Sparrow Records is a popular Christian music record label; a division of EMI.
[edit] Background
Sparrow Records was founded in 1976 by Billy Ray Hearn, then A&R director at Myrrh Records.[1] Purchased by EMI in 1992, it is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group,[2] and has been named by Billboard Magazine as "America's Best Christian Music Record Label".[citation needed] Sparrow Records immediately rose to significant prominence with the signing of singer, songwriter, Contemporary Christian musician and minister Keith Green. Within a year of his 1976 signing by Sparrow, Keith Green was the top selling Christian artist in America.
As of 2009, Sparrow features many of Contemporary Christian Music's popular and up-and-coming artists, including Britt Nicole, Chris Tomlin, Mandisa, Matt Redman, Matthew West, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Switchfoot. Since 1996, a popular production of Sparrow Records has been the annual WOW Hits CCM series. The WOW franchise then added the annual WOW Gospel series of albums in 1998. The WOW Worship series was introduced in 1999, an annual compilation of the greatest hits in Worship music. These compilations can be found in practically any popular music store. The WOW Worship series, once only focused on worship music, now also includes Christian hits in rock, rap, gospel, and R&B music as well.
[edit] Current Artists
[edit] Former Artists
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- 2nd Chapter of Acts (Disbanded)
- Susan Ashton (Active, currently unsigned)
- Avalon (Active, with Koch Records)
- Margaret Becker (Active, with Kingsway Music)
- Michael Card (Active, currently unsigned)
- Carman (Active, currently unsigned)
- David Crowder Band (Active, with sixstepsrecords)
- Delirious? (Disbanded)
- Bethany Dillon Active
- The Elms (Disbanded)
- Kirk Franklin (Active, with GospoCentric Records)
- Keith Green (Deceased)
- Steve Green (Active, currently unsigned)
- Charlie Hall (Active, with sixstepsrecords)
- Tim Hughes (Active, with Survivor Records)
- Jump5 (Disbanded)
- Phil Keaggy (Active)
- Barry McGuire (Active, currently unsigned)
- Geoff Moore and the Distance (Disbanded)
- Needtobreathe (Active, with Atlantic Records)
- Newsboys (Active, with Inpop Records)
- Christy Nockels (Active, with sixstepsrecords)
- Out of the Grey (On Hiatus)
- Twila Paris (Active, with Koch Records)
- Charlie Peacock
- Matt Redman (Active, with sixstepsrecords)
- Resurrection Band
- Robbie Seay Band (Active, currently unsigned)
- Skillet (Active, with Lava Records/Ardent Records/Atlantic Records)
- Aaron Spiro (Active, currently unsigned)
- Kristian Stanfill (Active, with sixstepsrecords)
- Switchfoot (Active, with lowercase people records (Switchfoot still has a distribution agreement with Sparrow Records))
- Russ Taff (Active, with Springhouse Records)
- John Michael Talbot (Active, with Troubadour for the Lord)
- Steve Taylor
- Chris Tomlin (Active, with sixstepsrecords)
- Michelle Tumes (Active, with EMI CMG)
- Sheila Walsh
- Lisa Whelchel
- ZOEgirl (Disbanded)
[edit] Compilations
[edit] References
[edit] Sparrow Projects
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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Sparrow Records
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