Casting Crowns

Casting Crowns is a Grammy Award and Dove Award winning Christian band that employs a soft rock music style. The band was created in 1999 by youth pastor Mark Hall at First Baptist Church in Downtown Daytona Beach, Florida as part of a youth group. He also serves as a lead vocalist. Later they moved to McDonough, 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 McDonough, Georgia.

History

Christian pop 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 McDonough, 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. One of the albums found its way into the hands of 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, and 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, 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. Lifesong followed in 2005, debuting at #9 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart. Both albums have been certified Platinum. The band's third studio album The Altar and the Door debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart and #1 on the Hot Christian Albums chart upon its release in August 2007. Ten weeks after it came out it was certified Gold. The band's live albums Live from Atlanta (2004) and Lifesong Live (2006) have also earned Platinum certifications. The Altar and the Door Live, the live version of The Altar and the Door, has been certified Gold.

Casting Crowns has enjoyed tremendous success in the United States. They have released nine singles to date with seven of them becoming consecutive number one hits on various Christian music charts. "Voice of Truth" spent a record-breaking fourteen consecutive weeks at #1 beginning in 2003. "Lifesong" spent nine weeks in the top spot, with "Praise You in This Storm" remaining at #1 for seven weeks. Casting Crowns broke their own record in 2007 when the single "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.

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.

In early 2009, drummer Andy Williams left to pursue a further calling with blessings from the band. The very bald drummer was replaced with Brian Scoggin and his red locks of hair, an irony Mark mentions on tour.

Mark Hall recently announced that their fourth studio album will be called Until the Whole World Hears. It will be released November 2009.. On August 30, 2009 Casting Crowns performed on Huckabee, Mike Huckabee's political show.

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."

Several 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.

Casting Crowns was of the only US 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.

Members

CURRENT MEMBERS

Mark Hall ? lead vocals
Melodee Devevo ? violin, female vocalist
Juan Devevo ? acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Brian Scoggin ? drums
Hector Cervantes ? electric guitar
Chris Huffman ? bass
Megan Garrett ? piano, keyboards, backing vocals

FORMER MEMBERS

Andy Williams - drums

Chart Performance

Studio Albums - Billboard (North America)

Year
Album
Peak Chart Positions
RIAA Certification
Christian Albums1
Billboard 200 Albums
2003
Casting Crowns
2
59
Platinum
2005
Lifesong
1
9
Platinum
2007
The Altar and the Door
1
2
Gold
2008
Peace on Earth
1
24
-
2009
Until the Whole World Hears
TBR
TBR
TBR

Live Albums - Billboard (North America)

Year
Album
Peak Chart Positions
RIAA Certification
Christian Albums1
Billboard 200 Albums
2004
Live from Atlanta
16
-
Platinum
2006
Lifesong Live
16
-
Platinum
2008
The Altar and the Door Live
6
114
Gold

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year
Song
Peak Chart Positions
Album
Christian Songs2
Hot Christian AC3
2003
"If We Are the Body"4
3
3
Casting Crowns
2003
"Who Am I?"
1
1
2003
"Voice of Truth"
1
1
2005
"Lifesong"
1
1
Lifesong
2005
"Praise You in This Storm"
1
1
2006
"Does Anybody Hear Her?"
1
1
2007
"East to West"
1
1
The Altar and the Door
2007
"Every Man"
2
3
2008
"Slow Fade"
5
7
2009
"Until the Whole World Hears"5
10
Until the Whole World Hears

Other Charting Songs - Billboard (North America)

Year
Song
Peak Chart Positions
Album
Christian Songs2
Hot Christian AC3
2008
"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"
3
1
Peace On Earth
2008
"While You Were Sleeping"
8
4

1 Billboard's "Top Christian Albums" chart became the "Christian Albums" chart in June 2009.

2 Billboard's "Hot Christian Songs" chart became the "Christian Songs" chart in June 2009.

3 Billboard's "Hot Christian AC" chart was discontinued in June 2009.

4 Reached #1 on other legitimate radio charts.

5 Currently active on the charts.

Additional Chart Achievements

Albums

Casting Crowns spent 104 weeks on the Top Christian Albums chart.
Casting Crowns spent 88 weeks on the Billboard 200 Albums chart.
Lifesong spent 104 weeks on the Top Christian Albums chart.
Lifesong spent 75 weeks on the Billboard 200 Albums chart.
The Altar and the Door spent 78 weeks on the Top Christian Albums chart.
The Altar and the Door spent 76 weeks on the Billboard 200 Albums chart.
The Altar and the Door debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart, the highest debut ever for a Christian artist without crossover promotion.

Songs

"Who Am I?" spent 6 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart.
"Who Am I?" spent 3 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian AC chart.
"Voice of Truth" spent a record-breaking 14 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart.
"Voice of Truth" spent a record-breaking 14 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian AC chart.
"Voice of Truth" reached #1 on both the Hot Christian Songs and Hot Christian AC charts after only 5 weeks.
"Lifesong" spent 10 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart.
"Lifesong" spent 8 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian AC chart.
"Lifesong" debuted at #18 during its first week on the Hot Christian AC chart.
"Lifesong" reached #1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart after only 7 weeks.
"Praise You in This Storm" spent 7 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart.
"Praise You in This Storm" spent 5 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian AC chart.
"Does Anybody Hear Her?" spent 6 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart.
"Does Anybody Hear Her?" spent 7 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian AC chart.
"East to West" spent a record-breaking 19 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart.
"East to West" spent 12 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian AC chart.
"East to West" debuted at #15 during its first week on the Hot Christian Songs chart.
"East to West" reached #1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart after only 7 weeks.
"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" debuted at #13 during its first week on the Hot Christian Songs chart.
"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" reached #1 on the Hot Christian AC chart after only 4 weeks.

Music Videos

American Dream from the album Casting Crowns
Does Anybody Hear Her from the album Lifesong
Slow Fade from the album The Altar and the Door

Books

Lifestories by Mark Hall
Your Own Jesus by Mark Hall

Producers/Executive Producers

Steven Curtis Chapman - Producer for album Casting Crowns
Mark A. Miller - Producer for album Casting Crowns, Lifesong, The Altar and the Door
Terry Hemmings - Executive Producer for album Lifesong, The Altar and the Door

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Original Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casting Crowns