Greg Nelson (producer)
Encyclopedia
Greg Nelson is a music producer
from Nashville, Tennessee
.
. He has produced recordings for Christian and theatrical artists including Sandi Patty
, Steve Green, Larnelle Harris
, Twila Paris
, Michael Crawford
and Richard Smallwood
as well as multiple artist recordings with Amy Grant
, Steven Curtis Chapman
, Michael W. Smith
, CeCe Winans
, Graham Kendrick
, Jennifer Holliday
, Wintley Phipps
, Máire Brennan, Kathie Lee Gifford
and the American Boychoir.
Nelson headed Spirit Records, a division of Sparrow Records
, with artists Benny Hester
and Albrecht, Roley and Moore. He went on to co-found Refuge Records
in 1980 with Jack Hafer, another Sparrow employee. In addition, he served as the first publishing director for Billy Ray Hearn
at Sparrow. As an arranger/orchestrator Nelson composed the "Prelude" to John Michael Talbot
's “Last Supper” and later created string arrangements for various gospel and contemporary Christian artists.
s and 13 Grammy nominations for Sandi Patty
and Larnelle Harris
. He has received song, songwriter and publisher awards from Broadcast Music Incorporated
(BMI), the Nashville Songwriters Association
and the Gospel Music Association
. He received a BMI "Special Contribution Award" in appreciation of his many outstanding contributions to the world of Christian music
. He was the third recipient of the Gospel Music Association “Impact Award” for his outstanding work and influence in the contemporary Christian music industry
. His productions of The New Young Messiah and Emmanuel have been successful Christmas tours featuring many high-profile Christian artists.
s. "People Need The Lord", written by Phill McHugh and Nelson, is considered a Christian classic . His modern oratorio, "Saviour", co-written with Bob Farrell, continues to tour in the United States, Europe and Russia. Hallel (A Musical Suite for Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Choir and Soloists) is his most recent major composition which is orchestrated by Ronn Huff. Also, co-wrote the #1 Larnelle Harris song 'All Along the Way' with Daniel Joseph Schafer
from the album 'First Love' which Greg Produced in 1998.
for the creation of the 2008 Baptist Hymnal and the associated website. Nelson supervised the production of this recording, the largest recording project ever in Nashville, which took 10 months to complete with five production teams. The "SongMap" technology developed by LifeWay Christian Resources is based on his ideas of song manipulation.
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
from Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
.
Overview and early career
Nelson was born in Bismarck, North DakotaBismarck, North Dakota
Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779...
. He has produced recordings for Christian and theatrical artists including Sandi Patty
Sandi Patty
Sandra Faye "Sandi" Patty is an American Christian music singer. For many years she was known as Sandi Patti. She has been dubbed "The Voice" by critics, because of her wide range and flexibility.-Early life:...
, Steve Green, Larnelle Harris
Larnelle Harris
Larnelle Steward Harris is a gospel singer and songwriter. During his 30-plus years of ministry, Harris has recorded 18 albums, won five Grammy Awards and 18 Dove Awards, and has had several number one songs on the inspirational music charts.-Early life:A native of Danville, Kentucky, Harris...
, Twila Paris
Twila Paris
Twila Paris Wright is a Contemporary Christian Music songwriter, author, vocalist and pianist.-Musical career:Since 1980, Twila Paris has released 22 albums, amassed 33 number one Christian Radio singles, and was named the Gospel Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year three years in a row...
, Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford OBE is an English actor and singer. He has garnered great critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his career, which covers radio, television, film, and stagework on both London's West End and on Broadway in New York City...
and Richard Smallwood
Richard Smallwood
Richard Smallwood is an American Gospel music artist who formed The Richard Smallwood Singers in 1977 in Washington, DC.-Biography:...
as well as multiple artist recordings with Amy Grant
Amy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...
, Steven Curtis Chapman
Steven Curtis Chapman
Steven Curtis Chapman is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, actor, author, and social activist.After starting his career in the late 1980s as a singer/songwriter of contemporary Christian music, Chapman has since been recognized as one of the most prolific singers in the genre,...
, Michael W. Smith
Michael W. Smith
Michael Whitaker Smith is a Billboard top ten Billboard Hot 100 recording artist and Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. He is one of the best-selling and most influential artists in Contemporary Christian music. Smith also has achieved a considerable amount of...
, CeCe Winans
CeCe Winans
Priscilla "CeCe" Marie Winans Love is an American Gospel singer, who has won numerous Grammy and Stellar Awards.-Early life:CeCe Winans was born in Detroit, Michigan, to David and Delores Winans, on October 8, 1964...
, Graham Kendrick
Graham Kendrick
Graham Kendrick is a prolific British Christian singer-songwriter and worship leader. He is the son of a Baptist pastor. He now lives in Croydon and is a former member of Ichthus Christian Fellowship...
, Jennifer Holliday
Jennifer Holliday
Jennifer-Yvette Holliday is an African-American singer and Tony Award-winning actress. She started her career on Broadway in musicals such as Dreamgirls, and later became a successful recording artist...
, Wintley Phipps
Wintley Phipps
-External links:* * * * * * *...
, Máire Brennan, Kathie Lee Gifford
Kathie Lee Gifford
Kathie Lee Gifford is an American television host, singer, songwriter and actress, best known for her 15-year run on the talk show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, which she co-hosted with Regis Philbin...
and the American Boychoir.
Nelson headed Spirit Records, a division of Sparrow Records
Sparrow Records
-Background:Sparrow Records was founded in 1976 by Billy Ray Hearn, then A&R director at Myrrh Records. Purchased by EMI in 1992, it is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group, and has been named by Billboard Magazine as "America's Best Christian Music Record Label"...
, with artists Benny Hester
Benny Hester
Benny Hester is a music artist and songwriter. He is best known for his chart-topping songs, "When God Ran" and top 40 crossover hit "Nobody Knows Me Like You"...
and Albrecht, Roley and Moore. He went on to co-found Refuge Records
Refuge Records
Refuge Records was a Christian record label founded in 1980 by Greg Nelson and Ray Nenow.Refuge Records became an important label in the development of the West Coast Christian alternative music scene...
in 1980 with Jack Hafer, another Sparrow employee. In addition, he served as the first publishing director for Billy Ray Hearn
Billy Ray Hearn
Billy Ray Hearn is currently the founder and chairman of EMI Christian Music Group, the world's largest religious music label.In 1954, Billy Ray Hearn graduated from Baylor University with a degree in church music....
at Sparrow. As an arranger/orchestrator Nelson composed the "Prelude" to John Michael Talbot
John Michael Talbot
John Michael Talbot is an American Roman Catholic singer-songwriter-guitarist who is founder of a monastic community, the Brothers and Sisters of Charity.-Biography:...
's “Last Supper” and later created string arrangements for various gospel and contemporary Christian artists.
Production
Nelson has produced 13 gold records and 3 platinum records. He has received 20 Dove Awards as well as over 30 nominations. In addition his productions have garnered 7 Grammy AwardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s and 13 Grammy nominations for Sandi Patty
Sandi Patty
Sandra Faye "Sandi" Patty is an American Christian music singer. For many years she was known as Sandi Patti. She has been dubbed "The Voice" by critics, because of her wide range and flexibility.-Early life:...
and Larnelle Harris
Larnelle Harris
Larnelle Steward Harris is a gospel singer and songwriter. During his 30-plus years of ministry, Harris has recorded 18 albums, won five Grammy Awards and 18 Dove Awards, and has had several number one songs on the inspirational music charts.-Early life:A native of Danville, Kentucky, Harris...
. He has received song, songwriter and publisher awards from Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
(BMI), the Nashville Songwriters Association
Nashville Songwriters Association International
The Nashville Songwriters Association International is a 501 not-for-profit trade organization that works to help songwriters in three ways: through legislative advocacy, through education and advice about the actual craft of songwriting, and through teaching about the music industry, and how to...
and the Gospel Music Association
Gospel Music Association
The Gospel Music Association was founded in 1964 for the purpose of supporting and promoting the development of all forms of Gospel music. There are currently about 4,000 members worldwide...
. He received a BMI "Special Contribution Award" in appreciation of his many outstanding contributions to the world of Christian music
Christian music
Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely across the world....
. He was the third recipient of the Gospel Music Association “Impact Award” for his outstanding work and influence in the contemporary Christian music industry
Christian music industry
The Christian music industry is a small part of the larger music industry, that focuses on traditional Gospel music, Southern Gospel music, Contemporary Christian music, and alternative Christian music. It is sometimes called the gospel music industry, although this designation is not a limitation...
. His productions of The New Young Messiah and Emmanuel have been successful Christmas tours featuring many high-profile Christian artists.
Songwriting
Nelson, a well-known composer in Christian music, has penned several hymns in The Celebration Hymnal and the Baptist HymnalBaptist Hymnal
The Baptist Hymnal is the primary book of hymns and songs used for Christian worship in churches affiliated with the United States denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention....
s. "People Need The Lord", written by Phill McHugh and Nelson, is considered a Christian classic . His modern oratorio, "Saviour", co-written with Bob Farrell, continues to tour in the United States, Europe and Russia. Hallel (A Musical Suite for Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Choir and Soloists) is his most recent major composition which is orchestrated by Ronn Huff. Also, co-wrote the #1 Larnelle Harris song 'All Along the Way' with Daniel Joseph Schafer
Daniel Joseph Schafer
Daniel Joseph Schafer , known professionally as Dan Schafer, is an American country music and Christian singer, lead guitarist, songwriter, and actor, who has toured with Shania Twain, Barbara Mandrell, George Jones, Lorrie Morgan, T. Graham Brown, and played bass on the Grand Ole Opry for six years...
from the album 'First Love' which Greg Produced in 1998.
Current work
Nelson began serving in a dual role at LifeWay Worship in 2004 as an exclusive songwriter and as Creative Supervisor for song and writer development. His work at LifeWay has included recording over 1000 hymns and worship songsWorship Music
Worship Music is the tenth studio album by American heavy metal band Anthrax. It is their first album of original material since 2003's We've Come for You All and the first to feature original singer Joey Belladonna since 1990's Persistence of Time...
for the creation of the 2008 Baptist Hymnal and the associated website. Nelson supervised the production of this recording, the largest recording project ever in Nashville, which took 10 months to complete with five production teams. The "SongMap" technology developed by LifeWay Christian Resources is based on his ideas of song manipulation.