Chris Tomlin Biography

Christopher Dwayne "Chris" Tomlin (born May 4, 1972) is an American contemporary Christian music (CCM) artist, worship leader, and songwriter from Grand Saline, Texas, United States. He is a former staff member at Austin Stone Community Church and is signed to EMI's sixstepsrecords. Tomlin leads worship at many Passion events. Some of his most well-known songs are "How Great Is Our God", "Jesus Messiah", "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)", and "Our God", which he co-wrote with Matt Redman, Jesse Reeves, and Jonas Myrin. He is currently a worship leader at Passion City Church in Atlanta, Georgia, with Louie Giglio, Kristian Stanfill, Christy Nockels, and Brett Younker.

He was awarded Male Vocalist of the Year at the 2006, 2007 (along with Artist of the Year), and 2008 GMA Dove Awards, and a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album in 2012. He is one of the members of CompassionArt, a charity founded by Martin Smith of the band Delirious? and Smith's wife, Anna.

Tomlin's 2013 album Burning Lights debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the fourth CCM album in history to do so.

Early life

Tomlin was born in Grand Saline, Texas in 1972 to Connie and Donna Tomlin. He has two younger brothers, Ryan and Cory. Chris Tomlin first learned how to play the guitar by playing along with Willie Nelson records.

Tomlin wrote his first worship song at age fourteen. He entered college planning to study physical therapy, but says he felt God's calling to something else.

In the mid-1990s Tomlin was a worship leader at the Dawson McAllister Youth Conferences, as well as at various church camps in Texas.

Tomlin attended Tyler Junior College and Texas A&M University. After college, Tomlin and the band developed while working with the Harvest Ministry at The Woodlands United Methodist Church in The Woodlands, Texas in the late 1990s. In 1997, youth speaker Louie Giglio asked if he would be interested in working with the Passion Conferences. Tomlin has been in that movement ever since.

Musical career

His first nationally released solo project, titled The Noise We Make, was released in 2001, featuring the songs "Forever," "Be Glorified", and "Kindness", each of which made the top 200 in the CCLI 2005 top 500 worship songs. He released the live EP 545 in 2002, and the studio album Not to Us (2002).

Although he is a solo artist, Tomlin uses a consistent band lineup. He writes many of his songs with the band members. The band consists of Daniel Carson (electric guitar, backup vocals), Jesse Reeves (bass guitar, backup vocals), Travis Nunn (drums), and Matt Gilder (piano, keys). He plays guitar and piano.

According to Christian Copyright Licensing International's list of the top 25 worship songs in the US in August 2007, Tomlin held 5 spots with songs he has either written or co-written: "How Great Is Our God" (No. 1), "Forever" (No. 5), "Holy Is the Lord" (No. 7), "We Fall Down" (No. 12), and "Indescribable" (No. 22). In 2008, Tomlin held 6 spots on 20 The Countdown Magazine's top 20 praise and worship songs: "We Fall Down" (No. 14), "Forever" (No. 10), "Holy is the Lord" (No. 8), "Indescribable" (No. 6), "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" (No. 3), and "How Great is our God" (No. 1).

Tomlin has toured with contemporary Christian music artists, such as Delirious? during his first tour, and as a supporting act of Steven Curtis Chapman during his All Things New Tour. Tomlin has headlined several tours, such as the Chris Tomlin Indescribable Tour, which featured worship artist Matt Redman, and speaker Louie Giglio, and headlining the See the Morning Tour. From April to October 2007, Tomlin toured with Louie Giglio and Matt Redman on his "How Great Is Our God" tour. In 2008, Tomlin toured with Passion Conferences on its world tour. In early 2009, he was in the Hello Love tour with Israel Houghton and New Breed. In summer of 2010, he was in the "Hello Tonight" tour with TobyMac.

Tomlin has been featured at conferences and music festivals. Among these, he played at Grand Saline's annual Salt Festival. Hillsong's 2007 conference, and the 2008 Compassionart International Songwriting retreat, which was dedicated to writing songs whose revenue would support charities serving the poorest of the world's poor. Other prominent songwriters included were Matt Redman, Martin Smith, Stuart Garrard, and Steven Curtis Chapman. In 2009, Tomlin played at the Harvest Crusade at Anaheim Angels Stadium.

On June 14, 2007, Tomlin's version of the song "Indescribable" was used as the official wake-up call for Mission Specialist Patrick Forrester on Space Shuttle mission STS-117.

In May 2008, Tomlin announced a move from The Austin Stone Community Church, to start a new church with Louie Giglio in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 2009, Tomlin released a Christmas album, Glory in the Highest: Christmas Songs of Worship. It includes three original Christmas songs and features duets with Matt Redman, Christy Nockels, and Audrey Assad. The album peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 list and at No. 1 for Holiday albums.

His 2013 album Burning Lights debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, only the fourth Christian album ever to open at No. 1.

Personal life

Tomlin married Lauren Bricken, on November 9, 2010.

In May 2011, Tomlin announced that he and Lauren are expecting their first child. He announced on Twitter that the couple's daughter, Ashlyn Alexandra Tomlin, was born on September 22, 2011.

Discography

• Inside Your Love (1995)
• Authentic (1998)
• Too Much Free Time (1998) with Ross King
• The Noise We Make (2001)
• Not to Us (2002)
• Arriving (2004)
• See the Morning (2006)
• Hello Love (2008)
• Glory in the Highest: Christmas Songs of Worship (2009)
• And If Our God Is for Us... (2010)
• How Great Is Our God: The Essential Collection (2011)
• Burning Lights (2013)

Passion event albums

• Live Worship from the 268 Generation (1998)
• Better Is One Day (1999)
• The Road To One Day (2000)
• One Day: Live (2000)
• Our Love is Loud (2002)
• Sacred Revolution: Songs From OneDay 03 (2003)
• Hymns: Ancient and Modern (2004)
• How Great Is Our God (2005)
• Everything Glorious (2006)
• The Best of Passion (So Far) (2006)
• Live From Passion 07 Pts. 1 & 3 (2007)
• God of This City (2008)
• Awakening (2010)
• Here for You (2011)
• White Flag (2012)
• Let the Future Begin (2013)

Non-album songs

• "Whisper My Name" [Forefront] - Eterne: Never Be the Same (2000)
• "Salvation" - Pour Over Me - Worship Together Live 2001 (2001)
• "Give Us Clean Hands" - Pour Over Me - Worship Together Live 2001 (2001)
• "Satisfied" [Forefront] - Secrets Of The Vine: Music... A Worship Experience (2002)
• "Lord, I'm Gonna Love You" [Sparrow] - Your Love Broke Through (2002)
• "Expressions of Your Love" (duet w/ Rebecca St. James) [Sparrow] - It Takes Two: 15 Collaborations & Duets (2003)
• "Where the Streets Have No Name" [Sparrow/EMI CMG] - In the Name of Love: Artists United for Africa (2004)
• "You're the One" [Disney/EMI CMG] - Music Inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)
• "Angels We Have Heard on High" [Word] - WOW Christmas: Green (2005)
• "Mighty to Save" [Integrity] - Bonus disc included with Fruitcake and Ice Cream DVD (2008)
• "Your Heart (David)" - Music Inspired by The Story (2011)

Charts

Albums - Billboard (North America)

Year	Album	Peak chart positions		RIAA certifications
		Top Christian Albums	Billboard 200 Albums
2004	Arriving	6	39	Platinum
2006	See the Morning	1	15	Gold
2008	Hello Love	1	9	Gold
2009	Glory in the Highest: Christmas Songs of Worship	2	19	Gold
2010	And If Our God Is for Us...	1	17	Gold
2013	Burning Lights	1	1

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year	Title	Peak chart positions		Album
		US Heat	Hot Christian Songs
2004	"Indescribable"		2	Arriving
2005	"Holy Is the Lord"		2
	"How Great Is Our God"	14	1
2006	"Made to Worship"		1	See the Morning
2007	"How Can I Keep from Singing"		2
	"Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)"		2
2008	"Jesus Messiah"		2	Hello Love
2009	"I Will Rise"	50	2
	"Sing Sing Sing"		6
	"God of This City"		28
2010	"Our God"	9	1	Passion: Awakening
	"I Will Follow"	14	2	And If Our God Is for Us...
2011	"I Lift My Hands"		1
	"How Great is Our God (World Edition)"		38	How Great Is Our God: The Essential Collection
2012	"White Flag"		8	Passion: White Flag
	"Whom Shall I Fear [God of Angel Armies]"		11	Burning Lights

¹ Currently active on the charts

Music videos

• "Expressions of Your Love" (With Rebecca St. James) (2004)
• "Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)" (2007)
• "I Lift My Hands" (2011)

Awards

Grammy Awards

Year	Award	Result
2009	Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album (Hello Love)
2011	Best Gospel Song ("Our God")
2012	Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance ("I Lift My Hands")
	Best Contemporary Christian Music Song ("I Lift My Hands")
	Best Contemporary Christian Music Album (And If Our God Is For Us...)

GMA Dove Awards

Throughout his career, Chris Tomlin has been nominated to 32 Dove Awards (6 of them, collaborative efforts) and won 17 of them.

Year	Award	Result
2005	Praise & Worship Album of the Year (Arriving)
2006	Artist of the Year
	Male Vocalist of the Year
	Song of the Year ("Holy Is the Lord")
	Song of the Year ("How Great Is Our God")
	Worship Song of the Year ("Holy Is the Lord")
	Worship Song of the Year ("How Great Is Our God")
	Worship Song of the Year ("Indescribable")1
	Special Event Album of the Year (Music Inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia)*
	Special Event Album of the Year (Passion: How Great Is Our God)*
	Special Event Album of the Year (WOW Christmas: Green)*
2007	Artist of the Year
	Male Vocalist of the Year
	Song of the Year ("Made to Worship")
	Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("Made to Worship")
	Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year (See The Morning)
	Worship Song of the Year ("Holy Is the Lord")
	Worship Song of the Year ("Made to Worship")
	Praise & Worship Album of the Year (See The Morning)
	Special Event Album of the Year (Passion: Everything Glorious)*
2008	Artist of the Year
	Male Vocalist of the Year
	Song of the Year ("Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)")
	Worship Song of the Year ("Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)")
	Worship Song of the Year ("How Great Is Our God")
	Special Event Album of the Year (Music Inspired By the Motion Picture Amazing Grace)*
2009	Artist of the Year
	Male Vocalist of the Year
	Song of the Year ("Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)")
	Worship Song of the Year ("Jesus Messiah")
	Praise & Worship Album of the Year (Hello Love)
	Special Event Album of the Year (Passion: God of This City)*
	Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year ("How Great Is Our God")2
2010	Song of the Year ("I Will Rise")
	Worship Song of the Year ("I Will Rise")
	Praise & Worship Album of the Year (Hello Love)
	Christmas Album of the Year (Glory in the Highest: Christmas Songs of Worship)
2011	Artist of the Year
	Male Vocalist of the Year
	Song of the Year ("Our God")
	Worship Song of the Year ("Our God")
	Special Event Album of the Year (Passion: Awakening)*
2013	Song of the Year ("Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)")
	Artist of the Year

• *Denotes a collaborative effort or a song contribution to a "Various artists" album.
• ¹ The song was performed by Tomlin, but written and produced by Laura Story.
• ² The song was performed by LaRue Howard, but written by Tomlin.

Billboard Music Awards

Year	Award	Result
2011	Top Christian Artist
	Top Christian Album (And If Our God Is for Us...)
	Top Christian Song ("Our God")

Others

Tomlin was nominated for two 2009 Visionary Award: Male Entertainer of the Year and Song of the Year for "Jesus Messiah".

Bibliography

• Chris Tomlin, The Way I Was Made: Words and Music for an Unusual Life, Multnomah, 2004. ISBN 978-1-59052-327-8