MercyMe
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- Mercy Me is also the title of a song by Alkaline Trio from the album Crimson.
History
The result of a praise and worship band experience, MercyMe was formed in 1994 by Bart Millard, Jim Bryson, and Mike Scheuchzer. Millard and Bryson met while working on a missions project overseas. The two agreed to start a new band in Oklahoma City with Scheuchzer, with whom Millard already had a relationship. It didn't take long for the band to build a solid fan base and they soon found themselves opening up for bands such as Audio Adrenaline.Following a move to Nashville, Tennessee and then back to Millard's hometown in Texas, the band added bassist Nathan Cochran and percussionist Robby Shaffer to the roster. The band signed with INO Records in 2001 and released their first album, Almost There (The first of eleven hit albums), which propelled them into the mainstream spotlight with the smash hit "I Can Only Imagine". The album went on to sell more than 2 million records in only three years and earned the band an American Music Award nomination.
In 2002, the band released their popular second album, Spoken For, which produced two more Top 10 hits. The combined success of the band's first two albums garnered a nomination for the Favorite Contemporary Inspirational Artist at the American Music Awards.
In 2004, MercyMe released Undone which produced two Top 10 hits: Here With Me which also hit Bilboard's Top 100 chart that same year, and In The Blink of an Eye which, as of the end of 2005, was at #5 on R&R's top Christian hits. This album also features the song Homesick, which also received notice by Christian and mainstream stations. This song was written in dedication to loved ones that the band had lost that year.
Since then, MercyMe has released one more album Coming Up To Breathe in 2006. While this album keeps to the same style and appeal of its predecessors, Bart Millard wrote that the band was not seeking to meet its previous popularity, but rather a more personal album that was written for God. Despite this conviction, MercyMe's eleventh album has hit no. 13 on the Billboard charts and features the hits So Long Self, Coming Up To Breathe, and Hold Fast.
The Go Foundation
Among the songs found in the 11th Album, Coming Up To Breathe, is written a song titled I Would Die For You. This song was made in dedication to BJ Higgins, a young boy who contracted Bubonic Plague on the mission fields of Peru. Since then I Would Die For You is used to raise money for [The Go Foundation], which was born out of Higgins untimely death.Current lineup
- Bart Millard - vocals
- Nathan Cochran - bass guitar
- Michael John Scheuchzer - guitars
- Robin (Robby) Troy Shaffer - percussion
- James Philip Bryson - keyboards
- Barry Graul - guitars
Discography
- Pleased to Meet You (out of print)
- Traces of Rain Volume 1
- Traces of Rain Volume 2
- The Need
- Worship Project
- Look
- Almost There (2001)
- Spoken For (2002)
- Undone (2004)
- The Christmas Sessions (2005)
- Coming Up To Breathe (April 25, 2006)
Charts and Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Album | Chart | Position | RIAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Spoken For | The Billboard 200 | #41 | Gold |
| 2003 | Almost There | The Billboard 200 | #37 | Double Platinum |
| 2004 | Undone | The Billboard 200 | #12 | Gold |
| 2005 | The Christmas Sessions | The Billboard 200 | #64 | align="center" valign="top" |
| 2006 | Coming Up to Breathe | The Billboard 200 | #13 (as of May 13, 2006) | align="center" valign="top" |
Hit singles
- From Almost There
- * 2001 "I Can Only Imagine" #1 CHR
- From Spoken For
- * 2002 "Spoken For" #6 CHR
- * 2002 "Word of God Speak" #1 INSPO & AC
- From Undone
- *2004 "Here With Me" #21 of 2004 Air1.com
- *2005 "In the Blink of an Eye" #5 R&R
- From The Christmas Sessions
- *2005 "Joseph's Lullaby" #17 R&R
- *2005 "Gloria"
Awards and accolades
Dove Awards
- 2002 Song of the Year - "I Can Only Imagine"
- 2002 Contemporary/Pop Recorded Song of the Year - "I Can Only Imagine"
- 2002 Songwriter of the Year Award - Bart Millard, songwriter of "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"
ASCAP Awards
- 2003 Bart Millard awarded Christian Songwriter of the Year at the 25th annual ASCAP Christian Music Awards.
External links
- [Official Band Website]
- [Official MySpace Site]
- [MercyMe Song Lyrics from Christian Lyrics.net]
- [MercyMe guitar tabs]
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