Smitty recently recorded a live performance for ABC’s CMA Country Christmas that will air nationwide on December 2nd at 9 pm est / 8 pm central on all ABC Channels nationwide.
Congrats to Michael W. Smith on his”Best Instrumental” Dove Award last night, Tuesday, October 15, 2013.
About The Dove Awards:
For more than four decades, the GMA Dove Awards has honored outstanding achievements and excellence in Gospel music. The most anticipated music event of the year for fans and industry alike, the show celebrates our rich musical diversity. Awards are presented to individuals representing modern Rock, Rap/Hip Hope, Pop/Contemporary, Inspirational, Urban, Southern Gospel, Bluegrass, Country, Praise and Worship and More!
This November, Grammy Award-winning Christian artist Michael W. Smith and his wife, Debbie, will invite non-Christian friends into their home outside Nashville, Tenn.
“Maybe we should have invited these people into our home a long time ago,” Smith said.
So why now?
This year, Smith’s longtime friend, Billy Graham, is leading a national, in-home Crusade through a movement called My Hope America. More than 165,000 people around the country — including Smith — will invite friends into their homes this fall to share the Gospel through an interactive video and short testimonies. Smith has a list of friends he is praying for.
“I’m really excited about it,” he said. “This is history, big time, in the making. … I think it’ll be a huge success.”
Smith has 22 albums, 10 books and multiple awards. He has traveled around the world and performed for national leaders. But even at that, and even living in the Bible Belt, he says, “I have a lot of friends who aren’t believers.” The singer/songwriter sees My Hope as “an opportunity to really jump out of the box … and get out of my comfort zone.”
In honor of the national outreach, Smith is one of 11 artists contributing to a My Hope CD, which will also point people to Christ. He wrote a song called “Take Me Home,” inspired by Mr. Graham’s longing for heaven. The song is a conversation Mr. Graham might have with Jesus when he…
Multi-platinum recording artist Michael W. Smith has announced plans for
the final leg to the successful “Worship Around The World” tour and has
invited Jason Crabb, Christian Music’s reigning Male Vocalist of the
Year and Artist of the Year, to be his very special guest. The tour is
slated to hit approximately 12 cities across the country, including
Tulsa, OK; Longview, TX; Syracuse, NY; Bangor, ME; among others.
In the past year, Smith has toured to over a dozen countries including
Brazil, Abu Dabi, Baharain, Europe, Canada, Malasia, Singapore and will
just land in the United States from Iceland as this final tour leg
begins.
Worship as a corporate body continues to be the theme for this tour and
attendees are in for a treat as they experience the musical genius of
Michael W. Smith and the soulful voice of Jason Crabb.
“I’ve known Jason Crabb for years,” Smith says. “Everyone in the
business knows he’s an amazing singer – but what I love most about him
is his heart. The genuine love and care he displays to every single
person he comes in contact with is something we all can learn from. I
can’t wait to share the stage with him!”
“To share the stage with Michael W. Smith is going to be a very special
thing for me,” says Crabb. “One of the first times I heard Michael was
during a period in my life when things weren’t going so well. I found
hope and encouragement in his music. Never in a million years did I
imagine that one day I would share the stage with him – we’re going to
have a great time!”
During the evening both artists will perform separately, sharing music
from their individual careers, then join together on stage for
unforgettable powerhouse moments of music.
Ticket information for the tour dates will be available on each artist’s website: www.MichaelWSmith.com and www.JasonCrabb.com.
See the full article on www.ccmmagazine.com
Tour Dates:
* Dates that Jason Crabb will not be appearing
WHAT A WEEKEND WITH MICHAEL W. SMITH:
The below blog appears on NewReleaseTuesday.com
There’s no denying that when it comes to Christian music, Michael W. Smith looms large. He was part of a key group of artists in the 1980s that changed the face of Christian music by pairing timeless truths with modern sounds. Known for his hit songs such as “Friends”, “Missing Person”, “Go West Young Man” and more, Smith found a new musical sweet
spot in the late 1990s with his worship projects. Now he’s continuing to push himself creatively with his instrumental compositions.
Now, with 30 years under his belt, “Smitty” celebrated with a few hundred of his “friends” at the exclusive “Michael W. Smith & Friends – A Tennessee Weekend” event June 20-23 in his hometown of Franklin, Tenn.
Basically, it was the ultimate VIP fan experience for “Smitty fans.” I’d liken it to a Michael W. Smith camp for grown-ups or like an intimate, miniature Christian music festival where the headliner plays a half-dozen sets and brings along some friends (no pun intended—OK, it was intended).
Some fans showed up a day early to the festivities—on Thursday night—to experience a special dinner, dessert, concert and recording studio experience. The dinner—billed as being prepared by “the best chef in Nashville”—was put together and captained by no other than Barbara Smith, Michael’s mother. The entire thing existed to benefit Michael’s
charity, Rocketown, which helps at-risk teens find a positive place to
be after school.
On a perfect Franklin night, we enjoyed salmon with chipotle cranberry sauce, a special feta-and-fruit salad, and later, amazing white cake. We were fortunate enough to sit with Michael and his wife, Deb. Having never met Michael before, I didn’t know what to expect from one of Christian music’s all-time greats, and I was pleased to see how down-to-earth and, dare I say, normal he was. There was no hint of any ego or diva within him; he was just genuinely excited to see old friends and meet new ones.
We were treated to his first show of the night in a courtyard just a stone’s throw from Michael’s office near the famed Paragon Studios, which included songs such as “Love in His Right Hand” from A New Hallelujah, “Breathe In Me” from I’ll Lead You Home, and of course, his breakout song “Friends” from his first album. It wasn’t just a blast from the past in the intimate courtyard; he did a new song called “Take Me Home” that likely will find its way onto a new album of Smitty tunes in February/March 2014.
Fans got immediately familiar with that new song later that evening when they served as a studio choir on the track. At the world-famous, multi-million-dollar Paragon Studios—where Michael has recorded many times—two different groups of fans belted out three-part harmonies to the climactic chorus of the new song: “I wanna be forever / With You
forever / Oh won’t You take me home?” Whether or not the group’s final product makes it onto the album remains to be seen, but everyone involved enjoyed getting a taste of the studio experience, while having Smitty be their choir director.
***View Photos From The Entire Event Here***
That was just the first night, and the official weekend festivities hadn’t even begun! Friday kicked off with a fantastic dinner that sought to benefit and bring awareness to Family Affair Ministries—a non-profit organization that provides resources to low-income families and seeks to eliminate the things that keep people in poverty. Then, the magnificent Liberty Hall at The Factory was converted from restaurant to concert venue.
From the opening notes of “Carry On My Wayward Son,” you knew the night was going to be something special. Michael’s good friend, former Kansas frontman and Christian musician John Elefante, lent his formidable pipes to do a special set with brother, Dino, on guitar, playing songs such as “Carry On”, “Dust In The Wind” and even a new one from his latest
solo effort, On My Way to the Sun.
If that wasn’t enough, it was followed by a Smitty set that was very different than the intimate gathering of the first night. For some of you who are uneducated or uninitiated, hear this: Smitty still rocks. Although he began and ended his set with passionate worship, Michael and
his band wailed on songs like the throwback “Wired For Sound” (from 1986’s The Big Picture) and “The River is Rising” (from 2008’s A New Hallelujah).
After a speedy tour through his discography, Michael devoted the second half of his set to worship, leading the assembled in powerful renditions of “Mighty to Save”, “Above All”, “Majesty”, “Healing Rain” and “Agnus Dei” and “I Am Free.”
“It’s hard to survive success in this business,” Smith said to the crowd—which included recent American Idol alum Scott MacIntosh and his wife, Christina. Michael said the music business takes a toll on people, and sincerely thanked his most steadfast fans for their fervent ongoing support over the years. “Your prayers kept me alive.”
Saturday morning began with a special time of…
We are very excited to give everyone a quick “glimpse” of the Michael W. Smith & Friends Caribbean Cruise “Exclusives” schedule. All of the listed devotions, bible studies, concerts, and special activities are EXCLUSIVE to MWS Cruise guests next July 2nd through 9th.
The Oasis of the Seas has many other activities that you’ll also be able to enjoy, including Broadway, diving, ice-skating, and many, many, many more that will be open to our cruisers throughout the cruise.
What? You haven’t booked your cabin yet? You have more questions? Go to: www.MichaelWSmithCruise.com to have most of your questions answered.
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The below schedule is NOT 100% locked down yet, but we know that many of you have been asking to see the schedule so we decided to share it now. Please know that this is NOT final and while we hope that it is mostly correct, changes may occur at any time without notice. We will do everything we can to make sure that we don’t interfere with your “in-port” times, so you can plan what/where/when you’re doing excursions.
*Guests are welcome to eat with the group or make their own dining reservations at one of Oasis of the Seas over 20 restaurants – some restaurants do cost extra on the ship, but all meals in the Opus Dining room are included.
**We will have a Youth director with our group planning specific activities exclusive to MWS Cruisers that are youth group aged cruisers throughout the cruise.
Please know that this is NOT final and while we hope that it is mostly correct, changes may occur at any time without notice. We will do everything we can to make sure that we don’t interfere with your “in-port” times, so you can plan what/where/when you’re doing excursions.
OK, now that you’ve read the ENTIRE schedule we know that you are ready to book your cabin and join Michael W. Smith and all of his guests on the cruise… right? Go here to get all of the details.
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You want more info before you go there? How ’bout this video…
Want to read EVEN more? We had one of our staff members take the ship this past July to “review” things. Here’s what he reported back daily:
DAY 1: First Impressions of the Ship
DAY 2: The Big Boat… I mean SHIP!
DAY 3: There’s a “FEW” (hundred) things to do.
Day 7: The Final Wrap-up From The Ship