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MercyMe is 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 Christianity, Christi ...
band founded in
Edmond, Oklahoma Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area in the central part of the state. The population was 94,428 according to the 2020 United States Census, making it the fifth largest c ...
. The band consists of lead vocalist
Bart Millard Bart Marshall Millard (born December 1, 1972) is an American singer and songwriter who is best known as the leader of the band MercyMe. He has also released two solo albums: '' Hymned, No. 1'', in 2005 and '' Hymned Again'' in 2008. He received a ...
, percussionist Robby Shaffer, bassist Nathan Cochran and guitarists Michael Scheuchzer and Barry Graul. The band formed in 1994 and released six independent albums before signing with INO Records in 2001. The group first gained mainstream recognition with the crossover single " I Can Only Imagine", which elevated their debut album, '' Almost There'', to triple platinum certification. Since then, the group has released eight additional studio albums (six of which have been certified gold) and a greatest hits album, '' 10''. The group has also had 13 consecutive top 5 singles 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 adverti ...
'' Christian Songs chart, with 7 of them reaching No. 1. MercyMe has won 8 Dove Awards and has had many Grammy Award nominations. On April 8, 2014, the band released its eighth studio album titled ''Welcome to the New''. Their ninth studio album, ''Lifer'', was released on March 31, 2017, and tenth, ''Inhale (Exhale)'', was released on April 30, 2021.


History


Formation and early years

Singer Bart Millard met pianist James Phillip Bryson in
Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay area, Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa, Florida, Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,6 ...
, after an invitation from his youth pastor. Both led a praise team on a trip to Europe. They both felt a call to work full-time in music. They later met the guitarist Michael John Scheuchzer, who joined them, then moved to
Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...
. The group was officially formed in 1994 in Henderson Hills Baptist Church in
Edmond, Oklahoma Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area in the central part of the state. The population was 94,428 according to the 2020 United States Census, making it the fifth largest c ...
. In 1997, MercyMe moved to
Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and th ...
to find a record label. After a year, they left Nashville for
Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
and recorded an album. Then they settled in Greenville, Texas, and served at Highland Terrace Baptist Church. The trio set up a studio and a "living area" in an old abandoned day-care center. Bassist Nathan Cochran and drummer Robby Shaffer later joined the band, accompanying the band in releasing six independent projects before signing with INO Records in 2001. Unlike their first three major label albums, their earlier indie projects tended to orient more towards rock rhythms. The group's name, "MercyMe", originated during Millard's time as a youth ministry intern in Florida. Concerned that her grandson was home whenever she called, Millard's grandmother would exclaim, "Well mercy me, why don't you get a real job?" For several years, the band was a mainstay at the popular PlanetWisdom youth conference. The popularity of “I Can Only Imagine” and their meteoric rise led to their no longer leading worship at the conference.


''Almost There'', ''Spoken For'' and ''Undone'' (2001–2004)

After signing with INO Records, the band released its first major debut album, '' Almost There''. The single " I Can Only Imagine" earned the band 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 Awar ...
in 2002 for song of the year. However, it was not until three years after its release that the song began to gain mainstream success, topping the ''Billboard'' 200 sales chart for seven weeks, and peaking at No. 71 on the
Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
, No. 33 on the
Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the U ...
, No. 27 on the Adult Top 40, No. 5 on the
Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
, and No. 52 on the Country Songs charts. The success of the single ultimately propelled ''Almost There'' to being certified double platinum, representing sales of over 2 million albums, as well as the single itself being certified platinum. In 2002, MercyMe released ''
Spoken For ''Spoken For'' is the second studio album by Christian rock band MercyMe. Produce by Pete Kipley, the album was released on October 1, 2002, by INO Records. The album's production, which followed the success of "I Can Only Imagine" on Christian ...
'', which peaked at No. 2 on the Christian Albums chart. The album's two singles, "Spoken For" and "Word of God Speak", went on to peak at No. 1 on Christian radio charts, with "Word of God Speak" spending a record 22 weeks atop the newly created ''Billboard'' Christian Songs chart. The album was eventually certified gold by the RIAA. ''Spoken For'' earned the band three Dove Awards, but was to a certain extent overlooked by the attention that "I Can Only Imagine" was receiving in the mainstream markets at the time. In 2003, guitarist Barry Graul, who had previously been with the Christian hard rock band Whitecross, joined MercyMe, giving MercyMe a second guitarist to provide greater depth on their third studio album, '' Undone''. In 2004, the band headlined the "Imagine Tour" with fellow artists Amy Grant and Bebo Norman. In addition to headlining the "Imagine Tour", MercyMe released their third major label album, '' Undone'', which peaked at No. 12 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and No. 1 on the Christian Albums charts, their highest debut on the chart at that point. The album spawned three successful singles – " Here With Me" (which topped the Christian Songs chart as well as reaching No. 12 on the Adult Contemporary chart and No. 38 on the Adult Top 40 chart), "Homesick" (which reached No. 3 on the Christian Songs chart and No. 9 on the Adult Contemporary charts), and " In the Blink of an Eye" (which topped the Christian Songs chart). The album itself won 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 Awar ...
for Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year at the 36th GMA Dove Awards, and was certified gold by the RIAA. MercyMe also released a live video album, ''MercyMe Live'', in 2004, which eventually was certified platinum by the RIAA.


''The Christmas Sessions'' and ''Coming Up to Breathe'' (2005–2006)

In 2005, MercyMe launched a tour with Jeremy Camp, The Afters and Monk and Neagle in support of their album, '' Undone''. After releasing ''Undone'' in 2004, the band took a time to rest before their next big release, so they decided to work on a Christmas record. '' The Christmas Sessions'' was recorded and was released on September 27, 2005. The album spawned seven songs which hit the top 40 on the Christian Songs chart (with one hitting No. 1 and two others reaching the top ten), and four of these charted in the top 40 of the Adult Contemporary chart (with one peaking in the top 10). The album itself peaked at No. 64 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and No. 3 on the Christian Songs chart. To promote ''The Christmas Sessions'', MercyMe had a Christmas tour with Steven Curtis Chapman, who also released a Christmas album that year titled '' All I Really Want for Christmas''. In 2006, MercyMe released '' Coming Up to Breathe'', which charted at No. 13 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and No. 1 on the Christian Albums chart. Although the band had earned a reputation for being an adult contemporary group with their other albums, the group decided to make ''Coming Up to Breathe'' a more rock-oriented album, in the vein of their earlier
grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of ...
-influenced albums. As such, it also peaked at No. 5 on the Top Rock Albums chart and No. 13 on the Top Alternative Albums chart, their only chart appearances on these records to date. ''Coming Up to Breathe'' spawned three radio singles ("
So Long Self "So Long Self" is a song written and performed by Christian rock band MercyMe. "So Long Self" is musically a song with a lyrical theme revolving around a figurative breakup with one's self. "So Long Self" was released as the lead single from the ...
", " Hold Fast", and " Bring the Rain"), two of which ("So Long Self" and "Bring the Rain") reached the top spot on the Christian Songs chart. "So Long Self" and "Hold Fast" also both reached the top 30 on the Adult Contemporary chart. ''Coming Up to Breathe'' was eventually certified gold by the RIAA. In support of ''Coming Up to Breathe'', MercyMe headlined the "Coming Up to Breathe Tour", along with Audio Adrenaline (on its farewell tour) and Phil Wickham, seeing half their shows sell out two weeks into the tour.


''All That is Within Me'', ''Coming Up to Breathe: Acoustic'' and ''10'' (2007–2009)

On November 20, 2007, MercyMe released '' All That Is Within Me''. Millard, the band's lead singer, had believed that ''All That is Within Me'' was going to be a worship album with half of the songs being cover songs and the other half original songs; however, when the band got in studio, they ended up having written all the songs found in this album. Upon release, the album peaked at No. 15 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and No. 1 on the Christian Songs chart. The album contained three singles ("God With Us", "You Reign" and "Finally Home"), all of which reached the top three on the Christian Songs chart; "Finally Home" also peaked at No. 17 on the Adult Contemporary chart (their last appearance on the chart to date). ''All That Is Within Me'' was also certified gold by the RIAA. In 2008, the band released ''Coming Up to Breathe: Acoustic'', an acoustic version of their earlier release ''Coming Up to Breathe''. On April 7, 2009, MercyMe released their first greatest hits compilation, '' 10'', a double album consisting of 15 studio recordings (12 of which were previously singles and 3 of which were new recordings) and 11 live or concept videos, as well as several documentaries on the band. The album charted at No. 18 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and No. 1 on the Christian Songs chart, although no singles were released from the album.


''The Generous Mr. Lovewell'' and ''The Worship Sessions'' (2010–2011)

MercyMe's sixth studio album, '' The Generous Mr. Lovewell'', was released on May 4, 2010. The album itself peaked at No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' 200 (MercyMe's highest debut to date and first top 5 album ever on the chart) and No. 1 on the Christian Albums chart. The album (a concept album relating around the overall theme of love and vaguely relating to its self-titled character) has also spawned three singles – " All of Creation", " Beautiful", and " Move" – all of which reached the top spot on the Christian Songs chart. Upon wrapping up "The Generous Mr. Lovewell" tour, MercyMe was asked to perform the national anthem at a
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...
game. In 2011, the band released '' The Worship Sessions'', a worship album that was released exclusively at Family Christian Book Stores.


''The Hurt & the Healer'', ''Welcome to the New'', ''Lifer'', ''Inhale (Exhale)'', ''Always Only Jesus'' (2012–present)

'' The Hurt & the Healer'' was released on May 22, 2012 by
Fair Trade Fair trade is an arrangement designed to help producers in developing countries achieve sustainable and equitable trade relationships. The fair trade movement combines the payment of higher prices to exporters with improved social and envir ...
and Columbia Records. The album debuted at No. 7 on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 33,000 copies. '' Welcome to the New'', the band's eighth studio album, was released on April 8, 2014 and is produced by David Garcia and Ben Glover. Singles from this album include the pre-release single "Shake", and post-release singles " Greater" and "Dear Younger Me". '' Lifer'', MercyMe's ninth studio album, was released on March 31, 2017, with the lead single off the album being " Even If", which was released on February 17, 2017. It samples the chorus of the hymn " It Is Well with My Soul." The song reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard''
Hot Christian Songs Hot Christian Songs is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It ranks the popularity of Christian songs using the same methodology developed for the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the magazine's flagship songs c ...
chart for three weeks, becoming their twelfth number one single. It also charted on the
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
chart at No. 20. The second single, " Grace Got You", was released on March 2, 2018. It peaked at No. 3 on the Christian Songs chart and became their record extending 15th chart topper on the Christian Airplay chart. It was nominated for the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song. The third single, " Best News Ever", was released on October 5, 2018. In 2019 they released the single "Almost Home", and then in 2020 "Hurry Up and Wait" and "Say I Won't", from their tenth album ''inhale (exhale)'' that was released on April 30, 2021. Their eleventh studio album, ''Always Only Jesus'', was released on October 21, 2022. The first single they released was "Then Christ Came" on June 3, 2022. "Better Days Coming" was released on September 9, 2022, and "To Not Worship You" was released on September 30, 2022.


Charity

In 2005, MercyMe participated in a benefit concert at Belmont University with various other country, gospel and contemporary Christian artists for the people affected by the
Asian tsunami An earthquake and a tsunami, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community, the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, occurred at 07:58:53 local time ( UTC+7) on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of northern ...
. In 2009, MercyMe conducted a tour in partnership with
Compassion International Compassion International is an American child sponsorship and Christian humanitarian aid organization headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, that aims to positively influence the long-term development of children globally who live in pove ...
and Imagine A Cure in order to raise money to help kids with diabetes through Imagine A Cure and people with medical needs around the world through Compassion International.


Tour bus accident

On Saturday, August 8, 2009, at approximately 1:15 am in
Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...
, the MercyMe tour bus was traveling through an intersection on a green light when an oncoming passenger vehicle made a left turn on red into the path of the bus, which resulted in a collision killing two passengers of the car and resulting in the vehicle's pregnant driver experiencing
miscarriage Miscarriage, also known in medical terms as a spontaneous abortion and pregnancy loss, is the death of an embryo or fetus before it is able to survive independently. Miscarriage before 6 weeks of gestation is defined by ESHRE as biochemica ...
from automotive trauma. MercyMe was to perform at Six Flags St. Louis but the park issued a statement saying the show was rescheduled because the band was "involved in a vehicle accident in Indiana". Despite news reports claiming that the band remained silent during the days after the crash, not contacting the family of the deceased and injured, MercyMe did release a statement through their publicist the day of the crash.


Members

Current members *
Bart Millard Bart Marshall Millard (born December 1, 1972) is an American singer and songwriter who is best known as the leader of the band MercyMe. He has also released two solo albums: '' Hymned, No. 1'', in 2005 and '' Hymned Again'' in 2008. He received a ...
– lead vocals (1994–present) * Michael John Scheuchzer – guitars, backing vocals, keyboards (1994–present) * Robin Troy "Robby" Shaffer – drums, percussion (1997–present) * Nathan Cochran – bass, backing vocals, keyboards (1998–present) * Barry Graul – guitars, backing vocals (2003–present) Former members * Jim Richmond - guitar (1994-1995) * James Phillip "Jim" Bryson – keyboards (1994–2014) * Kendall Combes – bass, backing vocals (1994–1998) * Trent Austin – drums (1994–1997) * David Cowan - drums (1994-1995)


Discography

* ''Pleased to Meet You'' (1995) * ''Traces of Rain'' (1997) * ''Traces of Rain Volume II'' (1998) * ''The Need'' (1999) * ''
The Worship Project ''The Worship Project'' is the fifth self-released album by American Christian rock band MercyMe. Produced by the band and recorded by Jim Bryson (the band's keyboardist), the album was released on October 14, 1999. In contrast to the band's prev ...
'' (1999) * ''Look'' (2000) * '' Almost There'' (2001) * ''
Spoken For ''Spoken For'' is the second studio album by Christian rock band MercyMe. Produce by Pete Kipley, the album was released on October 1, 2002, by INO Records. The album's production, which followed the success of "I Can Only Imagine" on Christian ...
'' (2002) * '' Undone'' (2004) * '' The Christmas Sessions'' (2005) * '' Coming Up to Breathe'' (2006) * '' All That Is Within Me'' (2007) * '' The Generous Mr. Lovewell'' (2010) * '' The Hurt & the Healer'' (2012) * '' Welcome to the New'' (2014) * '' MercyMe, It's Christmas!'' (2015) * '' Lifer'' (2017) * '' Inhale (Exhale) '' (2021) * ''Always Only Jesus'' (2022)


Awards and accolades


Billboard Music Awards

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2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
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2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
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2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...
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2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
, MercyMe , Top Christian Artist , , - , '' Lifer'' , Top Christian Album , , - , "Even If" , Top Christian Song , , - , 2019 , , MercyMe, , Top Christian Artist , , GMA Dove Awards * 2002 Song of the Year – "I Can Only Imagine" * 2002 Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year – "I Can Only Imagine" * 2004 Song of the Year – "Word of God Speak" * 2004 Artist of the Year * 2004 Group of the Year * 2004 Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year – "Word of God Speak" * 2005 Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year – ''Undone'' * 2005 Special Event Album of the Year – ''The Passion of the Christ: Songs'' ;
ASCAP Awards The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...
* 2003 Bart Millard awarded Christian Songwriter of the Year at the 25th annual ASCAP Christian Music Awards. ; American Music Awards * 2004 Favorite Contemporary Inspirational Artist * 2010 Favorite Contemporary Inspirational Artist ; ''
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 adverti ...
'' magazine Decade (2000–2009) Awards * No. 1 Christian song of the Decade: "Word of God Speak" * No. 16 Christian song of the Decade: "Here with Me" * No. 19 Christian song of the Decade: "God with Us" * No. 35 Christian song of the Decade: "You Reign" * No. 48 Christian song of the Decade: "In the Blink of an Eye" * No. 49 Christian song of the Decade: "Bring the Rain" * No. 4 Christian Album Artist of the Decade * No. 4 Christian Album of the Decade: "Almost There" * No. 38 Christian Album of the Decade: "Undone" * No. 46 Christian Album of the Decade: "Spoken For"


References


External links

* * MercyMeat Billboard.com {{Authority control American Christian musical groups American pop music groups Christian rock groups from Texas Columbia Records artists Epic Records artists Fair Trade Services artists Grammy Award winners Musical groups established in 1994 Performers of contemporary Christian music Performers of contemporary worship music