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Morgan Cryar is a
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 s ...
vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Louisiana. He is especially noted for his creative lyric-writing.The Official Website of Morgan Cryar.
Retrieved November 8, 2007.
CrossRhythms: Review of ''Kingdom Upside Down''.
Retrieved Nov 8, 2007.
Cryar's debut, ''Keep No Secrets'', was released in 1984, and its singles "Holy Fire" and "Carried Away" received moderate airplay on Christian radio; but it was his 1986 album, ''Fuel on the Fire,'' featuring the chart-topping contemporary Christian single (also nominated for a
Dove Award 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 Awards ...
for best video), "Pray in the U.S.A.", that began his road to success.Price, Deborah Evans. "'They're playing my song': "Pray in the U.S.A.". Billboard May 2, 1998: 37. Collaborating with producer Roy Salmond and composers
Ty Tabor Ty Tabor ( ; born September 17, 1961) is the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-lead vocalist for the progressive metal band, King's X. Tabor has a wide-ranging guitar style, from big guitar riffs to middling melodic passages. His use of volum ...
and
Doug Pinnick Douglas Theodore Pinnick (born September 3, 1950), sometimes stylized as dUg Pinnick or simply dUg, is an American musician best known as the bass guitarist, co-lead vocalist, and songwriter for the hard rock and progressive metal band King's ...
(later of
King's X King's X is an American rock band that originated in 1979 in Springfield, Missouri. They were first called The Edge and later became Sneak Preview before settling on its current name in 1985. The band's current lineup has remained intact for m ...
fame) and well-regarded CCM session player, John Andrew Schreiner, ''Fuel on the Fire'' contains some "foot-tapping ditties" and "tuneful ballads" that make up Mr. Cryar's vocal performance. In the 1980s, Cryar toured with big names in the CCM industry, such as
Petra Petra ( ar, ٱلْبَتْرَاء, Al-Batrāʾ; grc, Πέτρα, "Rock", Nabataean Aramaic, Nabataean: ), originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu or Raqēmō, is an historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. It is adjacent to t ...
and
DeGarmo and Key DeGarmo & Key was a Christian rock band/duo formed in 1977 by Eddie DeGarmo and Dana Key. The group is notable for having the first Christian rock album nominated for a Grammy award and the first American Christian group to have a video entered ...
, promoting ''Fuel on the Fire'' and his 1989 follow up ''Like A River'' to receptive high school and college-age audiences. Cryar's level of recognition early on in his career paved the way for his fourth album, ''Kingdom Upside Down'' (1990), to reach No. 27 on the
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 advertise ...
Christian charts, despite its criticism as a "pleasantly forgettable album", and for its single, "Father", to hit number one on the Christian radio charts. Allmusic.com: The Awards and Charts of Morgan Cryar.Retrieved Nov 8, 2007 Additionally in the 1990s, he had a No. 1 Christian radio hit with "If I Never See a Miracle" from 1995's ''Love Over Gold'', and the single, "What Sin?" from the same album had its own moderate success on Christian radio. Years after its first release, his song, "See You On the Other Side", gained a special meaning when it was included in a multi-media presentation following the
Oklahoma City bombing The Oklahoma City bombing was a domestic terrorist truck bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, on April 19, 1995. Perpetrated by two anti-government extremists, Timothy McVeigh and Terry N ...
of 1995 and subsequently played on mainstream radio stations across the nation; however, that wasn't Cryar's only song to have a second life. In 1998, the hit, "Pray in the U.S.A." was also resurrected from Cryar's back-catalog with a new recording and video shot in honor of the
National Day of Prayer The National Day of Prayer is an annual day of observance held on the first Thursday of May, designated by the United States Congress, when people are asked "to turn to God in prayer and meditation". The president is required by law () to sign a ...
. The reprise features an all-star chorus, including CCM industry "well-knowns":
John Schlitt John William Schlitt (born February 3, 1950) is an American singer, who was the lead singer of Christian rock band Petra from 1986 until the band's retirement in early 2006. Prior to joining Petra in 1986, Schlitt was the lead vocalist for Head ...
,
Bob Hartman Robert "Bob" Hartman (born December 26, 1949) is a Christian artist, guitarist, writer and songwriter. He is the founder of Christian rock band Petra. Hartman was involved with the band from its foundation in 1972 to its end in 2005. He took ...
,
LuLu Roman Lulu Roman (born Bertha Louise Hable on May 6, 1946) is an American comedian, singer, and author. She is known as a regular on the comedy-music show ''Hee Haw'', which debuted in 1969. Roman was born with a thyroid dysfunction in a home for un ...
, members from the
Winans family The Winans family is a U.S. family of gospel music artists from Detroit, Detroit, Michigan. Family members * Pop Winans, David "Pop" Winans Sr. (father; b. April 20, 1934 – d. April 8, 2009) * Delores "Mom" Winans (mother; b. September 22, ...
,
Rick Cua Rick Cua (born December 3, 1948) is an American Christian rock singer, songwriter, bassist, author and ordained minister. He is a former member of the Southern rock band, Outlaws, whom he joined in 1980, but left in 1983 to pursue a full-time ca ...
,
Kenny Marks Kenneth Michael Marks (November 6, 1950 – October 31, 2018) was an American Christian singer. Early life and education Marks' father Mirko “Michael” Mrakovic and mother Ljubica “Lucy” Vukic came from Yugoslavia. His parents changed t ...
,
Lisa Bevill Lisa Bevill (born June 24, 1961) is an American contemporary Christian musician. Bevill has released five albums: ''My Freedom'' (1992), ''All Because of You'' (1994), ''Love of Heaven'' (1996), ''Lisa Bevill'' (2000) and ''When the Healing Come ...
, Randy Thomas and
Andy Denton Andy may refer to: People * Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds * Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and pi ...
. In the 2000s, Cryar used his experience on stage to energize a career behind the scenes as a record producer, mostly for independent artists, using his own label, Premier Records. He also was part of Christian Music Workshops, teaching songwriting, music business, and stage presence. As of 2007, Cryar was CEO of Singing Success, Inc. and resided in
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
with his wife and their seven children. From 2005 - 2007, Cryar was CEO of Brett Manning's Singing Success, Inc. He currently resides in Nashville, TN with his wife and their seven children. Two of his children, daughters Callie and Phoebe, are also musicians. They play instruments and sing in the band
The Vespers The Vespers are an Americana band from Nashville, Tennessee. The band is made up of two brothers, Taylor and Bruno Jones, and two sisters, Callie and Phoebe Cryar. Bruno plays upright bass, guitar, a little banjo, ukulele, and mandolin. Taylo ...
.Bialas, Michae
The Vespers Are on the Verge of Breaking Through The Fourth Wall
The Huffington Post. Retrieved January 11, 2013.


References


External links

*
CrossRhythms.co.uk: Morgan Cryar Artist Profile & Discography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cryar, Morgan American performers of Christian music Christian music songwriters Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) American record producers