BRENTWOOD, TN. (Sparrow Records) - Two of the biggest names in Christian music have joined together to present one of the biggest Christmas tours of the holiday season.
Steven Curtis Chapman and
MercyMe have announced they will be touring together, appearing in 20 markets beginning the day after Thanksgiving in Greenville, SC and ending December 20th in Indianapolis, IN. Chapman and
MercyMe will be sharing the stage each night as well as performing their own songs, while fans can also look forward to caroling along with them. They will also be promoting their upcoming holiday projects – Chapman's All I Really Want For Christmas (Sparrow Records) and MercyMe's The Christmas Sessions (INO Records) - both scheduled to release
September 27th.
"We have wanted to do a Christmas record for some time," commented MercyMe's lead singer Bart Millard. "We recorded this record just before Christmas last year, while we were in a very festive mood, and we're really excited to have the opportunity to play our favorites live. Teaming up with Steven on this tour is also something we're really looking forward to - I think we're going to have a great time, and really hope to bring the joy of Christ and Christmas and the music of the season to audiences."
Chapman agrees. 'I've thought about a Christmas tour for almost ten years now since my first Christmas album released. I love Christmas music and there's nothing like getting together with friends at Christmas time to celebrate with music the incredible reality of the Savior's birth.' He continues, 'I'm so excited to have the privilege of touring with the great guys of MercyMe. We believe there are some greater things that can be accomplished by us coming together for a significant time of celebration and worship, and that's what we're praying and planning for this tour to be.' One of the promoters for the tour, The Premier Group's Roy Morgan, states, 'We anticipate stellar attendance on this tour as it will be the Christmas event that church groups and families will want to experience during the holiday season.'
Between both acts, they've won a plethora of awards, garnered numerous No. 1 radio hits, have sold more than 13 million records, have performed in front of millions of people and have been touring for more than 28 years combined.
Steven Curtis Chapman was honored with a Grammy Award this year for the 5th time, has an American Music Award as well as two certified Platinum and seven Gold albums, nine million total albums sold and 43 No. 1 radio hits, among numerous other honors. Add to that a staggering 49 Dove Awards in his 18-year recording career. His current recording, All Things New, is his 14th project with Sparrow Records as well as the title of his most successful tour to date, which hit 70+ cities nationwide. Chapman has performed at the White House and has appeared on such outlets as CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, Hallmark Channel and E!. He has also taken on the role of producer and record label founder, helping to launch the career of Casting Crowns. A passionate advocate for adoption, Chapman and his family have established Shaohannah's Hope, a foundation providing information and financial grants to families who desire to adopt.
Since their debut in 2001, American Music Award and multiple GMA Music Award winners MercyMe have sold nearly 4 million units in CD and DVD sales, including the double platinum CD Almost There, their 2003 project Spoken For which is approaching platinum sales, and the RIAA Gold certification for the CD UNDONE and MercyMe Live DVD. MercyMe has garnered three consecutive mainstream radio hits with 'I Can Only Imagine', (No. 4 AC/top 25 on Top 40/Hot AC), 'Here With Me' (No. 4 AC) and their current hit single, 'Homesick' (top 10 AC). With their multi-platinum sales, MercyMe has received media attention from the likes of CNN, Fox New Channel's Fox & Friends, ABC News, and has been seen on the pages of Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, Billboard, and as lead singer Bart Millard was quoted telling the LA Times, regardless of any type of 'success' they may have, MercyMe stays true to their calling: "We write about what consumes our heart."
For more information, please visit www.mercyme.org and www.stevencurtischapman.com.
Tour Dates* 11/25 Greenville, SC
11/26 Greensboro, NC
11/27 Fairfax, VA
11/29 Auburn Hills, MI
11/30 Grand Rapids, MI
12/1 Des Moines, IA
12/2 Kansas City, MO
12/3 St. Paul, MO
12/5 Denver, CO
12/7 Seattle, WA
12/8 Portland, OR
12/9 Sacramento, CA
12/10 Los Angeles, CA
12/11 Phoenix, AZ
12/13 Houston, TX
12/14 Little Rock, AR
12/16 St. Louis, MO
12/17 Atlanta, GA
12/18 Lexington, KY
12/19 Columbus, OH
12/20 Indianapolis, IN
*All dates tentative/subject to change
