Mitch McVicker is a

GMA 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 ...

-winning

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 ...

singer-songwriter.

Biography

McVicker attended

Friends University Friends University is a private nondenominational Christian university in Wichita, Kansas. It was founded in 1898. The main building was originally built in 1886 for Garfield University but was donated in 1898 to the Religious Society of Friends ...

in Wichita, Kansas, in the early-1990s where he met and befriended the late CCM recording artist,

Rich Mullins Richard Wayne Mullins (October 21, 1955 – September 19, 1997) was an American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter best known for his worship songs " Awesome God" and "Sometimes by Step". Some of his albums were listed by ''CC ...

. After graduating in May 1995, McVicker moved to

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

, eventually touring and writing songs with Mullins. With Mullins and song collaborator Beaker, McVicker co-wrote the musical, ''The Canticle of the Plains'', which is based on the life and teachings of

Saint Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a Mysticism, mystic Italian Catholic Church, Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most vener ...

. Completed in late 1996, McVicker sang lead vocals on four of the project's songs: "There You Are", "Heaven is Waiting", "Things Even Angels", and "You Are All". McVicker began recording his first solo project in the summer of 1997 with the help of Mullins and Mark Robertson. On the night of September 19, 1997, McVicker and Mullins were en route to a

benefit concert A benefit concert or charity concert is a type of musical benefit performance (e.g., concert, show, or gala) featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate hu ...

being held in Wichita, Kansas, and were involved in a serious auto accident after the

Jeep Jeep is an American automobile marque, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with remaining assets, from its previous owner American Moto ...

they were riding in rolled over and ejected both occupants who were not wearing

seat belts A seat belt (also known as a safety belt, or spelled seatbelt) is a vehicle safety device designed to secure the driver or a passenger of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result during a collision or a sudden stop. A seat belt reduc ...

. McVicker was seriously injured while Mullins instantly died at the scene after being struck by a

semi-trailer truck A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semitruck, (or semi, eighteen-wheeler, big rig, tractor-trailer or, by synecdoche, a semitrailer) is the combination of a tractor unit and one or more semi-trailers to carry freight. A semi-trailer ...

that swerved to avoid hitting the overturned vehicle. McVicker has since suffered from double-vision as a result of the accident. McVicker was unable to resume work on his debut album for several months but eventually released the album in 1998 as the self-titled album, ''

Mitch McVicker Mitch McVicker is a GMA Dove Award-winning contemporary Christian Music singer-songwriter. Biography McVicker attended Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, Wichita, Kansas, in the early-1990s where he met and befriended the late Contemporary ...

''. Both "Take Hold of Me" and "Here and Now" received extensive airplay on CCM stations across the United States. Rich Mullins' last songwriting effort, ''

The Jesus Record The Jesus Record is the ninth and final album by American singer and songwriter Rich Mullins, released posthumously on July 21, 1998, ten months after his death. The first disc of the album, entitled "The Jesus Demos", consists of nine rough dem ...

'', was also released in 1998. "My Deliverer", a track co-written by Mullins and McVicker, earned a

for the 1999 Song of the Year. Subsequent albums released by McVicker include ''Chasing the Horizon'' (2000), ''Without Looking Down'' (2002), ''Love Will Rise'' (2007), ''Always Believe'' (2009), ''Everything Shines'' (2010), ''Walking Through the Dark'' (2011), ''Underneath'' (2013), ''The Grey: When Black & White Fade'' (2014), ''Live in Morton'', (2016), and ''The Acceptance of And'' (2018). Along with recording, McVicker maintains an extensive touring schedule performing between 100 and 200 concerts a year. In his live performances, McVicker is known for his use of household props to create background percussion loops using a loop sequencer.

Album discography

* ''

'' (1998) * ''Chasing the Horizon'' (2000) * ''Without Looking Down'' (2002) * ''Love Will Rise'' (2007) * ''Always Believe'' (2009) * ''Everything Shines'' (2010) * ''Walking Through the Dark'' (2011) * ''Underneath'' (2013) * ''The Grey: When Black & White Fade'' (2014) * ''The Acceptance of And'' (2018) *''A Shrugging of the Shoulders (2021)''

Other

* ''Canticle of the Plains'' (1997) * ''Music Inspired by the Motion Picture Ragamuffin (Based on the Life of Rich Mullins)'' (2014) *''Live in Morton'' (2016)

Awards

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McVicker, Mitch American performers of Christian music Living people Friends University alumni Year of birth missing (living people)