4Him was a
contemporary Christian
Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...
group founded in 1990 in
Mobile, Alabama, US. The group has ten
Dove awards
A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Award ...
, a
Grammy nomination and three certified gold albums to their credit. The group was inducted into Alabama's Music Hall of Fame, following the awarding of The Governor’s Achievement Award. The group has also been featured performers for popular Christian Evangelist crusaders,
Billy Graham
William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally in the late 1940s. He was a prominent evangelical Christi ...
and
Luis Palau
Luis is a given name. It is the Spanish form of the originally Germanic name or . Other Iberian Romance languages have comparable forms: (with an accent mark on the i) in Portuguese and Galician, in Aragonese and Catalan, while is archai ...
.
4Him disbanded in 2006 to pursue individual careers of ministry and music. They have released 12 studio albums which have produced 27 number one singles.
The group has made sporadic reunion appearances since 2009.
History
Andy Chrisman
Andy Chrisman is a former member of the American contemporary Christian music group 4Him, a solo Christian music recording artist and a worship leader.
Background
Chrisman originally met the other 4Him members when they sang together in Truth, ...
,
Mark Harris, Marty Magehee, and Kirk Sullivan originally met when they sang together in
Truth
Truth is the property of being in accord with fact or reality.Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionarytruth 2005 In everyday language, truth is typically ascribed to things that aim to represent reality or otherwise correspond to it, such as belie ...
, a
Contemporary Christian
Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...
vocal group founded in the late 1960s and directed by
Roger Breland. Truth had a rotating roster of four male and four female vocalists. After three representatives from
Benson Records
Benson Records was founded by Bob Benson and John T. Benson, who formed the John T. Benson Music Publishing Company in 1902. The record label started out as Heart Warming Records, creating house labels such as Impact Records, Greentree Records, R ...
attended several Truth concerts in the late 1980s during which Andy, Mark, Marty, and Kirk performed, Benson approached the quartet saying that they wanted to use the guys to create a new male four-member vocal group under the Benson label. "Where There Is Faith", their first single, stayed at No. 1 on the charts for eight weeks, two months before 4Him left Truth. Releasing their self-titled debut in 1990, they blended the traditions of
Christian music
Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely aroun ...
's past, with modern pop production and practical lyrics.
In 1996, with the release of ''The Message'', 4Him changed their overall sound in an effort to keep pushing the creative limits of the group. The guys replaced the over-the-top orchestrations and choral vocal arrangements with a stripped down, acoustic band approach where one of the guys would sing lead and the other three would sing backing vocals. On 1998’s ''Obvious'', each member took more ownership of their music – becoming more involved in the production and songwriting aspects.
By 2004, all four of the guys reevaluated the future of the ministry. After close to seventeen years together, the members of 4Him decided to embark on solo careers. On September 23, 2006, they performed their final concert at Cottage Hill Baptist Church in
Mobile, AL
Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth-most-populous city in Alabama, ...
, the city where 4Him’s 17-year journey first started. At that concert, various individuals (including family members, record producers, management, and Truth founder Roger Breland) were recognized for their contributions to 4Him’s ministry.
After disbandment
Andy Chrisman
Andy Chrisman released his freshman solo effort ''One'' in 2004, and is worship pastor at
Church on the Move, in
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
. In 2008, he, along with the Church on the Move Praise Band, released ''Beautiful Name'', a live worship CD.
Mark Harris
In 2005, Mark Harris released ''The Line Between the Two''. In 2007, Harris won a GMA Dove Award in the category of Inspirational Song of the Year for "Find Your Wings". On September 25, 2007, he released his second album ''Windows and Walls'' on INO Records. On October 13, 2011, Harris released his third album ''Stronger In The Broken Places'' on Stylos Records. In 2012, Harris’ song, "When We're Together" was featured in the film, ''
Courageous''. Until mid-2013, he served as artist-in-residence and worship pastor at Bay Community Church outside Mobile, Alabama. He currently serves as executive worship pastor at
Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas.
Kirk Sullivan
In 2010, Kirk Sullivan released his independent solo release ''Timeless'' on his website. ''Timeless'' contains "Get Down Mountain" (previously featured on the ''Encore'' album), a new reworked arrangement of his trademark song "The Basics of Life", and a bonus track of a song recorded when he was twelve years old.
Marty Magehee
In 2008, Marty Magehee released his independent solo release, ''Open'', on his website. The first single, "Eyes Wide Open", was released to Christian radio in May 2008. The album also included the song "Runaway Train", which appeared on 4Him's final CD, ''Encore''. He is also producing albums for other artists. In 2011, Magehee is on the faculty of
Valor Christian High School
Valor Christian High School is a private, Christian high school in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, United States. The school colors are Navy blue, Columbia blue, and white, and the school nickname is ''The Eagles''. Valor has four major focuses: Academi ...
in
Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Highlands Ranch is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Douglas County, Colorado, United States. The CDP is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The po ...
, teaching courses in Worship Band, Studio Recording, Beats and Loops, and Songwriting.
Reunions
After nearly five years apart, the quartet made their first reunion on the
K-Love Friends and Family Cruise in January 2009. A one-off concert in West Monroe, Louisiana took place in March, and another reunion happened on Kathy Troccoli's "KT and Friends Cruise" to Alaska in June 2010. In early 2013, they performed several concerts on a tour dubbed "With One Voice" together with the group Avalon and solo Christian singer songwriter Cindy Morgan. In September 2015, they performed an 11-city 25th anniversary tour.
Discography
*1990: ''4Him''
*1991: ''Face the Nation''
*1992: ''The Basics of Life''
*1993: ''
The Season of Love'' (Christmas)
*1994: ''
The Ride''
*1996: ''The Message''
*1998: ''Obvious''
*2000: ''Hymns: A Place of Worship''
*2001: ''Walk On''
*2003: ''Visible''
*2006: ''Encore... For Future Generations''
Compilations
*1999: ''Best Ones''
*2001: ''Chapter One... A Decade''
*2004: ''Simply 4Him''
*2015: ''XXV (1990–2015)''
Other album appearances
*1990: ''Jesus - The Best Gift of All'' (various artists), "The Best Gift of All"
*1992: ''Master Pieces'' (various artists), "Turn Your Radio On"
*1993: ''The New Young Messiah'' (various artists), "The Trumpet Shall Sound"
*1993: ''Chain of Grace'',
Dallas Holm
Dallas Holm (born November 5, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter of Christian music, whose musical ministry has spanned almost four decades. His 1977 live album, with the group Praise, featured his best known song, "Rise Again".
The group ...
(background vocals), "Chain of Grace", "Nothing Satisfies Me Like Jesus"
*1993: ''Faith Hope & Love'',
Mylon LeFevre
Mylon R. LeFevre (born October 6, 1944) is an American Christian rock singer best known for his work with his band Mylon and Broken Heart. He is a member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. He travels around the United States, ministering, teach ...
, "Give Thanks"
*1995: ''Hymns & Voices'', various artists "
All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name
"All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" is a Christian hymn.
The hymn has been called the "National Anthem of Christendom". The lyrics, written by Edward Perronet, first appeared in the November, 1779 issue of the '' Gospel Magazine'', which was ed ...
"
*1995: ''
My Utmost for His Highest'' (various artists), "You Are Holy"
*1997: ''
Love and Mercy
"Love and Mercy" is a song by American musician Brian Wilson and the opening track from his 1988 album '' Brian Wilson''. Co-produced by Russ Titelman, the song was released as a single on July 1, 1988, but failed to chart. Psychologist Eugene ...
'',
Kathy Troccoli
Kathy is a feminine given name. It is a pet form of Katherine, Kathleen and their related forms. Kathy may refer to:
In sports
* Kathy Bald, Canadian freestyle swimmer
* Kathy May, American tennis player
*Kathy Radzuweit, German volleyball playe ...
, "Love One Another"
*1999: ''
Streams'' (various artists), "The Only Thing I Need" (which included vocals by
Jon Anderson of
Yes)
*1999: ''Bridges'' (various), "It's Gonna Rain", featuring
The Canton Spirituals
The Canton Spirituals are an American gospel recording group founded in Canton, Mississippi in 1943.
Background
The original Canton Spirituals from 1943 were Reverend Arthur Lee Jackson Sr., Reverend I.S. Watkins, Claude Nichols, Warren G. ...
*2000: ''Pure Hymns: The
John Tesh
John Frank Tesh (born July 9, 1952) is an American pianist and composer of pop music, as well as a radio host and television presenter. He hosts the ''Intelligence for Your Life'' radio show. In addition, since 2014, he has hosted ''Intelligen ...
Project'', featured on "
How Great Thou Art
"How Great Thou Art" is a Christian hymn based on an original Swedish hymn entitled "" written in 1885 by Carl Boberg (1859–1940). The English version of the hymn and its title are a loose translation by the English missionary Stuart K. Hine ...
"
*2000: ''Hope Changes Everything'' (various artists), "Broken"
*2003: ''
WOW Worship: Yellow'' (various artists), "Thy Word"
Video
*1991: ''Face the Nation''
*1993: ''The Basics of Life''
*1995: ''The Ride Comes Alive''
*1996: ''The Message in the Making''
*2006: ''Encore'' (from the Encore Farewell Tour, recorded at
Sherwood Baptist Church
Sherwood Baptist Church is a Baptist church located in Albany, Georgia. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.
History
Sherwood Baptist Church began meetings in the US Army Reserve building in 1955, now First Baptist Church Mis ...
in
Albany, Georgia
Albany ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia. Located on the Flint River, it is the seat of Dougherty County, and is the sole incorporated city in that county. Located in southwest Georgia, it is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia m ...
)
Awards and nominations
Grammys
*1997:
Grammy nomination – Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album for ''The Message''
GMA Dove Awards
*1991: New Artist of the Year
*
1993
File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peacefu ...
: Group of the Year
*1993: Inspiration Album of the Year for ''Generation to Generation''
*
1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson ...
: Group of the Year
*1994: Inspirational Album of the Year For ''The Season of Love''
*1995: Group of the Year
*1998: Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year for "Center of the Mark"
*2003: Nomination for Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year
Other awards
*1990: CRR (Christian Research Report) Reporter Poll – Best New Artist
*1991: CRR (Christian Research Report) – Best Group
*1992: CRR (Christian Research Report) – Best Group
*1993: CBA Impact Award – Total Promotional Campaign, Music: ''The Basics of Life''
*1994: CCM Magazine – Song of the Year: "For Future Generations"
*1995: American Songwriter – Christian Artist of the Year
*1996: CCM Readers' Poll – Favorite Long Form Video: ''The Ride Comes Alive''
Other honors
*RIAA Certified Gold Album – ''The Basics of Life'' (1996)
*Featured performers with the
Luis Palau
Luis is a given name. It is the Spanish form of the originally Germanic name or . Other Iberian Romance languages have comparable forms: (with an accent mark on the i) in Portuguese and Galician, in Aragonese and Catalan, while is archai ...
crusade and the
Billy Graham
William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally in the late 1940s. He was a prominent evangelical Christi ...
crusade
*Performed at "Sold Out 1998"
Promise Keepers
Promise Keepers is an Evangelical Christian parachurch organization for men. It originated in the United States, but independent branches have also been established in Canada and New Zealand.
Promise Keepers describes its goal as "to bring abo ...
conference the day before the Super Bowl
*Co-host of the 1998 NCCAA (
National Christian College Athletic Association
The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) is an association of Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada whose mission is "the promotion and enhancement of intercollegiate athletic ...
)
Bobby Clampett
Robert Daniel Clampett Jr. (born April 22, 1960) is an American television golf analyst, golf course architect, writer, and professional golfer, who played on the PGA Tour from 1980 to 1995. Clampett began playing on the Champions Tour in April ...
/4Him Pro-Am Classic
Golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping ...
Tournament, and have co-hosted every year since
*The song "Ride of Life" was featured in chiptune form on a
NES
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...
game by
Wisdom Tree
Wisdom Tree, Inc. is an American developer of Christian video games. Originally founded in 1988 as Color Dreams, one of the first companies to work around Nintendo's lockout chip technology for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the company cha ...
, on a cartridge which included their game ''
Sunday Funday Sunday Funday may refer to:
* ''Sunday Funday'' (TV program), a Philippine variety show
*Sunday Funday (block)
Fox Sunday Night is the former branding of the Sunday night primetime lineup on the Fox network, which featured a mix of animated and ...
''
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:4him
American Christian musical groups
Musical groups established in 1990
Musical groups disestablished in 2006
Musical groups from Alabama
Promise Keepers
1990 establishments in Alabama