Thursday, July 30, 2015

Tennessee Ernie Ford~ "This Is My Country"



Ernest Jennings Ford (February 13, 1919 – October 17, 1991), known professionally as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American recording artist and television host who enjoyed success in the country and Western, pop, and gospel musical genres.

Noted for his rich bass-baritone voice and down-home humor, today, he is best remembered for his hit recordings of "The Shotgun Boogie" and "Sixteen Tons".


Tennessee Ernie Ford
Tennessee Ernie Ford 1957.JPG
Background information
Birth name Ernest Jennings Ford
Born February 13, 1919
Bristol, Tennessee, United States
Died October 17, 1991 (aged 72)
Reston, Virginia, United States
Genres Country & Western, Pop, Gospel
Occupation(s) Singer, actor
Instruments Vocals, Guitar, violin


"This Is My Country" 

Is an American patriotic folk song composed in 1940. 

The lyrics are by Don Raye and the music is by Al Jacobs.

The folk song begins slowly, opening with:
What difference if I hail from North or South
Or from the East or West?
My heart is filled with love
For all of these.
I only know I swell with pride
And deep within my breast
I thrill to see Old Glory
Paint the breeze.
It then swings into a march tempo for the verse.
The song is made notable by the fact that it honors both native-born Americans and immigrants. The first verse reads:
This is my country
Land of my birth
This is my country
Grandest on Earth
While the second verse (sung on a repeat, as the introduction is not repeated) instead reads:
This is my country
Land of my choice
This is my country
Hear my proud voice.
Both versions join together at the ending:
I pledge thee my allegiance
America the bold
For this is my country
To have and to hold

 

Biography

Early years

Born in Bristol, Tennessee to Maud Long and Clarence Thomas Ford, Ford began his radio career as an announcer at WOPI-AM in Bristol, Tennessee.

In 1939, the young bass-baritone left the station to study classical singing at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music in Ohio. First Lieutenant Ford served in the United States Army Air Corps in World War II as the bombardier on a B-29 Superfortress flying missions over Japan.

After the war, Ford worked at radio stations in San Bernardino and Pasadena, California. In San Bernardino, Ford was hired as a radio announcer.

He was assigned to host an early morning country music disc jockey program titled Bar Nothin' Ranch Time. To differentiate himself, he created the personality of "Tennessee Ernie," a wild, madcap, exaggerated hillbilly. He became popular in the area and was soon hired away by Pasadena's KXLA radio.

Ford also did musical tours. The Mayfield Brothers of West Texas, including Smokey Mayfield, Thomas Edd Mayfield, and Herbert Mayfield, were among Ford's warmup bands, having played for him in concerts in Amarillo and Lubbock, Texas, during the late 1940s.

At KXLA, Ford continued doing the same show and also joined the cast of Cliffie Stone's popular live KXLA country show Dinner Bell Roundup as a vocalist while still doing the early morning broadcast. Cliffie Stone, a part-time talent scout for Capitol Records, brought him to the attention of the label.

In 1949, while still doing his morning show, he signed a contract with Capitol. He also became a local TV star as the star of Stone's popular Southern California Hometown Jamboree show. RadiOzark produced 260 15-minute episodes of The Tennessee Ernie Show on transcription disks for national radio syndication.

He released almost 50 country singles through the early 1950s, several of which made the charts. Many of his early records, including "The Shotgun Boogie", "Blackberry Boogie," and so on were exciting, driving boogie-woogie records featuring accompaniment by the Hometown Jamboree band which included Jimmy Bryant on lead guitar and pioneer pedal steel guitarist Speedy West.

 "I'll Never Be Free," a duet pairing Ford with Capitol Records pop singer Kay Starr,[1] became a huge country and pop crossover hit in 1950.

A duet with Ella Mae Morse, False Hearted Girl was a top seller for the Capitol Country and Hillbilly division,[2] and has been evaluated as an early tune.[3]

Ford eventually ended his KXLA morning show and in the early 1950s, moved on from Hometown Jamboree. He took over from band-leader Kay Kyser as host of the TV version of NBC quiz show Kollege of Musical Knowledge when it returned briefly in 1954 after a four-year hiatus.

He became a household name in the U.S. largely as a result of his hilarious portrayal of the 'country bumpkin,' "Cousin Ernie" on three episodes of I Love Lucy.

In 1955, Ford recorded "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier" (which reached number 4 on the country chart) with "Farewell to the Mountains" on side B.

"Sixteen Tons"

 


Sixteen Tons album cover.
Ford scored an unexpected hit on the pop charts in 1955 with his rendering of "Sixteen Tons", a sparsely arranged coal-miner's lament, that Merle Travis first recorded in 1946 reflecting his own family's experience in the mines of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.

The song's authorship has been claimed by both Travis and George S. Davis. Its fatalistic tone contrasted vividly with the sugary pop ballads and rock & roll just starting to dominate the charts at the time:

You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt.
Saint Peter, don't you call me, 'cause I can't go;
I owe my soul to the company store...[4]

With Ford's snapping fingers[4] and a unique clarinet-driven pop arrangement by Ford's music director, Jack Fascinato, "Sixteen Tons" spent ten weeks at number one on the country charts and eight weeks at number one on the pop charts, and made Ford a crossover star. It became Ford's signature song.

Later years

 

Ford subsequently helmed his own prime-time variety program, The Ford Show, which ran on NBC television from October 4, 1956, to June 29, 1961.

The show was named not after Ernie, but rather, the sponsor – Ford automobiles. Ford Theatre, an anthology series, had run in the same time slot on NBC in the preceding 1955–1956 season.

Ford's program was notable for the inclusion of a religious song at the end of every show; Ford insisted on this despite objections from network officials who feared it might provoke controversy.

This became the most popular segment of his show. He earned the nickname "The Ol' Pea-Picker" due to his catch-phrase, "Bless your pea-pickin' heart!" He began using the term during his disc jockey days on KXLA.

In 1956 he released Hymns, his first gospel music album, which remained on Billboard's Top Album charts for 277 consecutive weeks; his album "Great Gospel Songs" won a Grammy Award in 1964.

After the NBC show ended, Ford moved his family to Portola Valley in Northern California. He also owned a cabin near Grandjean, Idaho on the upper South Fork of the Payette River where he would regularly retreat.

A photo of Ford with country singer Hank Thompson and Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby appeared in the 1988 book, The Ruby-Oswald Affair, by Alan Adelson.

From 1962-65, Ford hosted a daytime talk/variety show, The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show (later known as Hello, Peapickers) from KGO-TV in San Francisco, broadcast over the ABC television network.

Ford was the spokesman for the Pontiac Furniture Company in Pontiac, Illinois in the 1970s. He also became the spokesman for Martha White brand flour in 1972.

Ford's experiences as a navigator and bombardier in World War II led to his involvement with the Confederate Air Force (now the Commemorative Air Force), a war plane preservation group in Texas.

He was a featured announcer and celebrity guest at the annual CAF Airshow in Harlingen, Texas, from 1976 to 1988.

He donated a once-top-secret Norden Bombsight to the CAF's B-29 bomber restoration project. In the late 1970s, as a CAF colonel, Ford recorded the organization's theme song "Ballad of the Ghost Squadron."

Over the years, Ford was awarded three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for radio, records, and television. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1984, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1990.

Offstage, both Ford and wife Betty contended with serious alcohol problems; Betty had the problem since the 1950s.

Though his drinking worsened in the 60s, he worked continuously, seemingly unaffected by his heavy intake of whiskey.

By the 1970s, however, it had begun to take an increasing toll on his health and ability to sing. After Betty's substance abuse-related death in 1989, Ernie's liver problems, diagnosed years earlier, became more apparent, but he refused to reduce his drinking despite repeated doctors' warnings.

In 1990, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. His last interview was taped in September 1991 by his long-time friend Dinah Shore for her TV show. His physical deterioration by then was quite obvious.

Ford received posthumous recognition for his gospel music contributions by adding him to the Gospel Music Association's Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1994.

Personal life

 


Ernie and Betty Ford at home in 1962.
Ford was married to Betty Heminger from September 18, 1942, until her death on February 26, 1989; they had two children – Jeffrey Buckner “Buck” Ford (born January 6, 1950) and Brion Leonard Ford (born September 3, 1952 in San Gabriel, California – died October 24, 2008 in White House, Tennessee, of lung cancer at age 56).

Less than four months after Betty's death, Ford, who had long suffered from severe alcoholism, married again.

On September 28, 1991, he fell into severe liver failure at Dulles Airport, shortly after leaving a state dinner at the White House hosted by then President George H. W. Bush.

Ford died in H. C. A. Reston Hospital Center, in Reston, Virginia, on October 17 – exactly 36 years after "Sixteen Tons" was released, and one day shy of the first anniversary of his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.[5]

Ford was interred at Alta Mesa Memorial Park, Palo Alto, California.[6] His second wife, Beverly Wood Ford (1921–2001), died ten years after Ernie and her body was interred with her husband's.[7]


Source: Wikipedia.org

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Conway Twitty~ "Who Do They Think He Was"



Conway Twitty (born Harold Lloyd Jenkins; September 1, 1933 – June 5, 1993) was an American musician and singer.

He had success in the country, rock, R&B, and pop genres. He held the record for the most number one singles of any act, with 40 No. 1 Billboard country hits[citation needed], until George Strait broke the record in 2006.

From 1971 to 1976, Twitty received a string of Country Music Association awards for duets with Loretta Lynn. Although never a member of the Grand Ole Opry, he was inducted into both the Country Music and Rockabilly Halls of Fame.


Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty 1974.JPG
1974 promotional photo
Background information
Birth name Harold Lloyd Jenkins
Born September 1, 1933
Friars Point, Coahoma County, Mississippi, U.S.
Origin Helena, Phillips County
Arkansas
Died June 5, 1993 (aged 59)
Springfield, Missouri, U.S.
Genres Country, rock and roll
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instruments Vocals, guitar
Years active 1955-1993
Labels MCA, Elektra, MGM, Decca, Sun Records, Warner Bros. Records
Associated acts Loretta Lynn, Sam Moore, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Twitty Bird Band, Joni Lee

 

Biography

Early life

 

Conway Twitty was born on September 1, 1933 in Friars Point in Coahoma County in northwestern Mississippi.

He was named by his great uncle, after his favorite silent movie actor, Harold Lloyd.

The Jenkins family moved to Helena, Arkansas when Harold was ten years old. In Helena, Harold formed his first singing group, the Phillips County Ramblers.[citation needed]

Two years later, Harold had his own local radio show every Saturday morning. He also played baseball, his second passion.

He received an offer to play with the Philadelphia Phillies after high school (Smiths Station High School), but he was drafted into the US Army. He served in the Far East and organized a group called The Cimmerons to entertain fellow GIs.[1]

Wayne Hause, a neighbor, suggested that Harold could make it in the music industry. Soon after hearing Elvis Presley's song "Mystery Train", Harold began writing rock and roll material. He went to the Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee and worked with Sam Phillips, the owner and founder, to get the "right" sound.[citation needed]

Stage name

 

Accounts of how Harold Jenkins acquired his stage name of Conway Twitty vary.

Allegedly, in 1957, Jenkins decided that his real name wasn't marketable and sought a better show business name.

In The Billboard Book of Number One Hits Fred Bronson states that the singer was looking at a road map when he spotted Conway, Arkansas, and Twitty, Texas, and chose the name Conway Twitty.

Another account says that Jenkins met a Richmond, Virginia, man named W. Conway Twitty Jr. through Jenkins' manager in a New York City restaurant.

The manager served in the US Army with the real Conway Twitty.

Later, the manager suggested to Jenkins that he take the name as his stage name because it had a ring to it.

In the mid-1960s, W. Conway Twitty subsequently recorded the song "What's in a Name but Trouble", lamenting the loss of his name to Harold Jenkins.

Pop and rock & roll success

 

In 1958 using his new stage name, Conway Twitty's fortunes improved while he was with MGM Records, and an Ohio radio station had an inspiration, refraining from playing "I'll Try" (an MGM single that went nowhere in terms of sales, radio play, and jukebox play), instead playing the B-side, "It's Only Make Believe", a song written between sets by Twitty and drummer Jack Nance when they were in Hamilton, Ontario, playing at the Flamingo Lounge.[2]

The record took nearly one year to reach and stay at the top spot on the Billboard pop music charts in the US, as well as No. 1 in 21 other countries, becoming the first of nine top 40 hits for Twitty.

That same year, country singer Tabby West of ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee heard Twitty and booked him to appear on the show.[1]

For a brief period, due to voice similarities, some believed "It's Only Make Believe" was actually recorded by Elvis Presley, using "Conway Twitty" as a pseudonym.

Twitty would go on to enjoy rock and roll success with songs including "Danny Boy" (Pop No. 10) and "Lonely Blue Boy" (Pop No. 6). "Lonely Blue Boy", originally titled "Danny", was recorded by Presley for the film King Creole but was not used in the soundtrack.[citation needed]

In 1960, Twitty appeared in three feature films: College Confidential, Sex Kittens Go to College and Platinum High School.

Country music career

 

Twitty always wanted to record country music and, beginning in 1965, he did just that.

His first few country albums were met with some country DJ's refusing to play them because he was known as a rock 'n' roll singer.

However, he finally broke free with his first top five country hit, "The Image of Me", in July 1968, ensued by his first number one country song, "Next in Line", in November 1968.

Few of his singles beginning in 1968 ranked below the top five.

In 1970, Twitty recorded and released his biggest country hit, "Hello Darlin'", which spent four weeks at the top of the country chart and is one of Twitty's most recognized songs.

In 1971 he released his first hit duet with Loretta Lynn, "After the Fire Is Gone". It was a success, and many more followed, including "Lead Me On" (1971), "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" (1973), "As Soon as I Hang Up the Phone" (1974), "Feelins'" (1975), "I Still Believe in Waltzes", "I Can't Love You Enough", and many others.

Together, Conway and Loretta (as they were known in their act), won four consecutive Country Music Association awards for vocal duo (1972–75) and a host of other duo and duet awards from other organizations throughout the 1970s.

In 1973, Twitty released "You've Never Been This Far Before", which was not only No. 1 in country for three weeks that September but also reached No. 22 on the pop charts. Some more conservative disc jockeys refused to play the song, believing that some of the lyrics were too sexually suggestive.

In 1978, Twitty issued the single "The Grandest Lady of Them All" honoring the Grand Ole Opry, but for the first time since 1967, a single of his failed to reach top ten status as some radio stations refused to play a song honoring the property of a competitor (broadcast by WSM-AM).

Nevertheless, the single reached the top 20, peaking at No. 16 but it was well below expectations, and this set in motion the changes that were to take place in his career, including a new hairstyle, changing from the slicked-back pompadour style to the curlier style he would keep the rest of his life.

However, Twitty's popularity and momentum were unaffected by the song as his next 23 consecutive singles all made it into the top 10, with 13 peaking at No. 1, including "Don't Take It Away", "I May Never Get to Heaven", "Happy Birthday Darlin'" and remakes of major pop hits such as "The Rose" and "Slow Hand".

In 1985, going by all weekly music trade charts, the song "Don't Call Him a Cowboy" became the 50th single of his career to achieve a No. 1 ranking. He would have five more through 1990, giving him a total of 55 No. 1 hits.

George Strait eclipsed the feat of 50 No. 1 hits in 2002 with his single "She'll Leave You With a Smile" and then reached No. 1 for the 56th time in 2007 when the single "Wrapped" hit the top on the Media Base 24/7 list.

Throughout much of Twitty's country music career his recording home was Decca Records, later renamed MCA. He signed with the label in late 1965 but left in 1981 when it appeared MCA was marketing and promoting newer acts, plus management at the label had changed and other factors brought on the decision.

He joined Elektra/Asylum in 1982.

That label merged with its parent company, Warner Bros. Records in 1983.

He stayed on with Warner Bros. Records through early 1987 but then went back to MCA to finish out his career.

In 1993, shortly before he died, he recorded a new album, Final Touches.

Baseball

 

Twitty joined entrepreneur Larry Schmittou and other country music stars, such as Cal Smith, Jerry Reed, Larry Gatlin, and Richard Sterban, in 1977 as investors in the Nashville Sounds, a minor league baseball team of the Double-A Southern League that began play in 1978.[3]

He threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the team's innaugrial home opener at Herschel Greer Stadium on April 26, 1978.[4]

Twitty City

 

Twitty lived for many years in Hendersonville, Tennessee, just north of Nashville, where he built a country music entertainment complex called Twitty City at a cost of over $3.5 million. Twitty and Twitty City were once featured on the TV series Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. and was also seen in the Nashville episode of the BBC series Entertainment USA, presented by Jonathan King.

Opened in 1982 it was a popular tourist stop throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s; it was shut down in 1994 following a year-long tribute show called Final Touches, when fans and peers in the music business dropped by.

The complex was auctioned off and bought by the Trinity Broadcasting Network the #1 Faith-based network in the world; now known as Trinity Music City, USA, it is open to the public, with free tours.

Personal Life

 

Twitty was married three times. His first marriage lasted from 1953 to 1954.

He had married because he had gotten the girl pregnant with his son, Michael.

His second marriage, and longest, was to his wife Mickey.

Twitty married Mickey in 1956 and had his three other children by her, Kathy, Joni Lee, and Jimmy Twitty.

By 1984, after 28 years of marriage, the stress of her husband being away so often took its toll on Mickey, and she and Conway divorced.

In 1987, Twitty married his 36 year old office secretary, Delores "Dee" Henry.
They were married until Twitty's death.

Death

 

In June 1993, Twitty became ill while performing at the Jim Stafford Theatre in Branson, Missouri, and was in pain while he was on his tour bus.

He died in Springfield, Missouri, at Cox South Hospital, from an abdominal aortic aneurysm, aged 59, two months before the release of what would be his final studio album, Final Touches.

Four months after Twitty's death, George Jones included a cover of "Hello Darlin'" on his album High-Tech Redneck.

Twitty is buried at Sumner Memorial Gardens in Gallatin, Tennessee in a red granite vault, under the name "Harold L. Jenkins".

There is space reserved next to him for his wife.[5]

Posthumous releases

 

Since his death, Twitty's son Michael and grandson Tre have been carrying on his musical legacy.

His most recent chart appearance on the country charts was a duet with Anita Cochran, "I Want to Hear a Cheating Song" (2004), which was made possible by splicing Twitty's vocal from old recordings and even interviews, recorded over the years.

As a result, Twitty's isolated vocal track transferred to a digital multi-track and digitally re-assembled into the new performance.

Similar to the electronic duets of Patsy Cline and Jim Reeves, Hank Williams and Hank Williams, Jr. or Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole, Cochran added her vocal to the already-produced backing tracks along with Twitty's reconstructed vocal.[citation needed]

Currently, Bear Family Records offers a single-disc collection featuring 30 songs entitled "Conway Rocks," in addition to "The Rock'n'Roll Years," a comprehensive 8-disc box set showcasing his complete early recordings as a rock artist.[citation needed]

Legal issues

 

Taxes

 

Twitty's success in country music was a key factor in his winning a 1983 case, Harold L. Jenkins (a/k/a Conway Twitty) v. Commissioner in United States Tax Court.

The Internal Revenue Service denied Twitty's attempt to deduct from his taxes, as an "ordinary and necessary" business expense, payments he had made in order to repay investors in a defunct fast-food chain called Twitty Burger.

The chain went under in 1971.

The general rule is that the payment of someone else's debts is not deductible. Twitty alleged that his primary motive was "protecting his personal business reputation." The court opinion contained testimony from Twitty about his bond with country music fans.[6]

Estate

 

Twitty married three times.

His widow in 1993, Dee Henry Jenkins, and his four grown children from the previous marriages, Michael, Joni, Kathy and Jimmy Jenkins, engaged in a public dispute over the estate.

Twitty's will had not been updated to account for the third marriage, but Tennessee law reserves one third of any estate to the widow.

After years of probate, the four children received the rights to Twitty's music, name and image.

The rest of the estate went to public auction, where much of the property and memorabilia was sold after his widow rejected the appraised value.

In 2008, controversy again erupted in his family when the four remaining children sued Sony/ATV Music Publishing over an agreement that Twitty and his family signed in 1990.

The suit alleged that the terms of the agreement were not fully understood by the children, although they were all adults at the time. It sought to recover copyrights and royalty revenue that the document assigned to the company.[7]

55 No.1 hits

 


Twitty was the only singer to have 55 No. 1 hits[citation needed] in his career until George Strait eventually eclipsed the long-held record. Conway's 55th and final No. 1 was "Crazy in Love" in 1990 on the Cashbox country chart.

His final No. 1 on the Billboard country charts was "Desperado Love" in 1986. His first No. 1 was "It's Only Make Believe" in 1958 on the Hot 100 pop chart. He is best known for his 1970 No. 1 single "Hello Darlin'."[citation needed]

There were multiple weekly music charts in circulation during much of Conway's career: Billboard, Record World, Cashbox, Gavin, Radio, and Records. Billboard is the lone surviving publication of the group.

Radio and Records, emerging in 1973, was bought out by Billboard in 2006 (ending a 33-year run as an independent music survey) but the R&R brand was phased out in 2009 altogether.

Conway reached No. 1 on Radio and Records many times; quite a few of his No. 1 hits in the latter years of his career reached the top of this publication while peaking in the top five in Billboard.

The Gavin Report, founded in 1958, ended publication in 2002. Cashbox was in publication from 1942 through 1996.

As is the case with Radio and Records, Conway reached No. 1 on Cashbox with most of his recordings.

His 55th and final No. 1 hit, "Crazy in Love", reached No. 1 on Cashbox and No. 3 on Billboard in the fall of 1990.

Record World started out under the name Music Vendor in 1946.

The publication's name change took place in 1964.

Conway often reached No. 1 on the Record World country charts with singles that reached the No. 2 or No. 3 position on Billboard's chart.

Billboard began publication in 1894 and was completely different from what it appears today.

It wasn't until the 1930s that music sales and, later, jukebox play became a focal point of the publication.

In the late 1950s, Billboard unveiled their Hot 100 chart which has more commonly become known as the pop singles chart. Their country chart began in 1944 and is still in publication.

Twitty reached No. 1 40 times on the Billboard country chart from 1968 through 1986.

His 1958 single "It's Only Make Believe" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100, giving him an overall total of 41 Billboard No. 1 hits.

The 41 Billboard No. 1 hits are often what historians and critics[who?] point to whenever citing his No. 1 total even though, technically, he reached the top 14 additional times with other singles on the other weekly music charts.

Source: Wikipedia.org


Somebody Come and Play in Traffic with Me! Earn as You Learn, Grow as You Go!

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JMK's Production

 

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Tuesday, July 28, 2015

"Leap of Faith" ~Sanctus Real



Sanctus Real is an American Christian rock band formed in Toledo, Ohio, in 1996.

The group is composed of Matt Hammitt (lead vocalist, guitar), Chris Rohman (lead guitar), Jake Rye (bass), Seth Huff (guitar, keys), and Mark Graalman (drums).

The band is best known for their number one singles "Beautiful Day" (a U2 cover), "Everything About You", "The Fight Song", "I'm Not Alright", "Don't Give Up", "We Need Each Other", "Forgiven" and "Lead Me".[1] Since 2002, they have released five albums through the Sparrow Records label.

Sanctus Real formed in 1996, and the band released three independent albums over five years. After signing with Sparrow Records in 2002, the group released their major label debut, Say It Loud, at the end of the year.

In June 2004 it was followed by Fight the Tide, which garnered a GMA Dove Award win in 2005, and two singles that charted at number 1 on Christian radio, according to R&R magazine. The band's third album, The Face of Love, was released in April 2006.

The single "I'm Not Alright" received a GMA Dove Award nomination in 2007.

Their fourth album, We Need Each Other (2008), was recorded in late 2007 and released in February. It received a Grammy Award nomination and spawned the single "We Need Each Other".

Sanctus Real released their fifth studio album in March 2010, titled Pieces of a Real Heart also receiving a Grammy nomination with Christian Billboard chart topping hits "Lead Me"and "Forgiven".

The band's music incorporates a modern alternative rock style, and has evolved from power pop to a more melodic and guitar-driven sound.


Sanctus Real
SanctusRealMarch2008.jpg
Sanctus Real in 2008
Background information
Origin Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
Genres Christian alternative rock, Christian rock, power pop, rock
Years active 1996–present
Labels Sparrow
Website sanctusreal.com

Members Matt Hammitt
Chris Rohman
Mark Graalman
Jake Rye
Seth Huff

Past members Pete Prevost
Dan Gartley
Steve Goodrum
Matt Kollar
Mike Gee

History

 

In 1996, lead singer and guitarist Matt Hammitt met guitarist Chris Rohman while they were tenth graders attending Toledo Christian School in Ohio.[2][3]

They led youth worship at their school and church, and began writing their own music that year.[4][5] Drummer Mark Graalman and bassist Matt Kollar soon joined, forming the band's original line-up.[2][6]

The group performed their first concert for several friends in the back of a warehouse in December 1996.[5] They released a six-track demo tape in August 1997,[7] and a five-track EP titled All This Talk of Aliens in January 1998.[5][7]

Sanctus Real's full-length studio album Message for the Masses was released on June 18, 1999,[7] and shortly afterward, bassist Matt Kollar was replaced by Steve Goodrum.[2]

Following Message for the Masses, which was recorded in a garage, the band made plans to record tracks at a major studio. To earn money for the endeavor, Hammitt and Goodrum took telemarketing jobs for a few months, which were difficult and described by Hammitt as "the most dreadful [jobs] ever".[8]

They recorded three songs with producer Skidd Mills in Memphis, Tennessee, and after winning a local radio contest, decided to record an entire independent album with Mills. It was completed in 2000 under the title Nothing to Lose, and the band attended 2001's Gospel Music Week in Nashville to distribute copies of the project.[4][8]

From 1996 to 2001, Sanctus Real toured areas of the United States, and also sent demos to several Christian and mainstream record labels.[4]

After they received multiple recording contract offers in 2001, the band decided to sign with Sparrow Records. Matt Hammitt said, "At that point, we really had to do some soul searching and figure out where it was we were supposed to be ... Ultimately, we knew we could relate to kids in the church.

We are passionate about our faith ... [and] from our personal experience, we felt this was the place we were supposed to be."[5]

Say It Loud

 

Toward the end of 2002, before releasing their first non-independent album, Sanctus Real performed as an opening act on the Festival Con Dios tour.[4]

The band also guested on Bleach's first headlining tour, the We Are Tomorrow tour, in December 2002.[9]

Sanctus Real's major label debut, Say It Loud, was then released in December 2002, through Sparrow Records.[10]

The album was produced by former Grammatrain lead vocalist Pete Stewart.[11] Sanctus Real began touring again in February 2003 as a guest band on the See Spot Rock Tour, with Relient K, the O.C. Supertones, Pillar and John Reuben.[12]

Fight the Tide


Lead vocalist Matt Hammitt performing at Taylor University in April 2004
The band recorded a cover of U2's song "Beautiful Day" for the compilation album In the Name of Love: Artists United for Africa, which was released at the beginning of 2004.[13]

The track reached number 1 on R&R magazine's Christian rock chart in 2004, becoming their first chart-topping single.[14] "Beautiful Day" also received a GMA Dove Award nomination for Modern Rock Song of the Year in 2004.[15]

In February 2004, the band went back in studio to record their second album;[16] almost all of the tracks were written in the previous month.[17][18]

It was recorded in six weeks with producer Tedd T,[18] and soon released under the title Fight the Tide in June 2004.[19]

The lead single "Everything About You" was released in mid-2004, and by September it had stayed at number 1 on R&R's Christian rock chart for six consecutive weeks.[14] The song was later featured on the X 2006 compilation album in 2005.[20]

In September 2004, Sanctus Real launched their first headlining tour, the Fight the Tide Tour.[14] The tour featured guest bands Hawk Nelson, Seven Places and Ever Stays Red, and traveled through more than 25 cities.[14]

After being nominated in late 2004, Fight the Tide won the GMA Dove Award for "Modern Rock Album of the Year" in early 2005.[21]

Released near the beginning of the year, "The Fight Song" was Sanctus Real's next single, and in May 2005 it reached the top of R&R's Christian rock chart, becoming the band's third number 1 song.[22]

In April 2005, bass player Steve Goodrum left the band and was replaced by Dan Gartley, a previous touring member of Relient K. Gartley played his first concert with Sanctus Real at the Agape Festival in May 2005.[22]


The Face of Love


Bassist Dan Gartley in June 2006
Sanctus Real's third main studio album, The Face of Love, was released in April 2006.[23]

The album's first single was "I'm Not Alright" which became a number 1 song on Christian contemporary hit radio (CHR), as reported by R&R magazine.[24] It was also the third most played song of 2006 on Christian radio formats.[24]

In early 2007, the band received two GMA Dove Award nominations: "Rock Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year" for "I'm Not Alright" and "Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year" for The Face of Love.[25][26]

Following the album's release, Pete Prevost became the fifth member of Sanctus Real as an additional guitarist.[27]

The album's second single, "Don't Give Up", was released in the beginning of 2007, and by May it became the band's fifth number 1 track by placing at the top of R&R's Christian CHR chart.[28]

At the end of 2006 they were named the most-played artist of the year on R&R's Christian CHR chart.[29]

The title track "The Face of Love" was also a radio single. Sanctus Real launched another headlining tour in April 2007, The Face of Love tour, featuring Needtobreathe and This Beautiful Republic.[30]

We Need Each Other

 

In August 2007, Sanctus Real returned to the studio to record a fourth album, which was finished by the end of the year.[31]

In November 2007, the album was originally slated for release under the title Turn on the Lights, the name of a track on the album.[32] It was later changed to We Need Each Other, and was released in February 2008, through Sparrow Records.[33]

The title track "We Need Each Other" was released earlier as the album's lead single in November 2007.[34] The song stayed at number 1 on R&R's Christian CHR chart for five consecutive weeks by February 2008,[35][36] and it was 2008's eighth most-played song of the year in the same format.[37]

During early to mid-2008, Sanctus Real guested on Third Day's headlining tour,[38] and that year they also appeared on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Two more singles from We Need Each Other were released: "Whatever You're Doing (Something Heavenly)" in early 2008, and "Turn On the Lights" in August 2008.

Later in the year, the band launched their own two-month We Need Each Other Tour in the United States, passing through 16 states and over 30 cities;[39] the tour featured guest appearances from VOTA, Tenth Avenue North and speaker Sammy Adebiyi.[39]

In 2009, We Need Each Other received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Gospel Album.[40]

Pieces of a Real Heart

 

In mid November 2009, Matt Hammitt announced on Twitter that Sanctus Real finished recording their fifth album. The first radio single was titled "Forgiven", and peaked at No. 6 on the Hot Christian Songs chart.[41]

On December 2, 2009, the band announced on Twitter and Facebook that they narrowed the final album name down to two options: A Million Hearts and Pieces of a Real Heart, and held a public vote for one hour.

Shortly after, it was confirmed that the title Pieces of a Real Heart would be chosen. The album was released on March 9, 2010 via Sparrow Records.[20][42]

Run

 

The sixth studio album by the band was released on February 5, 2013, which was called Run, and the lead single from the album is "Promises".[43]

The Dream

 

The seventh studio album by the band, The Dream, was released on September 16, 2014.[44] The first video from the album, "Lay It Down", was released to YouTube June 24, 2014.[45] The second lyric video, titled 'Same God', was released by the band on YouTube on October 21, 2014.[46]

Touring

 

In April and May 2010, Sanctus Real debuted the complete new album Pieces of a Real Heart while headlining the UNITED Spring 2010 Tour. Joining them on this 25-city nationwide tour was visionary and speaker David Nasser along with fellow artists Jonny Diaz and MIKESCHAIR.[47]

Sanctus Real announced they would be touring with Winter Jam 2012 on the eastern side of the United States.

During their 2012 tour, their tour bus burned to the ground. Sanctus posted a photo on their Facebook page on June 3, adding all people got off the bus, but their personal belongings were lost. Sanctus Real began The Run Tour in September 2013 and finished in November 2013.[48]

Musical style


Sanctus Real's main genre is typically labeled as Christian rock and alternative CCM.[2]

Their first three independent albums were described by Allmusic as power pop.[2]

Say It Loud was characterized by increased guitars and a powerful modern rock style.[4] Their second release, Fight the Tide, was described as "melodic power rock" with similarities to Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World, Switchfoot, U2, and PFR.[49]

The band's music on The Face of Love blended the styles from their previous two albums, evolving into less of a heavier rock sound.[2]

With We Need Each Other, lead singer Matt Hammitt noted that he "just pushed the limits of what I can do vocally" during some songs, "whether it be on a soft, kind of rustic sounding vocal or whether it be this overdriven, rock high-range kind of vocal."[27]

Members

Current members
  • Matt Hammitt – lead vocalist, guitar (1996–present)
  • Chris Rohman – guitar (1997–present)
  • Mark Graalman – drums (1996–present)
  • Jake Rye - bass (2013–present)
  • Seth Huff - keys/guitar (2013–present)
Former members
  • Matt Kollar – bass (1996-1999)
  • Steve Goodrum – bass (1999–2005)
  • Michael Gee - Guitar (1996–97)
  • Dan Gartley – bass and bells (2005–2013)
  • Pete Prevost – guitar, banjo, piano (2006–2013)
On July 1, 2015, Matt Hammitt announced that he was leaving the band, effective December 2015.[50]

Awards

GMA Dove Awards

  • 2004: Modern Rock Song of the Year ("Beautiful Day") – nominated
  • 2005: Modern Rock Album of the Year (Fight the Tide) – won
  • 2007: Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year (The Face of Love) – nominated
  • 2007: Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("I'm Not Alright") – nominated
  • 2011: Song of the Year ("Lead Me") – nominated
  • 2011: Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("Lead Me") – nominated
  • 2011: Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year (Pieces of a Real Heart) – nominated

 

Grammy Awards

 

Discography

Main article: Sanctus Real discography

A leap of faith, in its most commonly used meaning, is the act of believing in or accepting something intangible or unprovable, or without empirical evidence.[1]

It is an act commonly associated with religious belief as many religions consider faith to be an essential element of piety.

The phrase is commonly attributed to Søren Kierkegaard; however, he himself never used the term, as he referred to a leap as a leap to faith. A leap of faith according to Kierkegaard involves circularity insofar as a leap is made by faith.[2]

In his book Concluding Unscientific Postscript, he describes the core part of the leap of faith, the leap. "Thinking can turn toward itself in order to think about itself and skepticism can emerge.

But this thinking about itself never accomplishes anything." Kierkegaard says thinking should serve by thinking something. Kierkegaard wants to stop "thinking's self-reflection" and that is the movement that constitutes a leap.[3]

He's against people thinking about religion all day without ever doing anything. But he's also against external shows and opinions about religion and in favor of the internal movement of faith.[4]

He says, "where Christianity wants to have inwardness, worldly Christendom wants outwardness, and where Christianity wants outwardness, worldly Christendom wants inwardness."[5]

But, on the other hand, he also says, "The less externality the more inwardness if it is truly there; but it is also the case that the less externality, the greater the possibility that the inwardness will entirely fail to come.

The externality is the watchman who awakens the sleeper; the externality is the solicitous mother who calls one; the externality is the roll call that brings the soldier to his feet; the externality is the reveille that helps one to make the great effort; but the absence of the externality can mean that the inwardness itself calls inwardly to a person-alas, but it can also mean that the inwardness will fail to come."[6]


Source: Wikipedia.org



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