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Casting Crowns Biography
Review The Artist (22)
Source: http://www.castingcrowns.org/
Casting Crowns began as a student worship band in Daytona Beach, FL in 1999. After 2 years of serving at First Baptist Daytona Beach, God called Mark Hall (lead vocal), Juan DeVevo (guitar and vocals), Melodee DeVevo (vocals and violin), Hector Cervantes (guitar and vocals), and Darren Hughes (production manager) to Eagle's Landing First Baptist Church in McDonough, GA in October of 2001. After arriving here, the Lord led Chris Huffman (bass guitar), a former student from FBC, Daytona, and Megan Garrett (keyboard, vocals, accordion), to join the band immediately. Then about a year later, Andy Williams (drummer), joined the group.
There, you have Casting Crowns.
At the core of Casting Crowns is Mark Hall, a man who never would have thought leading a band into the wilds of the business of music would enter into his calling. His place, he thought, was to serve young people.
"I've been a youth pastor for about 12 years, and every church I've been in, music's always been a part of it," Hall says. "We'd usually start up a band made up of students so we could lead worship in our Wednesday night programs, and as the student ministry started to grow, the band would go off and play and do things in the area."
"I had the thought that maybe I could write for other bands," he says, "because traveling around playing was not something I thought I wanted to do."
The band recorded two well-received independent records, distributed mainly in the Atlanta area. "There was the temptation to send our CDs to record companies," Hall says, "but we prayed about it and came to the realization we needed to keep doing our music our way."
"Meanwhile, this college student in Daytona named Chase Tramont -- my new best friend in the world! -- has one of our CDs," Hall says. "He plays basketball at Flagler College in Florida, goes off to a camp there, and finds out his coach used to play basketball with a guy named Mark Miller."
It's at this point where one of Casting Crowns' soon-to-be shepherds comes into the picture.
"Chase and Mark get to know each other, and in the midst of a conversation one day, Chase figures out that Mark is the lead singer for Sawyer Brown," Hall says. "After that, Chase said, 'Oh, you've got to hear this band.' Mark must get a million of these things a year, but he likes it and gives us a call."
Miller, the hyper-animated frontman for the veteran country group, doesn't know what he can do for the fledgling band, but wants to be supportive in any way he can. "I could tell by Mark's writing that he wasn't doing anything other than speaking from his heart exactly what he was seeing and what was around him," Miller says. "It didn't surprise me at all when I found out later that he was a youth minister, because basically these were messages to his students."
"The first thing you hear, before you sit there and digest the lyrics, is Mark's voice. I knew a couple of things when I first heard it. I knew they couldn't afford to go in and mess with his voice, so what I was hearing was what he could deliver, so I was pretty blown away by that," Miller continues. "Then the songs were really different to me, they came from a different viewpoint than what you would normally hear within Christian music. The lyrics would immediately make you think, 'This guy's a hard hitter.' He's makes no bones about it; he's not hiding from anything. For me, in Christian music, that's a rarity."
Miller hung onto the two Casting Crowns independent records, waiting for the right opportunity to tell other music industry colleagues about the band. That right moment came on a spring vacation with the families of two longtime friends, new Provident Label Group president Terry Hemmings and an artist with an equally impressive track record to Miller's, Steven Curtis Chapman.
"I've known Terry for quite some time, and he's heard some things I've produced for Christian artists, and we'd been talking about doing something together for three or four years," Miller says. "After my first conversations with Mark, I could tell immediately that this was the kind of person I wanted to be involved with, that Steven would want to be involved with, somebody with true Christian integrity, not just a coating you spray on and then wash off at the end of the day."
"I collected all the information, talked to Terry and Steven about it, and Terry got real excited about it and said, 'Let's just do something with them,'" Miller says. That something has manifested itself as Beach Street Records, the new PLG imprint captained by Miller.
Meanwhile, Miller knew it was time to go out and recruit what would become the imprint's flagship artist. "I called Mark back," Miller says, "and his response was exactly what you'd want to hear. Rather than saying 'When do we leave?' or 'How much money am I going to get?" it was 'Am I still going to be able to be a youth minister?" "My response was something like, 'Sure, Mark, but your congregation may be a whole lot larger than you would have ever imagined.'"
The pieces fell together quickly for Miller's new venture and the band it is introducing to the world. Casting Crowns entered the studio earlier this year with Miller and Chapman serving as co-producers, and the self-titled result is a rich-sounding edgy-pop record that refuses to shy away from the sometimes hard-to-hear truths presented in Hall's lyrics.
That uncompromising spirit is heard on songs like "American Dream," which documents a father's neglect as he chases after the material nature of providing for his family, and "If We Are The Body," challenges Christians in the church to step outside the exclusive circles we are involved in and see the needs of others around us. "I really feel a burden for the church," Hall says. "Right after somebody gets saved, right as they're starting to grow, they essentially have the wool pulled over their eyes that tells them that religion is what they have stepped into. 'Here are the laws that relate to this, here are the rules for this other thing, here's your discipleship notebook, here's you T-shirt and this is what you have to do.' And the feeling is that when you come to church; if you did fail at whatever, don't let anybody know it."
"So they show up acting like everything is fine and are surrounded by people who aren't fine, and that's what religion is. The world simply wants nothing to do with that. They want to see people that are real. It doesn't bother the world that we mess up, what bothers them is that we act like we don't," Hall says.
And even though Casting Crowns is currently in a whirlwind of activity the likes of which they probably couldn't have dreamed, they're not about to take their eyes off the fundamental message they wish to share. "I want to shake people up and help them see that Jesus is not a religion, and God is not a book," Hall says. "You can't pray to a book and you can't draw strength from an idea or standard.
"If there's no relationship with Jesus as a person to you, you're in trouble." It's about life, not religion. It's about relationships, not books. Timely ideas not many of us think about, much less in that way. Casting Crowns is what we need to hear at exactly the time we need to hear it. |
Would you please submit the latest Casting Crowns biography to me? Thank You.
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Review about Casting Crowns
every man | Reviewer: oscar aleman | 11/6/09
I am very proud of your music i dont speak english very good but i understand your music my son he plays every man at the church you know God understand every language your music melt my heart n i listen your music every day Mark godbless you for being a realy christian all the hispanic speakers like your musci.
you touch heartd | Reviewer: Mercy Tule Ibenu | 10/29/09
your songs have a way of reaching to the hearts of people, its not just about the melody or the voices, your lyrics carry life, they reach out in a way thats different. i love you guys.
Tule
Nigeria
question | Reviewer: charles parker | 8/1/09
i love the music you all have played and all and am grateful for the greatly collected words. people thank you guys but we should be thinking god for using you guys. my problem is are you guys really going mainstream? if so what happen to not doing it for the money and popularity? if im wrong then sorry but its bugging me bad.
hi.. | Reviewer: lanie | 3/7/08
you guys are awesome..i remember saying this to a person so dear and special to me when he played guitar during our worship...
i love your song praise you in the storm..this song really melted my heart..thank you for doing this..Godbless your ministry..
Does Anybody Hear Her:) | Reviewer: Meagan | 1/12/08
Casting Crowns you're amazing
i love all your songs, especially "does anybody hear her". i'm trying not to judge or turn away others, and invite my friends to church more. thanks for dedicating your lives to Jesus!
:)
Who Am I? | Reviewer: Lindsey | 12/2/07
This Song Encourages me so much! The first time I
heard it was on 106.9 the light and now it is my favorite song! Way to go Casting Crowns! You have done a good thing for God and for many people who need his love.
What if his People Prayed!! | Reviewer: Lauren LaFevers | 9/25/07
"And what would happen if we prayed
For those raised up to lead the way
Then maybe kids in school could pray
And unborn children see light of day"
...being the Junior Class President for my high school and president of our FCA..and wanting the best for all 450+kids in my class... hearing your music is a huge encouragement... tomorrow is "See you at the Pole" and it's one of those special moments in school that just make you proud that, yes, our Government's taken a lot away from us, but our Love for Christ and our Faith is way stronger than any government official.. We, the students, will be Praying at School, out loud and we will Praise God for that privilege that we do Still have today!! Thank you Casting Crowns for not only your minitry and music, but your leadership and encouragement!!That song is my Ringtone and frequent reminder to keep me on track in the wrapped up "high school life" AdOrHiM~Lauren
Casting Crown | Reviewer: Alex Bystrikov | 9/13/07
Casting Crown is really great band!I hear Casting Crown everyday.Thanks my friend from Holland(Lisanne).Thanks Casting Crown for beautiful songs!UKraine_USA_Holland
who am i | Reviewer: mary jane palabrica | 9/2/07
i am a disc jockey here in the town of labason ,Phlippines. After 4 years of spinning music in the radio station i was very much appreciated with the song. Actually my friend and became my boyfriend late,when he gave me that song. He told me that it was a very nice song which talk's about our relationship with Jesus Christ! I keep on singing and playing the songs during my on Bordsched in the radio!
It really touched my soul and my heart the time i heard this great song by casting crowns!
Does Anybody Hear Her | Reviewer: Saraa | 8/6/07
This song is so beautiful. The lyrics give me the chills.
The song reminds me of myself.
Casting Crowns, you're amazing. <3
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Review the Artist Casting Crowns
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