Marvin Sapp
Encyclopedia
Pastor Marvin Louis Sapp (born on December 6, 1967) is an American Gospel music
singer-songwriter who recorded with the group Commissioned
during the 1990s before beginning a record-breaking solo career. Sapp is also the Founder and Senior pastor of Lighthouse Full Life Center Church, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan
.
and began singing in church at age four. He spent his teenage years singing with a number of Gospel groups and ensembles before being invited by Gospel singer Fred Hammond
to sing with Commissioned
in 1991 after Keith Staten left. Marvin Sapp appears on the group's albums Number 7, Matters of the Heart, and Irreplaceable Love. Sapp left in 1996 and was replaced by Marcus R. Cole.
" from the album Thirsty
in 2007. It peaked at #14 on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, #82 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and also at #1 on the Billboard
Hot Gospel Songs chart. Thirsty debuted at #28 on the U.S. Billboard 200
, #4 on the U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
, and also #1 on the U.S. Billboard Top Gospel Albums. It has been certified gold by the RIAA due to the album selling over 500,000 copies, making it Sapp's best selling album of his solo career, and has so far sold over 712,000 copies. In 2009, Sapp won all seven Gospel Stellar Awards that he was nominated for.
Sapp recorded Thirsty 's follow-up album, Here I Am, on October 16, 2009 at Resurrection Life Church in Wyoming, Michigan and released it on March 16, 2010. With its release, Sapp became the all-time highest charting gospel artist in Billboards 54-year history of tracking album sales. By selling approximately 76,000 copies of Here I Am its first week out, the album debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200
chart, making Here I Am the highest charting album ever by a gospel artist. Here I Ams lead single, "The Best in Me," which was co-written by the album's producer, Aaron Lindsey (Israel Houghton
), peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, #1 on Billboards Gospel Songs chart and reached #20 (with a bullet) on Billboards Urban AC chart. On January 15, 2011, Marvin Sapp topped the list of winners during the 26th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards
fraternity. Sapp likes to appear in a church in Douglas Georgia called Hightower Memorial Temple. Sapp also has been awarded doctorate degrees from two non-accredited institutions, a Doctor of Divinity Degree from Aenon Bible College and the Doctor of Ministry Degree from Friends International Christian University.
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
singer-songwriter who recorded with the group Commissioned
Commissioned (gospel group)
Commissioned is an American Gospel group. The group recorded twelve albums over a period of seventeen years.-Group composition:Originally from Detroit, Michigan, the six original members were Fred Hammond, Mitchell Jones, Keith Staten, Karl Reid, Michael Brooks, and Michael Williams formed a...
during the 1990s before beginning a record-breaking solo career. Sapp is also the Founder and Senior pastor of Lighthouse Full Life Center Church, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
.
Early years
Sapp was born and raised in Grand Rapids, MichiganGrand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
and began singing in church at age four. He spent his teenage years singing with a number of Gospel groups and ensembles before being invited by Gospel singer Fred Hammond
Fred Hammond
Fred Hammond is a gospel music singer, bass guitar player, and record producer.-Musical career:Hammond has been active both as a member of the gospel performing group Commissioned, and as a solo artist...
to sing with Commissioned
Commissioned (gospel group)
Commissioned is an American Gospel group. The group recorded twelve albums over a period of seventeen years.-Group composition:Originally from Detroit, Michigan, the six original members were Fred Hammond, Mitchell Jones, Keith Staten, Karl Reid, Michael Brooks, and Michael Williams formed a...
in 1991 after Keith Staten left. Marvin Sapp appears on the group's albums Number 7, Matters of the Heart, and Irreplaceable Love. Sapp left in 1996 and was replaced by Marcus R. Cole.
Solo career
In 1996, Sapp decided to establish himself as a contemporary gospel solo artist and has recorded seven albums. Sapp first achieved crossover fame with the release of "Never Would Have Made ItNever Would Have Made It
"Never Would Have Made It" is a single by American gospel singer Marvin Sapp from his seventh studio album Thirsty. Sapp wrote this song as a tribute after the death of his father, Henry Lewis Sapp, Jr. He testifies that it was created by divine inspiration the Sunday after his father’s...
" from the album Thirsty
Thirsty (Marvin Sapp album)
Thirsty, a 2007 release on Verity Records, is a gold selling Gospel music album by American contemporary gospel singer Marvin Sapp. It peaked at number 28 on the U.S. Billboard 200, number 4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and number 1 on the Top Gospel Albums chart. It has been certified Gold by...
in 2007. It peaked at #14 on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, #82 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and also at #1 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Gospel Songs chart. Thirsty debuted at #28 on the U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, #4 on the U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
, and also #1 on the U.S. Billboard Top Gospel Albums. It has been certified gold by the RIAA due to the album selling over 500,000 copies, making it Sapp's best selling album of his solo career, and has so far sold over 712,000 copies. In 2009, Sapp won all seven Gospel Stellar Awards that he was nominated for.
Sapp recorded Thirsty 's follow-up album, Here I Am, on October 16, 2009 at Resurrection Life Church in Wyoming, Michigan and released it on March 16, 2010. With its release, Sapp became the all-time highest charting gospel artist in Billboards 54-year history of tracking album sales. By selling approximately 76,000 copies of Here I Am its first week out, the album debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, making Here I Am the highest charting album ever by a gospel artist. Here I Ams lead single, "The Best in Me," which was co-written by the album's producer, Aaron Lindsey (Israel Houghton
Israel Houghton
-Other recordings :* "Champions for Christ" - Hi5 * "Where Are the Fathers?" from He-Motions * "Send Me to the Nations" from A Wing & A Prayer...
), peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, #1 on Billboards Gospel Songs chart and reached #20 (with a bullet) on Billboards Urban AC chart. On January 15, 2011, Marvin Sapp topped the list of winners during the 26th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards
Personal life
Sapp is the widower of MaLinda Sapp, a professor and psychologist, who served as the Administrative Pastor at Lighthouse Full Life Center Church. MaLinda Sapp died September 9, 2010 from complications of colon cancer. Sapp has three children: Marvin II, Mikaila, and Madisson. On March 21, 2009, Sapp was initiated into the Grand Rapids Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha PsiKappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...
fraternity. Sapp likes to appear in a church in Douglas Georgia called Hightower Memorial Temple. Sapp also has been awarded doctorate degrees from two non-accredited institutions, a Doctor of Divinity Degree from Aenon Bible College and the Doctor of Ministry Degree from Friends International Christian University.
Solo albums
| Year | Album | Chart peaks | RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... Certifications |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
U.S. R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
U.S. Gospel |
|||
| 1996 | Marvin Sapp
|
— | — | — | |
| 1997 | Grace & Mercy
|
— | — | 11 | |
| 1999 | Nothing Else Matters
|
— | — | 6 | |
| 2002 | I Believe
Verity Records Verity Records is an American gospel music-focused record label founded in 1994. The label is a now major component and namesake of Verity Gospel Music Group , the Gospel group operated by Jive Label Group, which in turn is owned by Sony Music Entertainment.-Artists :* 21:03* Crystal Aikin*... |
— | 62 | 4 | |
| 2003 | Diary of a Psalmist
|
— | — | 6 | |
| 2005 | Be Exalted
|
164 | 41 | 2 | |
| 2007 | Thirsty Thirsty (Marvin Sapp album) Thirsty, a 2007 release on Verity Records, is a gold selling Gospel music album by American contemporary gospel singer Marvin Sapp. It peaked at number 28 on the U.S. Billboard 200, number 4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and number 1 on the Top Gospel Albums chart. It has been certified Gold by... |
28 | 4 | 1 |
Gold |
| 2010 | Here I Am
|
2 | 1 | 1 | |
Singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
U.S. Gospel | |||
| 2005 | "Changed" | — | — | 38 | Be Exalted |
| 2006 | "Perfect Peace" | — | — | 15 | |
| 2008 | "Never Would Have Made It Never Would Have Made It "Never Would Have Made It" is a single by American gospel singer Marvin Sapp from his seventh studio album Thirsty. Sapp wrote this song as a tribute after the death of his father, Henry Lewis Sapp, Jr. He testifies that it was created by divine inspiration the Sunday after his father’s... " |
82 | 14 | 1 | Thirsty |
| 2009 | "Praise Him in Advance" | — | 100 | 2 | |
| 2010 | "The Best in Me" | — | 14 | 1 | Here I Am |
| "He Has His Hand on You" | — | — | 4 | ||
BET Awards
| Year | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Best Gospel Artist | |
| 2010 BET Awards 2010 The 2010 BET Awards took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on June 27, 2010, honoring African-Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports and other fields in the past year... |
Best Gospel Artist |
GMA Dove Awards
| Year | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 Dove Awards of 2008 The 39th Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on April 23, 2008 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2007. The show was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee.Nominations were announced on February 14, 2008 by singer Michael W... |
Male Vocalist of the Year | |
| 2009 Dove Awards of 2009 The 40th Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on April 23, 2009 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2008. The show was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hosted by Rebecca St... |
Artist of the Year | |
| Male Vocalist of the Year | ||
| 2011 | Artist of the Year | |
| Male Vocalist of the Year | ||
| Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year ("The Best In Me") | ||
| Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year (Here I Am) | ||