Carmelo Domenic Licciardello (January 19, 1956 – February 16, 2021), known by his stage name Carman, was an American

contemporary Christian music Contemporary Christian music, also known as CCM, Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and ...

singer, songwriter, television host and evangelist. He was nominated for four

Grammys The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

, and sold over 10 million records. Carman's album '' Mission 3:16'' (1998) peaked at number 94 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. His album '' No Plan B'' (2014) peaked at number 66 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and at number 3 on the

Top Christian Albums Top Christian Albums is a weekly chart published in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the best-performing Christian albums in the United States. Like the ''Billboard'' 200, the data is compiled by Nielsen Soundscan based on each album's weekly ...

charts. In addition to music, Carman was a frequent host on the

Trinity Broadcasting Network The Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) is an international Christian-based broadcast television network and the world's largest religious television network. TBN was headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, until March 3, 2017, when it sold its ...

, most notably its flagship program '' Praise the Lord''

Early life and conversion

Italian American Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan area ...

, Carman was born in

Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the capital city, capital city (New Jersey), city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County, New Jersey, Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.

. As a child he performed in his mother's band. Carman played the drums at the age of 5, learned to play the guitar by the age of 15 and started singing at age 16. As a teen, he found some success performing at casinos in

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...

. While attending an

Andraé Crouch Andraé Edward Crouch (July 1, 1942 – January 8, 2015) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, record producer and pastor. Referred to as "the father of modern gospel music" by contemporary Christian and gospel music profess ...

concert, Carman became a born again

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

, and embraced

evangelical Christianity Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...

Music and television career

In 1980, Carman made a custom album titled ''God's Not Finished with Me''. In 1981, he was invited by Bill Gaither to tour with the

Bill Gaither Trio The Bill Gaither Trio, originally simply The Gaither Trio, was an American gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the defi ...

. After relocating to

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma and List of United States cities by population, 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

, Carman released a moderately successful eponymous debut album. ''Carman'' was later issued as ''Some-o-Dat'' in 1982. The album mostly contained

novelty song A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs, which are more explicitly based on humor, and wi ...

s. With the release of his next album, ''Sunday's on the Way'' in 1983, Carman experienced a string of

chart successes beginning with the title song. As he continued his music career, he established the

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

Carman Ministries. After the release of ''The Champion'' in 1985, Carman achieved his first number one song, by the same name. His first number one album on the Christian charts, ''Revival in the Land'', followed in 1989. Between 1987 and 1989, Carman was named Readers' Choice for Favorite Male Vocalist by ''

Charisma Charisma () is a personal quality of presence or charm that compels its subjects. Scholars in sociology, political science, psychology, and management reserve the term for a type of leadership seen as extraordinary; in these fields, the term "ch ...

'' magazine. In 1990 and 1992, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' named him the Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year. In 1995, he translated some of his songs, and released his first Spanish-language album, ''Lo Mejor''. ''Heart of a Champion'', a thirty-song

retrospective A retrospective (from Latin ''retrospectare'', "look back"), generally, is a look back at events that took place, or works that were produced, in the past. As a noun, ''retrospective'' has specific meanings in medicine, software development, popu ...

was released in 2000. Carman was nominated for four

, and sold over 10 million records. It is believed he holds the

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book '' Guinness World Records'' and other world records organizati ...

for the largest single Christian concert in history. In August 1993, with more than 50,000 in attendance, Carman was the main act in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...

, South Africa. The following year he performed a free concert at Texas Stadium October 22, 1994, with 71,132 attendees. Another concert had 80,000 in

Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, it also extends into Marion County, Tennessee, Marion County on its west ...

. Beyond his music career, Carman participated in various television productions and interview duties as a host, for both the

and its flagship program '' Praise the Lord''. In 2001, he starred in the film ''Carman: The Champion''. In late March 2013, Carman announced a

Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, K ...

campaign for a new album and

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devi ...

. A short time later, he announced an upcoming sixty-city tour, noting that the online fundraising campaign had raised more than $230,000 within several weeks. Carman's musical style has been described by ''

Relevant Relevant is something directly related, connected or pertinent to a topic; it may also mean something that is current. Relevant may also refer to: * Relevant operator, a concept in physics, see renormalization group * Relevant, Ain, a commune ...

'' magazine as "operatic, story-driven songs that often centered around cosmic battles between God and Satan, similar to Frank Peretti by way of

Meatloaf Meatloaf is a dish of ground meat that has been combined with other ingredients and formed into the shape of a loaf, then baked or smoked. The final shape is either hand-formed on a baking tray, or pan-formed by cooking it in a loaf pan. It ...

Personal life and health

In November 2011, Carman was the passenger in a car that was struck by a truck from oncoming traffic. The accident took place just outside the church where his appearance was scheduled. He performed the concert, but collapsed afterward and required surgery to repair internal injuries. Carman began battling

multiple myeloma Multiple myeloma (MM), also known as plasma cell myeloma and simply myeloma, is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that normally produces antibodies. Often, no symptoms are noticed initially. As it progresses, bone pain, ane ...

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bl ...

in 2013, and was given a prognosis of three to four years to live. By early 2014, he said medical tests indicated his body was free of cancer. He then continued preparing for his ''Live Across America'' album and tour. When the cancer went into remission, Carman attributed his healing to the faith of his fans. He pledged to his Facebook and Kickstarter supporters to begin his "No Plan B Tour" as soon as he regained his health. Later that year he toured the eastern United States. In December 2017, at the age of 61, Carman married Dana Morrow. His new family included six stepchildren and nine step-grandchildren. Carman filed for divorce in 2018, which was settled in 2019. In January 2020, Carman announced his cancer had returned. He resumed live concert church tours in June 2020.

Death

Carman died on February 16, 2021 (28 days after his 65th birthday) in a

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish language, Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the List of United States cities by population, 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the U.S. state, state of Neva ...

hospital, after a series of complications resulting from surgery to repair a

hiatal hernia A hiatal hernia or hiatus hernia is a type of hernia in which abdominal organs (typically the stomach) slip through the diaphragm into the middle compartment of the chest. This may result in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or lary ...

. He was survived by his ex-wife, six stepchildren and nine step-grandchildren.

Discography and filmography

Source(s): Selected list * ''God's Not Finished with Me'' (1980) * ''Some-o-Dat'' aka ''Carman'' (1982) * ''Sunday's on the Way'' (1983) * ''Comin' On Strong'' (1984) * ''The Champion'' (1985) * ''A Long Time Ago...in a Land Called Bethlehem'' (1986) * ''Carman Live: Radically Saved'' (1988) * ''Revival in the Land'' (1989) * ''Shakin' the House Live'' (1991) * ''Addicted to Jesus'' (1991) * ''Yo Kidz! Heroes, Stories, and Songs from the Bible'' (1992) * ''Yo Kidz! Lawrence the Kat and the B. Attitudes'' (1993) * ''The Standard'' (1993) * ''Yo Kidz! Vol. 2: The Armor of God'' (1994) * ''Lo Mejor'' (1995) * ''Christmas with Carman'' (1995) * ''R.I.O.T. (Righteous Invasion of Truth)'' (1995) * ''Yo Kidz! Lawrence the Kat and the Bible'' (1996) * ''I Surrender All: 30 Classic Hymns'' (1997) * '' Mission 3:16'' (1998) * ''Passion for Praise Vol. 1'' (1999) * ''Heart of a Champion'' (2000) * ''House of Praise'' (2002) * ''Instrument of Praise'' (2007) * '' No Plan B'' (2014) * ''Legacy'' (2017)

Awards and nominations

Carman was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2018.

References

External links

* *
Carman Licciardello
at Find a Grave {{DEFAULTSORT:Carman 1956 births 2021 deaths 20th-century American singers 20th-century Christians 21st-century American singers 21st-century Christians American evangelicals American performers of Christian music American male rappers People with multiple myeloma Christian music songwriters Musicians from Trenton, New Jersey Musicians from Nashville, Tennessee American people of Italian descent 21st-century American rappers 20th-century American male singers 21st-century American male singers