GRAMMY-winning, multi-platinum artist Casting Crowns with lead singer Mark Hall recently led the 39th Annual GMA Dove Awards with seven wins including Group of the Year for the fourth consecutive year, and Song of the Year for its No. 1 hit “East to West.” The group’s third studio recording The Altar and The Door achieved an historical debut at No. 2 on The Billboard 200 chart with 130,000 first-week copies sold, making it the highest debut in the country that week. The album sailed to RIAA Gold status in 10 weeks. Casting Crowns was the No. 1 top-selling Christian music artist of 2007 and won its first American Music Award in November.
Lead singer Mark Hall is a full-time youth pastor, serving his 17th year in youth ministry as a student pastor at Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church in Atlanta. All seven band members remain active in student ministry in the Atlanta area and tour part-time around their local church duties. For more information on Casting Crowns and for updated spring concert listings, please visit www.castingcrowns.com .
The five-member, Baytown, Texas-based band, Leeland , has had its hands full since the release of its debut album (Sound of Melodies , 8/15/06), including collecting a 2007 GRAMMY Award nomination in the Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album category; non-stop touring across North America and even Japan, including a series of major festival appearances, headlining shows and opening for Casting Crowns on the entire Fall 2007 through Spring 2008 “The Altar and The Door” arena tour; five total Dove Award nominations (38th and 39th Annual) in categories as diverse as New Artist of the Year, Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year (“Sound of Melodies”), Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year (Sound of Melodies ) and Praise and Worship Album of the Year (Sound of Melodies ). Opposite Way , the second album from Leeland, released February 26, 2008. Leeland is: Leeland Mooring (lead vocals, guitar); Jack Mooring (keyboard, background vocals); Jake Holtz (bass); Mike Smith (drums); and Matt Campbell (lead guitar). For all upcoming tour dates and additional information on Leeland, visit www.leelandonline.com or www.myspace.com/leelandmusic .
Singer/songwriter and worship pastor, John Waller released his debut album, The Blessing , in March 2007. Since then, Waller continues to receive rave reviews and was named in the Top Ten lists of the best new artists of 2007 in Billboard magazine and Christianity Today . For more information, please visit www.johnwallermusic.com .