Casting Crowns

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Biography

Casting Crowns is a Grammy Award and Dove Award winning Contemporary Christian music|Contemporary Christian / Christian Rock band. Casting Crowns was started in 1999 by youth pastor Mark Hall (musician)|Mark Hall at First Baptist Church in Downtown Daytona Beach, Florida as part of a youth group. He now serves as a lead vocalist. Later they moved to Stockbridge, 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 Stockbridge, Georgia .

History

Formation and self-titled debut

Christian rock 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 Stockbridge, 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. The group won the GMA regional songwriters competition at Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, Florida in both the "Best Song" and the "Best Artist" categories in 2004. 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 (musician)|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 (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 third single, " Voice of Truth (song)|Voice of Truth ", spent a record-breaking fourteen consecutive weeks at #1 beginning in 2003. "Voice of Truth" is also by the trailer and the ending from the movie Facing the Giants . The album was certified platinum in 2005, and in 2011, the group received their first gold certification for a single for the song ' Who Am I (Casting Crowns song)|Who Am I ' from their debut record.

Lifesong and Lifesong Live (2005-2006)

Lifesong followed in 2005, debuting at #9 on the Billboard 200| Billboard 200 Albums Chart. The album had three singles: “Lifesong”, “Praise You in this Storm”, and “ Does Anybody Hear Her? ”. " Lifesong (song)|Lifesong " spent nine weeks in the top spot, with "Praise You in This Storm" remaining at #1 for seven weeks. Apart from being successful 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| Billboard 200 Albums Chart 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 . 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.
Casting Crowns broke their own record in 2007 when the single " East to West (song)|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 (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 (Casting Crowns album)|Peace on Earth .

Until the Whole World Hears (2009-2011)

In early 2009, drummer Andy Williams left to pursue a further calling with blessings from the band. The 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 , the first time being in 2007. 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, debuting at #4 on the Billboard 200 and selling over 167,000 copies in its first week alone, setting a new record for the highest Christian album debut in history. http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/news/2009/11/25.CASTING%20CROWNS%20SETS%20SALES%20RECORD%20AS%20HIGHEST%20DEBUTING%20CHRISTIAN%20MUSIC%20ARTIST.asp It was certified gold within 4 weeks. http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/news/2009/12/21.CASTING%20CROWNS%20CERTIFIES%20RIAA%20GOLD%20IN%20FOUR%20WEEKS.asp The title track and first single from the album became the groups ninth #1 single in January 2010. Before the album was released, the band went on tour with Matt Redman for the fall Until The Whole World Hears Tour. They went on the first spring leg of the tour with Kutless , and toured with Tenth Avenue North on the second spring leg.

In April 2010, Casting Crowns won the Dove Award for Artist of the Year, their first ever win in that category. A music video for the title track of Until the Whole World Hears was posted on the band's YouTube page on August 23, 2010.

The track Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me) was released as a single in 2011 and reached #1 on Christian Songs|Billboard Christian Songs during the week of April 23, 2011.

Come to the Well (2011-present)

Casting Crowns' latest song, " Courageous (Casting Crowns song)|Courageous ", was released as a single on July 19, 2011. The music video for the song was released on June 13, 2011 and promotes the film Courageous (film)|Courageous . The song was featured on their latest album, Come to the Well , which was released on October 18, 2011.

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."

Four 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. They do the band part-time around their full-time work of mentoring teenagers at the church. They often tour from Thursday- Saturday so that they can be home for church on Sunday morning and Wednesday night. http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/mark-hall-of-casting-486668.html

Members

Current

Mark Hall (musician)|Mark Hall – lead vocals and songwriter (1999–Present)

Hector Cervantes – lead guitar and background vocals (1999–Present)

Juan Devevo – guitar and background vocals (1999–Present)

Chris Huffman – bass guitar|bass (2001–Present)

Megan Garrett – piano , keyboard instrument|keyboards , backing vocalist|backing vocals (2001–Present)

Melodee Devevo – violin , backing vocals , cello (1999–Present)

Brian Scoggin – drummer|drums (2009–Present)

Former

Andy Williams - drummer|drums (2001–2009)

Books

Lifestories by Mark Hall

Your Own Jesus by Mark Hall

The Well 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

Independent albums

2001: Casting Crowns

2002: What If The Whole World Prayed

Studio albums

2003: Casting Crowns (album)|Casting Crowns

2005: Lifesong

2007: The Altar and the Door

2008: Peace on Earth (Casting Crowns album)|Peace on Earth

2009: Until the Whole World Hears

2011: Come to the Well

Live albums

2004: Live from Atlanta

2006: Lifesong Live

2008: The Altar and the Door Live

2010: Until the Whole World Hears... Live

Music videos

American Dream

Does Anybody Hear Her

Slow Fade

Until the Whole World Hears

Courageous

Just Another Birthday

Achievements

Career sales have exceeded 5 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)|R& R magazine As played on the January 7, 2007 Weekend 22

"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

Year	Award	Result
2004
	Song of the Year (" If We Are the Body ")	nom
	Pop/ Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("If We Are the Body")	nom
	Casting Crowns )	nom
2005
	Group of the Year	won
	Who Am I ")	won
	Pop/ Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("Who Am I")	won
	American Dream ")	nom
	Voice of Truth ")	won
	Worship Song of the Year (“Who Am I”)	nom
2006
	Group of the Year	won
	Lifesong " and " Voice of Truth (song)	nom
	Pop Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("Lifesong")	nom
	Pop Contemporary Album of the Year ( Lifesong )	won
2007
	Group of the Year	won
	Song of the Year (" Praise You In This Storm ")	nom
	Pop/ Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("Praise You In This Storm")	won
2008
	Group of the Year	won
	East to West ")	won
	Pop/ Contemporary Album of the Year (" The Altar and the Door ")	won
	Pop/ Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("East to West")	won
	Praise & Worship Song of the Year (" Praise You In This Storm ")	nom
2009
	Group of the Year	won
	Peace on Earth )	won
	Short Form Music Video of the Year (" Slow Fade ")	won
	Long Form Music Video of the Year ( The Altar and the Door Live )	nom
2010
	Group of the Year	nom
	Until the Whole World Hears ")	nom
2011
2011	Long Form Music Video of the Year ( Until the Whole World Hears... Live )	nom

; Grammy Award s

Year	Award	Work
2005

Partnerships and Endorsements

Partnerships

Jumpstart Resources

World Vision

Covenant Eyes

Global Youth Ministry

Endorsements

Gibson Guitar Corporation|Gibson Guitars

Avalon Guitars

Audix Microphones

Westone In Ear Monitors

Pro Mark Drum Sticks

Ultimate Microphone Stands

Paul Reed Smith Guitars

Istanbul Agop Cymbals

C& C Drums

Copyright Citations

This article is licensed under the GNU License
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Casting Crowns Photo by: z.about.com


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