Casting Crowns

Casting Crowns is a Grammy Award and Dove Award winning Christian band that employs a soft rock music style. The band was created in 1999 by youth pastor Mark Hall at First Baptist Church in Downtown Daytona Beach, Florida as part of a youth group. He also serves as a lead vocalist. Later they moved to [[McDonough]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] and more members joined creating the band now known as Casting Crowns. Some members of the band currently work as ministers for [[Eagles Landing First Baptist Church]] in [[McDonough]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]].

History

Formation and Self Titled Debut

Christian pop group Casting Crowns began as a student worship band in Daytona Beach, FL, in 1999. Led by singer, songwriter, and youth pastor Mark Hall, the group initially included guitarists Juan DeVevo and Hector Cervantes and violinist Melodee DeVevo. The group relocated to McDonough, GA, in 2001, adding Chris Huffman on bass, Megan Garrett on keyboards and accordion, and drummer Andy Williams. This augmented version of Casting Crowns released two independent albums on CD, both of which were well received in the Atlanta area. Both independent albums were efforts on the part of Mark Hall and the rest of the group as outreach projects for youth in the area. Although the group was not searching for a record label, one of the group's albums found its way into the hands of [[Mark Miller]], lead singer for country group [[Sawyer Brown]], who was struck by Casting Crowns' driving pop/rock style and Hall's vocal delivery of his hard-hitting but devout songs

. Miller signed Casting Crowns to his fledgling [[Beach Street Records]], a division of [[Reunion Records]] with distribution by the Provident Label Group, making Casting Crowns the first artist signed to [[Beach Street Records]].
Mark Miller took the group into the studio along with co-producer Steven Curtis Chapman, himself a popular artist on the CCM musical scene. The resulting eponymous album, Casting Crowns, was released in 2003 on the Beach Street imprint. The album quickly made them one of the fastest selling debut artists in Christian music history. The album's first single, "Voice of Truth", spent a record-breaking fourteen consecutive weeks at #1 beginning in 2003. The album was certified platinum in 2005.url=www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH

Lifesong and Lifesong Live (2005-2006)

Lifesong followed in 2005, debuting at #9 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart. The album had three singles: “Lifesong”, “Praise You in this Storm”, and “ Does Anybody Hear Her?”. "Lifesong" spent nine weeks in the top spot, with "Praise You in This Storm" remaining at #1 for seven weeks. Apart from being succesful in the charts, Lifesong earned Casting Crowns their first Grammy Award for their work on the album in 2006.

In 2006, the group released Lifesong Live, which included live performances of songs from their studio album Lifesong.

The Altar and the Door and The Altar and the Door Live (2007-2008)

The band's third studio album The Altar and the Door debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart first= and #1 on the Hot Christian Albums chart upon its release in August 2007. Ten weeks after the album’s release date, it was certified gold by the RIAA. first= On September 27, 2007 the band embarked on the ‘Altar and the Door’ tour with Leeland and John Waller . The tour was highly successful, grossing $4.4 million ticket sales. first=
Casting Crowns broke their own record in 2007 when the single "East to West" from The Altar and the Door hit sixteen consecutive weeks at #1. The song ended up enjoying the top spot for a total of nineteen weeks, now their most successful single to date. "Slow Fade" was also released as a single, and was included in the soundtrack of the Kirk Cameron film Fireproof.

In 2008, Casting Crowns scored their eighth number one hit with "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day", a track from their newly-released Christmas album entitled Peace on Earth.

Until the Whole World Hears (2009)

In early 2009, drummer Andy Williams left to pursue a further calling with blessings from the band. The very bald drummer was replaced with Brian Scoggin and his red locks of hair, an irony Mark mentions on tour.

Casting Crowns was one of the only American bands to ever have been invited to North Korea. They attended the 2009 April Spring Arts Festival in Pyongyang where they performed with The Annie Moses Band. This was Casting Crowns second time invited to the Festival sponsored by Global Resource Services.
On August 30, 2009 Casting Crowns performed on Huckabee, Mike Huckabee's political show.

Casting Crown's fourth major studio album, Until the Whole World Hears, was released on November 17, 2009.

Ministry

Casting Crowns frontman Mark Hall calls the band's work a ministry akin to what the world would call "preaching to the choir." In keeping with The Great Commission, Hall describes their music as a "ministry of discipleship."

Several members of Casting Crowns currently minister at Eagle's Landing First Baptist Church in McDonough, GA where they play during the Contemporary Worship service on Sunday mornings.

Members

Current

Mark Hall – lead vocals
Juan Devevo – lead guitar
Hector Cervantes – rhythm guitar
Chris Huffman – Bass guitar
Megan Garrett – piano, keyboards, backing vocals
Melodee Devevo – violin, backing vocals
Brian Scoggin – drums

Former

Andy Williams - drums

Chart Performance

Studio Albums - Billboard (North America)

Live Albums - Billboard (North America)

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Other Charting Songs - Billboard (North America)

¹ Billboard's "Top Christian Albums" chart became the "Christian Albums" chart in June 2009.

² Billboard's "Hot Christian Songs" chart became the "Christian Songs" chart in June 2009.

³ Billboard's "Hot Christian AC" chart was discontinued in June 2009.

⁴ Reached #1 on other radio charts.

⁵ Currently active on the charts.

Additional Chart Achievements

Albums

Casting Crowns spent 104 weeks on the Top Christian Albums chart.
Casting Crowns spent 88 weeks on the Billboard 200 Albums chart.
Lifesong spent 104 weeks on the Top Christian Albums chart.
Lifesong spent 75 weeks on the Billboard 200 Albums chart.
The Altar and the Door spent 78 weeks on the Top Christian Albums chart.
The Altar and the Door spent 76 weeks on the Billboard 200 Albums chart.
The Altar and the Door debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart, the highest debut ever for a Christian artist without crossover promotion.

Songs

"Who Am I?" spent 6 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart.
"Who Am I?" spent 3 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian AC chart.
"Voice of Truth" spent a record-breaking 14 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart.
"Voice of Truth" spent a record-breaking 14 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian AC chart.
"Voice of Truth" reached #1 on both the Hot Christian Songs and Hot Christian AC charts after only 5 weeks.
"Lifesong" spent 10 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart.
"Lifesong" spent 8 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian AC chart.
"Lifesong" debuted at #18 during its first week on the Hot Christian AC chart.
"Lifesong" reached #1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart after only 7 weeks.
"Praise You in This Storm" spent 7 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart.
"Praise You in This Storm" spent 5 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian AC chart.
"Does Anybody Hear Her?" spent 6 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart.
"Does Anybody Hear Her?" spent 7 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian AC chart.
"East to West" spent a record-breaking 19 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart.
"East to West" spent 12 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian AC chart.
"East to West" debuted at #15 during its first week on the Hot Christian Songs chart.
"East to West" reached #1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart after only 7 weeks.
"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" debuted at #13 during its first week on the Hot Christian Songs chart.
"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" reached #1 on the Hot Christian AC chart after only 4 weeks.

Music Videos

American Dream from the album Casting Crowns
Does Anybody Hear Her from the album Lifesong
Slow Fade from the album The Altar and the Door
Until The Whole World Hears from the album Until The Whole World Hears

Books

Lifestories by Mark Hall
Your Own Jesus by Mark Hall

Producers/Executive Producers

Steven Curtis Chapman - Producer for album Casting Crowns
Mark A. Miller - Producer for albums Casting Crowns, Lifesong, The Altar and the Door, and Until The Whole World Hears
Terry Hemmings - Executive Producer for album Lifesong, The Altar and the Door, and Until The Whole World Hears

Discography

Studio albums

2001: Casting Crowns (Independent)
2002: What If The Whole World Prayed (Independent)
2003: Casting Crowns
2005: Lifesong
2007: The Altar and the Door
2008: Peace on Earth
2009: Until the Whole World Hears (November)

Live albums

2004: Live from Atlanta
2006: Lifesong Live
2008: The Altar and the Door Live

Achievements

Career sales have exceeded 4 million records.
Voted CCM Readers' Choice Awards "Favorite Band", "Favorite New Artist" and "Favorite Album" in 2005.
"Lifesong" voted "Inspirational Single of the Year" by online music fans in the 2005 CCMSingles.Net Awards.
"Praise You in this Storm" was the fifth most played song of 2006 according to R&R magazine
"East To West" voted "AC Single of the Year" and "Inspirational Single of the Year" by online music fans in the 2007 CCMSingles.Net Awards.
Casting Crowns was the most played artist on Christian Radio in 2007, according Radio & Records Weekly charts (12/10).
Casting Crowns is the second fastest Christian band in history to have their first two albums certified platinum, the fastest being Jars of Clay.

GMA Dove Awards
Grammy Awards

Partnerships and Endorsements
Partnerships
Jumpstart Resources
World Vision
Covenant Eyes
Endorsements
Gibson Guitars
Avalon Guitars
Vesper Guitars
Audix Microphones
Westone In Ear Monitors
Pro Mark Drum Sticks
Ultimate Microphone Stands
Paul Reed Smith Guitars

Copyright Citations
This article is licensed under the GNU License
Click here for original article: Casting Crowns

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