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Brandon Heath

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This article is about the Christian musician. For basketball player, see Brandon Heath (basketball).
Brandon Heath

Brandon Heath is a contemporary Christian musician from Nashville, Tennessee. He has released two studio albums: Don't Get Comfortable (2006) and What If We (2008). He is best known for the number one hits "I'm Not Who I Was" and "Give Me Your Eyes". He was nominated four times at the Dove Awards of 2008 and won in the "New Artist of the Year" category. His second album was nominated for "Gospel Album of the Year" at the 51st Grammy Awards of 2009.

Heath began his career by writing songs as a teenager. His first independently released album, Early Stuff (2004), was a compilation of his earlier songwriting. After also releasing Soldier in 2004, he signed with Reunion Records to release his first main studio album, Don't Get Comfortable, in late 2006. The album's first single, "Our God Reigns", received a Dove Award nomination in 2007. Heath's song "I'm Not Who I Was" became number one single, staying on top of Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart for several weeks. It received two Dove nominations, including "Song of the Year". Heath returned in mid-2008 with a second project: What If We. The album's first single "Give Me Your Eyes" was released in July 2008 and ended the year as the second most-played song on R&R magazine's Christian CHR chart for 2008. The song received two GMA Dove Awards in 2009: "Song of the Year" and "Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year".

Early life

Brandon Heath Knell was born in Nashville, Tennessee.[1] His father was a police officer, and his mother was a hair dresser.[2] His parents divorced when he was three years old, and Heath was raised by his single mother for five or six years before she remarried. Heath said that during his early life, he grew bitter towards his family, but in high school he decided to "[come] to the Lord because I wanted to learn how to forgive my dad for some mistakes that he made when I was younger. I had to forgive both of my parents for not sticking together." He was given a guitar as a Christmas gift at the age of 13, and around the same time he began writing his first songs.[1] Heath was a choir member at his school, Hillsboro High School in Nashville, and was encouraged by his teacher to pursue music.[3]

Heath grew up nonreligiously, but was invited to the attend a Christian Young Life camp as a teenager.[4] While attending the summer camp at age 16, Heath said he "heard about Jesus for the first time"; he said he never really went to church until attending the camp, and claimed that Young Life "showed me Christ and got me plugged in to a church".[4] After high school, he became a leader for the camp and is still involved with Young Life across the United States.[4] Heath attended Middle Tennessee State University and earned a BA in English.[2] After his guitar was stolen in early 2000, he compiled a demo CD of his songs for sale to help pay for a new guitar.[1]

Musical career

Heath's original demo CD from 2000 was later released in 2004 as an independent album titled Early Stuff.[1] During that year he released a second independent album, Soldier, which was produced by Chris Davis.[1] Don't Get Comfortable The EP was independently released in 2005, containing five tracks that were later included on Heath's debut album.[5]

Don't Get Comfortable

Heath's major label debut, Don't Get Comfortable, was released on September 5, 2006.[6] His first radio single from the album was "Our God Reigns", which garnered a 2007 Dove Award nomination for Worship Song of the Year.[7][8]

His second radio single, "I'm Not Who I Was", was released around early 2007 and was his first number 1 hit. It topped Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart for six consecutive weeks starting on July 4, 2007. The song was covered by Jason Castro (from American Idol) at Lakepoint Church.[9] "Don't Get Comfortable", the title track from Heath's debut album, was also released as a single.[citation needed]

At the 39th annual GMA Dove Awards, Heath was nominated for four Dove Awards, winning in the category for New Artist of the Year.[10]

What If We

Brandon Heath toured as a guest on Aaron Shust's 30-city Whispered and Shouted tour from early to mid 2008.[11] His second studio album, What If We, was released on August 19, 2008.[12] The album's first single, "Give Me Your Eyes", was released in July 2008 and was his most commercially-successful song to date. It stayed at number 1 on R&R's Christian CHR chart for 14 consecutive weeks from August to December 2008.[13] It ended the year as 2008's second most played song in the CHR format.[14] In 2009, his song "Wait and See" was released as the next single, and by August it placed at #5 on Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart.[15] He guest-starred on Christian band Leeland's album Love Is on the Move, on the single "Follow You".

Other songwriting

Heath has partnered in songwriting with Bebo Norman and Matt Wertz, who was one of his roommates.[8] He has written songs for Norman, Joy Williams and Christopher Williams. He has worked with Sevenglory on their 2007 album, Atmosphere.

Personal life

Brandon Heath currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee. He was a worship leader at The Loft church in The Woodlands area.[16]

Discography

Albums

Independent

  • 2003: Early Stuff – (independent)
  • 2004: Soldier – (independent)
  • 2005: Don't Get Comfortable The EP – (independent)

Studio albums

Year Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales threshold)
US US
Christian 		US
Heat
2006 Don't Get Comfortable

- 38 10
  • US sales: n/a
2008 What If We

  • Released: 2008
  • Label: Reunion Records
 73 3 -
  • US sales: n/a
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles

Year Single Peak Album
US
Christian
2006 "Our God Reigns" 13 Don't Get Comfortable
"I'm Not Who I Was" 1
"Don't Get Comfortable" 11
2008 "Give Me Your Eyes" 1 What If We
2009 "Wait and See" 1
"Follow You" (with Leeland) 7 Love is On the Move
2010 "Love Never Fails" 18 What If We
"Your Love" 34[17] TBD

Compilation appearances

Awards

Dove Award nominations
  • 2007: Worship Song of the Year ("Our God Reigns")
  • 2008: Songwriter of the Year
  • 2008: Song of the Year ("I'm Not Who I Was")
  • 2008: Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("I'm Not Who I Was")
  • 2008: New Artist of the Year – won
  • 2009: Songwriter of the Year
  • 2009: Male Vocalist of the Year won
  • 2009: Song of the Year ("Give Me Your Eyes") – won
  • 2009: Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year ("Give Me Your Eyes") – won
  • 2010: Male Vocalist of the Year – won
Grammy Award nominations
Urban Music Awards
  • 2009: Best Gospel Act (Nominated)
American Music Awards
  • 2009: Favorite Contemporary Inspirational Artist (Nominated)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Steve Leggett. "Brandon Heath Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-09-22.
  2. ^ a b "Brandon Heath: 'Give Me Your Eyes'". The 700 Club. 2009-03-12. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
  3. ^ "Briefs: Oct. 28, 2008". WTVF. 2008-10-28. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
  4. ^ a b c "New Artist, Brandon Heath". Hope Today Magazine. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
  5. ^ "Brandon Heath, "Don't Get Comfortable The EP"". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
  6. ^ "Brandon Heath – Don't Get Comfortable". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  7. ^ "Nominations Announced for 38th GMA Dove Awards". BREATHEcast.com. 2007-02-20. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
  8. ^ a b Jared Johnson. "Don't Get Comfortable > Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  9. ^ YouTube.com
  10. ^ Gerome, John (April 23, 2008). "TobyMac wins gospel artist of year at Doves". The Associated Press. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2008-04-24.
  11. ^ "Meredith Andrews Offers The Invitation April 29 On Word Records". Top40-Charts.com. 2008-03-17. Retrieved 2008-10-10.
  12. ^ "What If We > Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-09-22.
  13. ^ "Christian CHR National Airplay". Radio & Records. 2008-10-10. Retrieved 2008-10-10.
  14. ^ "2008 Year End Charts: Top Christian CHR songs". R&R. Retrieved 2009-01-06.
  15. ^ "Wait and See - Brandon Heath". Billboard. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  16. ^ "Brandon Heath Single Give Me Your Eyes Continues Digital Sales Streak With More Than 12,000 Downloads Since Release". BREATHEcast.com. 2008-08-01. Retrieved 2008-10-10.
  17. ^ http://www.billboard.com/column/chartbeat/chart-highlights-country-rock-songs-more-1004114305.story?tag=hpfeed#
  • Sondova, Amy. "Brandon Heath: Missional Musician". Youth Mission Exchange. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)

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