MercyMe

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MercyMe is an American contemporary Christian band founded in Greenville, Texas. The band consists of vocalist Bart Millard, keyboardist James Bryson, percussionist Robin Shaffer, bassist Nathan Cochran and guitarists Michael Scheuchzer and Barry Graul.

The band formed in 1994 and released six independent albums prior to signing with INO Records in 2001. ^[1] The group first gained mainstream recognition with the crossover single, “I Can Only Imagine” which elevated their debut album, Almost There, to becoming certified double platinum. Since then, the group has released five additional studio albums, three of which have been certified gold, and a greatest hits album. MercyMe has won numerous dove awards and has had various grammy award nominations.

[edit] History

[edit] Formation and Early years

Born into a family as the son of Southern Methodist University All-American player Arthur Millard ^[2] and the brother of a football player,^[3] Bart Millard wanted to become a football player, yet his football career ended when he injured his ankles in a high school football game.^[2] As a result of his injury, Millard took choir as an elective.^[3] During his freshmen year in college, Bart underwent the death of his father.^[3] His youth pastor, who had moved from Texas to Florida, invited Bart to work with a youth group’s worship band.^[3] Millard accepted and went on to work on the video and sound systems for the group.^[4] When the band’s lead singer got stuck on stage, Bart took the challenge of singing for the group.^[4] James (Jim) Bryson played piano for that band and later went on to play with Bart Millard and the worship band on a trip to Switzerland.^[4] This trip became the cause of Millard and Bryson’s consideration of playing music full-time. Millard and his friend, guitarist Mike Scheuchzer, moved to Oklahoma City to form MercyMe with Bryson. The trio set up a studio and a “living area” in an old abandoned day-care center.^[4] Bassist Nathan Cochran and percussionist Robby Shaffer joined the band later on, accompanying the band on releasing six independent projects before signing with INO Records in 2001. Unlike their first three major label albums, their earlier indie projects tended to orientate more towards rock rythms.^[5] The group’s name, “MercyMe”, originated during Bart’s time as a youth ministry intern in Florida. Concerned that her grandson was home whenever she called, Bart’s grandmother would exclaim, “Well mercy me, why don’t you get a real job?”^[6][7]

[edit] Almost There, Spoken For and Undone (2001-2004)

After signing with INO Records, the band released its first major debut album, Almost There. The single "I Can Only Imagine" earned the band a Dove Award in 2002 for song of the year; however, it was not until three years after its release in when the song began to gain mainstream success, ^[4] topping the billboard 200 sales chart, ^[8] peaking the adult contemporary charts and the U.S. Country Charts, ^[9] and propelling Almost There to being certified double platinum. The song was birthed out of a time of personal pain for the bands lead singer, Bart Millard, after his father had died of cancer. ^[10]

In 2002, MercyMe released their sophomore release, Spoken For. The album’s two singles, “Spoken For” and “Word of God Speak” went on to peak at #1 hits on Christian radio charts. ^[8] The album was certified gold.^[11] The albums theme is rooted on the belief that is God has a reserved spot for those who have a relationship with him.^[12] The artwork found on the album’s cover and cd booklet of reserved parking spot in a garage, metaphorically contribute to communicating the album’s theme.^[12] The album earned the band three dove awards, but was to a certain extent overlooked by the attention that their song “I Can Only Imagine” received in the mainstream market. ^[13]

In 2003, guitarist Barry Graul joined MercyMe, ^[14] providing him the opportunity to be a part of the bands third studio album, Undone.^[14]

In 2004, the band headlined the “Imagine Tour” with fellow artists Amy Grant and Bebo Norman.^[8]

In addition headlining the "Imagine Tour", MercyMe found time to release their major label album, Undone which produced two Top 10 hits: "Here With Me" which also hit Billboard's Top 100 chart that same year, and "In the Blink of an Eye" which, as of the end of 2005, was at #5 on R&R's top Christian hits. This album also features the song "Homesick", which also received notice by Christian and mainstream stations. The song was inspired by a difficult four-or five-week period where member of the band had a total of eight loved ones pass away during that time. ^[2] With the belief that heaven is one’s ultimate home, the song came into being with the desire of one day seeing those people they lost who are in that home.^[2]

J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, made a deal with MercyMe to release a gift book based on their song "I Can Only Imagine"; the book was released on June 22, 2004.^[15]

[edit] The Christmas Sessions and Coming Up To Breathe (2005-2006)

In 2005, MercyMe launched a tour with Jeremy Camp, The Afters and Monk and Neagle in support of their album, Undone.^[16]

After releasing Undone in 2004, the band took a time to rest before releasing their next big release, so the band, seeing an opportunity, decided to work on a Christmas record. ^[17] "The Christmas Sessions" was recorded and ended up being released on September 27, 2005. The album was the band’s first effort reestablish itself publicly as a rock band, ^[17] initiating a step forward for their album "Coming Up To Breathe". The band had a Christmas tour with Steven Curtis Chapman, who also released a Christmas album that year titled All I Really Want for Christmas, which was inspired by Chapman’s observation of the many orphan children in the world who wake up with no family for Christmas. ^[17]

In 2006, MercyMe released Coming Up To Breathe, which landed at no. 13 on the Billboard 200.^[9][18] Although the band had earned a reputation for being an adult contemporary group with their other albums, the group decided to make Coming Up To Breathe a rock album.^[19] In support of the album, MercyMe headlined the “Coming Up To Breathe Tour” with Audio Adrenaline on its farewell tour and Phil Wickham, seeing half their shows sell out two weeks into the tour.^[20] The album had three singles, “So Long Self”, “Coming Up To Breathe”, and “Hold Fast”.

[edit] All That is Within Me, Coming Up To Breathe: Acoustic, and 10 (2007-present)

On November 20, 2007, MercyMe released All That Is Within Me. Millard, the band’s lead singer, had believed that All That is Within Me was going to be a worship album with half of the songs being cover songs and the other half original songs; however, when the band got in studio, the band ended up having writing all the songs found in this album.^[21] The album contained three singles, “God With Us”, “You Reign” and “Finally Home”, which gained both Christian and mainstream success. Like “I Can Only Imagine” and “Homesick”, “Finally Home” alludes to Millard’s father’s death. ^[21] Stylistically, the song has a train like kind of ambiance to it, which Millard has said was the kind of music his dad used to listen to.^[21]

In 2008, the band released Coming Up To Breathe: Acoustic, an acoustic version of their earlier release, Coming Up To Breathe.

On April 7, 2009, MercyMe release their first greatest hits compilation, 10 (the title refers to the decade since "I Can Only Imagine" was written).^[22] The package includes a CD with 11 hits and 3 new recordings (including a new version of "I Can Only Imagine" recorded with the London Session Orchestra),^[23] and a DVD with 11 music videos and two short documentary segments.

[edit] Charity

In 2005, MercyMe participated in a benefit concert at Belmont University with various other country, gospel and contemporary Christian artists for the people affected by the Asian Tsunami.^[24]

In 2009, MercyMe conducted their ‘Rock and Worship Roadshow’ tour in partnership with Compassion International and Imagine A Cure in order to raise money to help kids with diabetes through Imagine A Cure and people with medical needs around the world through Compassion International. ^[25]

[edit] The Go Foundation

Among the songs found in their eleventh album, Coming Up To Breathe, is a song titled I Would Die For You. This song was made in dedication to BJ Higgins, a young boy who contracted Bubonic Plague on the mission fields of Peru. Since then, I Would Die For You has been used to raise money for The Go Foundation, which was born out of Higgins' untimely death.

[edit] Current lineup

• Bart Millard - vocals
• Nathan Cochran - bass guitar
• Michael John Scheuchzer - guitars
• Robin (Robbie) Troy Shaffer - percussion
• James (Jim) Philip Bryson - keyboards
• Barry Graul - guitars

[edit] Discography

[edit] Independent releases

[edit] Studio albums

[edit] DVDs

[edit] Singles

• ^A"I Can Only Imagine" peaked on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 2004.

[edit] Awards and accolades

GMA Dove Awards ^[26]

• 2002 Song of the Year - "I Can Only Imagine"
• 2002 Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year - "I Can Only Imagine"
• 2004 Song of the Year - "Word of God Speak"
• 2004 Artist of the Year
• 2004 Group of the Year
• 2004 Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year - "Word of God Speak"
• 2005 Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year – Undone
• 2005 Special Event Album of the Year- The Passion of the Christ: Songs

ASCAP Awards

• 2003 Bart Millard awarded Christian Songwriter of the Year at the 25th annual ASCAP Christian Music Awards.

American Music Awards

• 2004 Favorite Contemporary Inspirational Artist^[27]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Band Website
• Official MySpace Site
• Streetbrand.com Interview with MercyMe's Bart Millard

[edit] YouTube links

• MercyMe Channel
• You Reign
• I Can Only Imagine
• God With Us