1984 Best Gospel Performance, Male for Michael W. Smith 2
• 1995 Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album for I’ll Lead You Home
• 2002 Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album for Worship Again

Grammy Nominations

• 1983 Best Gospel Performance, Male for Michael W. Smith Project
• 1986 Best Gospel Performance, Male for The Big Picture
• 1988 Best Gospel Performance, Male for I 2(Eye)
• 1989 Best Gospel Vocal Performance, Male for "Holy, Holy, Holy"
• 1990 Best Pop Gospel Album for Go West Young Man
• 1998 Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album for Live the Life
• 2000 Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album for This Is Your Time
• 2002 Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album for 'Worship
• 2006 Best Christian Pop Album for Healing Rain

Dove Awards

• 1985 Songwriter of the Year
• 1987 Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year for The Big Picture (producer, artist)
• 1988 Long Form Music Video of the Year for "The Big Picture Tour Video" (artist)
• 1990 Short Form Music Video of the Year for "I Miss the Way" (artist)
• 1991 Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year for Go West Young Man (producer, artist)
• 1992 Choral Collection of the Year for The Michael W. Smith Collection (artist)
• 1992 Musical Album of the Year for Change Your World (artist)
• 1992 Song of the Year for "Place in this World" (artist)
• 1993 Praise and Worship Album of the Year for Songs from the Loft (artist)
• 1993 Recorded Music Packaging of the Year for The Wonder Years (artist)
• 1994 Musical Album of the Year for Living on the Edge (artist)
• 1996 Songwriter of the Year
• 1996 Special Event Album of the Year for My Utmost For His Highest (artist)
• 1997 Special Event Album of the Year for Tribute: The Songs of Andre Crouch (artist)
• 1998 Children’s Music Album of the Year for Sing Me to Sleep Daddy (artist)
• 1998 Special Event Album of the Year for God With Us: A Celebration of Christmas Carols and Classics (artist)
• 1999 Artist of the Year
• 1999 Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year for Live the Life (producer, artist)
• 1999 Producer of the Year
• 1999 Special Event Album of the Year for Exodus (artist)
• 2000 Short Form Music Video of the Year for "This is Your Time" (artist)
• 2000 Song of the Year for "This Is Your Time" (artist)
• 2000 Songwriter of the Year
• 2001 Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year for This is Your Time (producer, artist)
• 2001 Youth/Children’s Musical Album of the Year for Friends 4 Ever (artist)
• 2002 Album of the Year for Worship (producer, artist)
• 2002 Artist of the Year
• 2002 Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year for "Above All" (artist)
• 2002 Instrumental Album of the Year for Freedom (producer, artist)
• 2003 Album of the Year for Worship Again (producer, artist)
• 2003 Artist of the Year
• 2003 Long Form Music Video of the Year for Worship DVD/Video (producer, artist)
• 2003 Male Vocalist of the Year
• 2008 Christmas Album of the Year
• 2009 Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year for "A New Hallelujah"
• 2009 Praise & Worship Album of the Year for A New Hallelujah

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Michael W. Smith at Allmusic
• Michael W. Smith at the Internet Movie Database
• [http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0602/10/lkl.01.html Transcript of February 10, 2006 interview with Larry King
• Yamaha Corporation artist biography