Point of Grace
Encyclopedia
Point of Grace is an all-female Contemporary Christian music
group. The trio
consists of Shelley Breen
, Denise Jones
, and Leigh Cappillino
. The group started out as a quartet
in 1991, with original members Breen and Jones, as well as Terry Jones
and Heather Payne
. In November 2003, Terry Jones decided she needed to spend more time with her family after giving birth to her third child, and left the group, with Cappillino joining in March 2004 for their 2004 release I Choose You. In June 2008, Payne announced her retirement from the group, in order to spend more time with her husband and four children.
The group's debut self-titled album was released in 1993; since then, they have been recognized as one of the top Contemporary Christian music
bands in the United States. In 2003, they released their ninth album, 24
- a compilation of 24 previous hits.
in Arkadelphia, Arkansas
. Denise Masters, Terry Lang and Heather Floyd, who knew each other from Norman, Oklahoma
, coincidentally found themselves at OBU
, and naturally got involved in music. They sang in a vocal group called 'The Ouachitones,' which was made up of 14 girls. Within the group, the girls formed a trio, and after a sound check for a Ouachitones performance, the girls were singing a cappella
when they were told by an onlooker that they should do something together. Shelley Phillips had come from Little Rock, Arkansas
to OBU with a scholarship in vocal performance. She sang in a group called the Praise Singers, made up of four girls and four guys and they traveled around the country performing concerts. She became friends with Terry and Heather through Denise, who was her roommate and sister in the social club Chi Delta. After Heather, Terry and Denise made plans to form a trio and sing together over the summer, Denise went back to her dorm room and excitedly told Shelley about their summer plans. After Shelley suggested that the trio became a quartet, it seemed to be the perfect fit.
They called themselves Say So, taken after Psalm 107:2 where it says, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so." It truly was a do-it-yourself project, and group's tasks were delegated amongst themselves according to each one's best ability. Heather took care of publicity and album sales, Terry took care of the money, Shelley was in charge of booking and Denise was in charge of all their music. Before their performances, they were the ones who would haul their equipment onstage and set it up. They developed quite a following that summer, and spent the remainder of the year singing every weekend. After many fan requests, they recorded an independent album, and became favorites in the South and Midwest. Despite not seeing a reason to pursue a major record deal, the girls, encouraged by their family members attended the 1992 Music in the Rockies
Christian Artists Seminar in Estes Park, Colorado
. They wowed the crowd and the judges when they performed "He's The Best Thing" and wound up winning the Overall Grand Prize in the Group competition.
The girls found that, after their performance, there was major record label interest, and by prayerful decision, the group decided to sign with Word Records. They then moved to Nashville to start work on what would become their self-titled debut album
.
. It was quickly embraced by fans and critics, who compared the group's tight harmonies to that of pop group Wilson Phillips
. The album's next five singles also reached the top of the charts, a feat unmatched to this day. Before Point of Grace, the record was held by Gloria Estefan
and Mariah Carey
with 4 consecutive No. 1 singles from their debut albums. The group's undeniably catchy sound, inspiring lyrics and fresh-faced image increased their following, and songs like "I'll Be Believing", and "Jesus Will Still Be There" became fan favorites and regulars on their concert set lists to this day. In 1993 they were named New Artist of the Year at the 24th GMA Dove Awards
and embarked on a national tour with Wayne Watson
for whom they sang backup after opening each concert. After that tour ended, they began doing concerts on their own, and were gone roughly 22 days out of the month. In 1995, they were featured in the Warren Chaney
docudrama
, America: A Call to Greatness
. In 1997, their debut album was certified gold by the RIAA and was the top-selling Christian catalog album of 1998. They were also a part of the Young Messiah Tour and regulars at Disney's Night of Joy concert series
The girls assembled back in the studio towards the end of 1994 to begin work on the follow-up to Point of Grace
. They met with 35 different songwriters and told them where their hearts were at. The songs that were born out of those writing sessions became part of the girls' lives. They worked hard, and on March 15, 1995, The Whole Truth
was released. The album's first single, "The Great Divide", shot to No. 1 and became the girls' seventh consecutive No. 1 single. Its powerful message of the gospel
touched so many lives, and it is to this day a favorite among the members of the group and their listeners. Lyrically, the whole album had an evangelistic feel to it, with its messages about God's love ("Love Like No Other" and "Without The Love Of Jesus"), Christ's sacrifice ("Dying To Reach You" and "The Great Divide") and Christian life ("Gather At The River"), and it spoke into the hearts of many listeners. The album did very well on the charts, charting at No. 1 and staying there for 13 consecutive weeks. After it left the No. 1 spot, it remained in the Top 10 for 45 consecutive weeks. It was certified gold by the RIAA in 1997 and the remaining four singles also reached the top of the charts. The girls embarked on a nationwide tour with Phillips, Craig & Dean and special guest Cheri Keaggy
, and were also a part of the Young Messiah Farewell Tour, along with artists like Sandi Patty
, 4Him
and Larnelle Harris
. They also contributed songs in several special event albums. They recorded a new rendition of the hymn "Fairest Lord Jesus" for the Hymns & Voices album; the song "Hold On To Me" for the My Utmost for His Highest
project and a new take on "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" for the album Christmas Carols Of The Young Messiah. The hard work on The Whole Truth
paid off; they were named the 1996 Group of the Year at the Dove Awards and also won Doves for Pop/Contemporary Recorded Album of the Year (The Whole Truth
), Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year ("The Great Divide") and Special Event Album of the Year (My Utmost For His Highest).
Magazine. The book was written by the girls along with Davin Seay. In it, each member told her life story, and the other chapters were divided into question-and-answer sections were the girls addressed topics like dating, sex, clothes, family life and friends. The girls hoped that this would offer their fans a greater glimpse into their lives and beliefs. Along with writing the book, the girls also began work on their third album. This project was a growing pain of sorts for them. John Mays, the man who had signed them to Word Records
, had left his position there as A&R
to join Sparrow Records
. The girls were left to make all major decisions, and for the first time, were executive producer
s of their album. They took their time with the record, and the result was Life Love & Other Mysteries
, released on September 9, 1996. The book was also released that same day, bearing the subtitle "Advice and Inspiration from Christian Music's No. 1 Pop Group."
The media was paying attention to Point of Grace. On the day of the album released, Word Records
chartered the Dallas Mavericks
' DC-9 jet and the girls flew to five different cities in one day to promote their album. They made stops in Grand Rapids, Michigan
; Chicago, Illinois; Minneapolis, Minnesota
; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
and finally ended back in Nashville, Tennessee
. During each stop they performed their current single, "Keep The Candle Burning", which went No. 1 on the day their album released. It became the girls' twelfth consecutive No. 1 single. A music video
with footage from their whirlwind promo tour was released a few months later. The girls announced that they would be co-headlining an arena tour with 4Him
, who had just released their album The Message. The tour hit major markets and was very successful, leading both groups to add a spring leg, which went into early summer of 1997. In 1996, the girls contributed the song "Follow The Star" to the album Emmanuel: A Musical Celebration Of The Life Of Christ. They were not able to go on the tour, with Avalon
taking their place.
Life Love & Other Mysteries
has been one of their most successful albums to date. It was certified gold by the RIAA in 1997 and platinum in 1999. The album debuted at No. 1 and stayed at the top of the charts for 10 weeks. It was one of the Top 5 selling albums throughout 1997 and one of the Top 10 selling albums in 1998. The album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album in 1997. The girls were also nominated for the 1997 Group of the Year at the Dove Awards and "Keep The Candle Burning" was nominated for Song of the Year. The girls gave a memorable performance of the song during the live The Nashville Network
broadcast from the Sommet Center, with the whole audience swaying little flashlights back and forth. The girls continued touring until September of that year and took some time off, due to Denise's first child arriving in October.
, who had previously worked with Steven Curtis Chapman
and Amy Grant
was brought on to handle production duties. He brought an exciting twist to the girls' music. They were looking for a more progressive, live band sound for this album, and sure enough, there was less programming than their previous efforts. Chris Eaton was also brought along to handle the vocal production for the album, and the results pleased the girls, as the vocal arrangements were far more intricate than before. It would be interesting to apply these vocal arrangements on a live show setting, and on their one-off concert dates in the spring and summer of 1998, the girls previewed some of the new songs, such as "Jesus Is", "Steady On" and "Better Days." They took a pause in the middle of recording for Terry to give birth to her first child in April.
The remaining members appeared at the 1998 Dove Awards without her, where they were nominated for Artist of the Year, Group of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year for "Circle Of Friends", but the group went home empty-handed. During The Nashville Network
broadcast of the show, pre-show host Kathy Troccoli
informed fans of Cole Devore Jones' birth April 15 (a week before the Doves), calling him jokingly Terry and Chris's "tax return".
In July 1998, the girls released their new single, "Steady On" to radio stations, and to promote the album, also entitled Steady On, they released a CD single
to Christian bookstores. The single contained the album version of "Steady On", a pop remix and a dance remix, both produced
by Tony McAnany. There was also enhanced content on the CD, such as brief bios from the girls, excerpts from a new devotional book, a photo gallery and other anecdotes. The album was released on August 4, 1998, and debuted at No. 1 on the SoundScan sales chart, and remained in the Top 10 for 7 consecutive weeks. It was certified gold by the RIAA in 1999 and platinum in 2002. The lead single and title track soon reached the top of the charts, becoming Point of Grace's 16th consecutive No. 1 single. Five more singles followed suit, making it a total of 21 consecutive No. 1s. In October 1998, the girls launched their first tour as a headliner. The Steady On Tour
was also the first time they toured with their own band. Led by Dana Cappillino, the musicians breathed new life into Point of Grace's music. In 1999 they won Dove Awards for Group of the Year and Enhanced CD of the Year for the Steady On CD Single. At the 1999 Grammy Awards, they were nominated for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album for Steady On. Heather also got married in 1999, in the middle of the tour. They contributed the song "The River" for the Experiencing God album, the song "Forever On And On" for the Streams album project, and "Love Won't Leave You Now" for The Mercy Project, dedicated to Mercy Ministries of America.
After the Steady On tour closed in the Spring of 1999, the girls began work on their first Christmas
release. The album was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee; London, England and Montreal, Canada. Brown Bannister
once again handled the production, and A&R man Brent Bourgeois
and vocal arranger Chris Eaton were also brought back on. The orchestra
, arranged by Carl Marsh and Ronn Huff was recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios
in London. The end result was a lush, classic collection of holiday favorites and new originals. The girls were proud of their accomplishment, and on September 27, 1999, A Christmas Story
was released. The fact that Life Love & Other Mysteries
had just been certified platinum and "The Song Is Alive" had just become their 21st No. 1 song caught the media's attention once again, and they appeared in several media outlets such as Donny & Marie
, ABC's The View and The 700 Club
, where they plugged A Christmas Story
and their participation on Amy Grant
's Christmas Tour. All four members started the tour together, but Terry, who was 9 months pregnant with her second child (another son, Luke Marshall), left the tour halfway through, leaving Heather, Shelley and Denise to perform as a trio. After the tour ended, the girls took a year-long hiatus, regrouping occasionally for Women of Faith
conferences and one or two one-off dates. To keep their fans happy until the release of their next studio album, Word
released Rarities & Remixes
a collection of remixed hits from their first two releases, four songs from their independent album, two rare tracks and a live version of "Circle Of Friends". They also performed four songs at the Billy Graham
Crusade in Nashville, Tennessee.
. While the girls approached this recording as if it were the first, their experience led them to call all the shots during the process. They worked with six different producers in this album: Brown Bannister, with whom they had previously worked, David Tyson
, Nathan Nockels who played keyboards
for them in the Steady On Tour
, Tom Laune, Glenn Garrett, and Wayne Tester. Each producer
brought a different sound from the girls, which is what they were aiming for when they started work on this project. The lead single, "Blue Skies" was an instant radio hit, and soon went No. 1 on the charts. The album, entitled Free to Fly
was released on May 1, 2001, and that same week they opened the Dove Awards telecast, shot at the Grand Ole Opry
in Nashville, Tennessee
. They gave a rousing performance of the cut "Begin With Me", complete with a pyrotechnics display. The girls went on to promote the album during the summer of 2001, performing at the major Christian festivals and doing their own concerts, while preparing for The Free To Fly Tour. There were rumors going around that the tour might be canceled due to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, but Heather cleared this up on a newsletter, stating that now, more than ever, people needed to hear the message of hope. And in honor of the ones who lost their lives in the attacks, they closed each show with a rousing a cappella rendition of "America The Beautiful
".
In early 2002, Point of Grace began work on a project that is dear to their hearts to this day. After years of receiving letters and getting questions from teenage girls, they felt as if God was calling them to do something to make a difference in those girls' lives. The Girls of Grace
project slowly became a reality. They worked with the Tennessee Choral Academy, and several female artists such as Rachael Lampa
, Joy Williams, Out of Eden
and Jaci Velasquez
contributed to the project with their talents. Point of Grace previewed the Girls of Grace devotional book, workbook, journal and album during the 2002 GMA Week and premiered one of their songs from the project, "All I'll Ever Need", on the 2002 Dove Awards telecast. The girls continued performing concerts until the summer of 2002, when they took a few months off. Shelley and Heather gave birth to their first children in September, and in the same month, Terry gave birth to her third child. The Girls of Grace album was released on August 20, 2002, and the first conference took place in October of the same year in Lakeland, Florida
. It was a two-day event. To start things up on Friday night, the girls would give a high-energy concert. On Saturday, there were many speakers, such as Susie Shellenberger
of BRIO Magazine, Nancy Alcorn of Mercy Ministries of America, and each member of Point of Grace as well. They addressed topics such as self-esteem, sex, family issues, friendships and relationships with God
. There were also musical guests. On the first series of Girls of Grace conferences, Joy Williams helped provide music. Out of Eden
was there for the 2003 and 2004 conferences. The Katinas
also played in a few select 2004 conferences while Jaime Jamgochian and M.O.C. provided music and worship in 2005 and 2006.
In 2003, the commemorative album, 24
was released, featuring the group's 24 greatest hits—as well as a new song, "Day By Day". Along with the album came a booklet that gave information and thoughts on the songs. They also released their first DVD
, entitled 7, which contained the videos to "Jesus Will Still Be There", "Dying To Reach You", "Gather At The River", "Keep The Candle Burning", "Circle Of Friends", "Steady On", and "Begin With Me". Then in November 2003, they published a hardcover book titled, Keep The Candle Burning: 24 Reflections From Our Favorite Songs, which contained reflections on each of their previous hits. The group spent 2003 doing one-off shows, "Girls of Grace" concerts, and appeared on Michael W. Smith
's Christmastime Tour.
, and her last concert was in Little Rock, Arkansas
, on February 28, 2004. Leigh had been officially on board since January 1, 2004, but her first concert was in Atlanta, Georgia
, on March 12, 2004.
Leigh's first album with Point of Grace was I Choose You
, released on October 12, 2004. It displayed a rawer, less glossy sound than before from the group. They also worked with producers with whom they had never worked with such as Mark Hammond
, Wayne Kirkpatrick
and David Zaffiro
. Brent Bourgeois
, who produced the song "Forever On And On" from the Streams album also produced one track. The album was the most progressive of their career up to that point. They spent the remainder of 2004 doing promotional appearances and participating once again in Michael W. Smith
's Christmastime Tour along with The Katinas
. In February 2005, they began the I Choose You Tour
with Scott Krippayne
and special guest Charity Von. The tour took the girls through 30 cities, and the show's set lists featured cuts from I Choose You
as well as songs from their back catalog. After the tour wrapped, the girls began work on their second Christmas release, again produced by Brown Bannister
. The girls spent the summer of 2005 recording the album, which, like A Christmas Story
, featured holiday classics and new original songs. Winter Wonderland was released on October 4, 2005. They launched their first Christmas tour, the Winter Wonderland Tour in late November 2005, playing 16 concerts in varied markets. The show had John David Webster, who was featured on Winter Wonderland, as a special guests, and local choirs participated in every show.
In 2006, the girls resumed their Girls of Grace
activities, and began working with Michael Passons
, formerly of Avalon
, who began to tour with them. On one-off dates, the girls would have acoustic segments where Dana and Michael would be featured on guitar
and piano
, respectively, along with vocals from the girls. Heather also gave birth to her third child in 2006. The girls launched the 2006 Winter Wonderland Tour with special guest Scott Krippayne.
. During that time, they contributed an a cappella
rendition of the hymn "All Hail The Power Of Jesus' Name" to the WoW Hymns project, which was released in March 2007. The girls promoted the first two singles, "All The World" and "You Are Good" during GMA Week in April, and have been singing a few album cuts during their recent concerts. The album, produced by Brown Bannister finds the girls returning to their musical roots, with the harmonies they are known for, and an earthy sound not yet explored by the girls. They shot a video to the single "How You Live (Turn Up The Music)", in mid-June in Birmingham, Alabama
, and premiered it on their official website in early July. Led by the single "All The World", they released the album How You Live
in late August. "All The World" was reasonably popular and found its way into the Top 40 in the Mediabase charts. The follow-up single, "How You Live (Turn Up The Music)" did far better, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot Christian Adult Contemporary Chart. The album peaked at number fifty-six on the Billboard 200 and at number four on the Top Christian & Gospel Album Charts. The unexpected success of the album and single earned the group five Dove Award nominations, including Song of the Year for "How You Live (Turn Up The Music)", Group of the Year and Artist of the Year. "How You Live" was released to country radio in April 2008, entering the country charts at #56.
In February 2008, the girls embarked on the All The World Tour with special guests Selah
and Michael Passons
, who has become the group's standard keyboard player.
In February 2008, Point Of Grace was nominated for five Dove Awards, including Group of the Year and Artist of The Year. The girls performed their single "How You Live (Turn Up The Music)" with Cindy Morgan
, the song's writer. They were backed by ballerinas and group member Denise Jones displayed her guitar skills for the first time on the telecast. They picked up the award for Country Recorded Song of the Year and Cindy Morgan took home the award for Songwriter of the Year, for "How You Live (Turn Up The Music)." On the same week of the Doves telecast, they made their debut on the Grand Ole Opry
stage, solidifying their growing acceptance in the country music market. They have been back on the show several times since their debut.
In June 2008, after much speculation, Heather Payne announced that she was retiring from Point Of Grace in order to spend time with her four children and to support her husband in his ministry. Shelley Breen, Leigh Cappillino and Denise Jones announced they would continue on as a trio, and recorded new music for the re-release of their album How You Live
, released in October 2008. In a recent chat session, Shelley Breen noted the group's recurring keyboard player Michael Passons
, who is a solo artist and former Avalon
member, sings selections of the group's older four-part harmonies.
http://www.pointofgrace.net/circleoffriends/viewthechat.htm
The girls released How You Live: Deluxe Edition and Tennessee Christmas: A Holiday Collection
in early October, and went on their annual Winter Wonderland Tour in early December, with special guest Ronnie Freeman.
and Phil Madeira
.
On Saturday August 23 the group appeared on Fox News Channel's Huckabee
, performing "King of the World", the last single from How You Live accompanied by the host on bass guitar.
The group spent the bulk of 2009 working on the follow-up to How You Live
. Produced by Nathan Chapman
, the new album, entitled No Changin' Us
, was released on March 2, 2010, and featured a more country sound that the girls have been going towards. They embarked on a fall tour with Mark Schultz
, the Come Alive Tour, and featured some of the new songs, including "Love & Laundry", "A Good Place To Turn Around" and "The Greatest Show On Earth", as well as covers of John Denver
's "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" and Diamond Rio
's "Meet In The Middle."
Along with the new album, the group released their first ever cookbook, Cooking With Grace, written by the girls along with Julie Adkison.
The summer of 2010 was spent recording their first full-length holiday album since 2005's Winter Wonderland. Home For The Holidays
was released on October 5, 2010, and the girls headlined a Christmas tour in support of the album.
conferences.
, a Christian child-sponsorship organization dedicated to the long-term development of children living in poverty all over the world. In March 2006, Heather and her husband Brian took a trip to El Salvador
to meet their sponsored child, and in April 2006, Shelley Breen, Denise Jones and Leigh Cappillino traveled to Ecuador
to meet their sponsored children. According to the members, their trips were a life-changing experience, and have partnered with Compassion to create awareness for poverty and to urge their listeners to sponsor children as well.
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
group. The trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
consists of Shelley Breen
Shelley Breen
Shelley Lynn Phillips Breen is one-third of the Contemporary Christian Music group Point of Grace. She has won 12 Dove Awards with Point of Grace.-Background:...
, Denise Jones
Denise Jones
Denise Radon Masters Jones is one-third of the Contemporary Christian music group Point of Grace. She has won 12 Dove Awards with Point of Grace.-Background:...
, and Leigh Cappillino
Leigh Cappillino
Robin Leigh Darby Cappillino is one-third of the Contemporary Christian music group Point of Grace. She joined the then-quartet in 2004, after founding member Terry Jones announced her retirement from the group. Since joining the group, she has recorded three albums and been on several nationwide...
. The group started out as a quartet
Quartet
In music, a quartet is a method of instrumentation , used to perform a musical composition, and consisting of four parts.-Western art music:...
in 1991, with original members Breen and Jones, as well as Terry Jones
Terry Jones (singer)
Teresa "Terry" Lea Lang Jones is a founding member of Contemporary Christian music group Point of Grace. She announced her retirement from the group in late 2003 and officially left in early 2004. She has won 7 Dove Awards with Point of Grace.-Background:Jones became a Christian at an early age...
and Heather Payne
Heather Payne
Heather Lynaye Floyd Payne is a solo Contemporary Christian music artist and founding member of group Point of Grace. She announced her retirement from the group in June 2008...
. In November 2003, Terry Jones decided she needed to spend more time with her family after giving birth to her third child, and left the group, with Cappillino joining in March 2004 for their 2004 release I Choose You. In June 2008, Payne announced her retirement from the group, in order to spend more time with her husband and four children.
The group's debut self-titled album was released in 1993; since then, they have been recognized as one of the top Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
bands in the United States. In 2003, they released their ninth album, 24
24 (album)
24 is a compilation of 24 hits from Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 2003 by Word Records.-Disc 1:# "Day By Day" – 3:32# "I'll Be Believing" – 3:18# "One More Broken Heart" – 4:03...
- a compilation of 24 previous hits.
1991–1992: Early years
Point of Grace got its start at Ouachita Baptist UniversityOuachita Baptist University
Ouachita Baptist University is a private, liberal arts, undergraduate institution located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, which is about 65 miles southwest of Little Rock. The university's name is taken from the Ouachita River, which forms the eastern campus boundary. It is affiliated with the Arkansas...
in Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Arkadelphia is a city in Clark County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 10,548. The city is the county seat of Clark County. The city is situated at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. Two universities, Henderson State...
. Denise Masters, Terry Lang and Heather Floyd, who knew each other from Norman, Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
, coincidentally found themselves at OBU
Ouachita Baptist University
Ouachita Baptist University is a private, liberal arts, undergraduate institution located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, which is about 65 miles southwest of Little Rock. The university's name is taken from the Ouachita River, which forms the eastern campus boundary. It is affiliated with the Arkansas...
, and naturally got involved in music. They sang in a vocal group called 'The Ouachitones,' which was made up of 14 girls. Within the group, the girls formed a trio, and after a sound check for a Ouachitones performance, the girls were singing a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
when they were told by an onlooker that they should do something together. Shelley Phillips had come from Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
to OBU with a scholarship in vocal performance. She sang in a group called the Praise Singers, made up of four girls and four guys and they traveled around the country performing concerts. She became friends with Terry and Heather through Denise, who was her roommate and sister in the social club Chi Delta. After Heather, Terry and Denise made plans to form a trio and sing together over the summer, Denise went back to her dorm room and excitedly told Shelley about their summer plans. After Shelley suggested that the trio became a quartet, it seemed to be the perfect fit.
They called themselves Say So, taken after Psalm 107:2 where it says, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so." It truly was a do-it-yourself project, and group's tasks were delegated amongst themselves according to each one's best ability. Heather took care of publicity and album sales, Terry took care of the money, Shelley was in charge of booking and Denise was in charge of all their music. Before their performances, they were the ones who would haul their equipment onstage and set it up. They developed quite a following that summer, and spent the remainder of the year singing every weekend. After many fan requests, they recorded an independent album, and became favorites in the South and Midwest. Despite not seeing a reason to pursue a major record deal, the girls, encouraged by their family members attended the 1992 Music in the Rockies
Music in the Rockies
Music in the Rockies was a week-long festival, with a combination of seminars, competitions, concerts, and events related to Contemporary Christian Music, other kinds of Christian music, and the Christian music business industry. It has been replaced by a new event called Immerse. It was previously...
Christian Artists Seminar in Estes Park, Colorado
Estes Park, Colorado
Estes Park is a town in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. A popular summer resort and the location of the headquarters for Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park lies along the Big Thompson River. Estes Park had a population of 5,858 at the 2010 census...
. They wowed the crowd and the judges when they performed "He's The Best Thing" and wound up winning the Overall Grand Prize in the Group competition.
The girls found that, after their performance, there was major record label interest, and by prayerful decision, the group decided to sign with Word Records. They then moved to Nashville to start work on what would become their self-titled debut album
Point of Grace (album)
Point of Grace is the debut album by Contemporary Christian group of the same name. It was released in 1993 by Word Records.-Track listing:# "I'll Be Believing" - 3:17# "One More Broken Heart" - 4:02# "Love Enough" - 4:11# "Living The Legacy" - 3:55...
.
1993–1995: Point of Grace begins
On August 23, 1993, led by the No. 1 single "I'll Be Believing", Point of Grace released their self-titled debut albumPoint of Grace (album)
Point of Grace is the debut album by Contemporary Christian group of the same name. It was released in 1993 by Word Records.-Track listing:# "I'll Be Believing" - 3:17# "One More Broken Heart" - 4:02# "Love Enough" - 4:11# "Living The Legacy" - 3:55...
. It was quickly embraced by fans and critics, who compared the group's tight harmonies to that of pop group Wilson Phillips
Wilson Phillips
-Studio albums:-Compilation albums:-Singles:-Other charted songs:-Awards and nominations:...
. The album's next five singles also reached the top of the charts, a feat unmatched to this day. Before Point of Grace, the record was held by Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...
and Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
with 4 consecutive No. 1 singles from their debut albums. The group's undeniably catchy sound, inspiring lyrics and fresh-faced image increased their following, and songs like "I'll Be Believing", and "Jesus Will Still Be There" became fan favorites and regulars on their concert set lists to this day. In 1993 they were named New Artist of the Year at the 24th GMA Dove Awards
24th GMA Dove Awards
The 24th Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on April 1, 1993 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 1992. The show was held in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hosted by Barbara Mandrell.-Award recipients:*Artist of the Year**Michael English...
and embarked on a national tour with Wayne Watson
Wayne Watson
Wayne Watson is a Dove Award-winning singer-songwriter in contemporary Christian music. Some of his songs have become CCM classics, including "Another Time, Another Place," "For Such a Time as This," "Friend of a Wounded Heart," "Touch of the Master's Hand," "New Lives for Old," and "Watercolour...
for whom they sang backup after opening each concert. After that tour ended, they began doing concerts on their own, and were gone roughly 22 days out of the month. In 1995, they were featured in the Warren Chaney
Warren Chaney
Warren Herbert Chaney, Ph.D. is an American executive, author, filmmaker, behavioral scientist, entertainer, businessman and a pioneer in early television. In a career spanning four decades, Chaney wrote fifteen books, fourteen screenplays, and seventy-eight professional and nonprofessional...
docudrama
Docudrama
In film, television programming and staged theatre, docudrama is a documentary-style genre that features dramatized re-enactments of actual historical events. As a neologism, the term is often confused with docufiction....
, America: A Call to Greatness
America: A Call to Greatness
America: A Call to Greatness is a 1995 docudrama feature from Paige-Brace Cinema, chronicling United States history from its inception through the 20th century. It stars Charlton Heston, Mickey Rooney, Deborah Winters, Peter Graves, Jane Russell, and Rita Moreno among others and was written,...
. In 1997, their debut album was certified gold by the RIAA and was the top-selling Christian catalog album of 1998. They were also a part of the Young Messiah Tour and regulars at Disney's Night of Joy concert series
The girls assembled back in the studio towards the end of 1994 to begin work on the follow-up to Point of Grace
Point of Grace (album)
Point of Grace is the debut album by Contemporary Christian group of the same name. It was released in 1993 by Word Records.-Track listing:# "I'll Be Believing" - 3:17# "One More Broken Heart" - 4:02# "Love Enough" - 4:11# "Living The Legacy" - 3:55...
. They met with 35 different songwriters and told them where their hearts were at. The songs that were born out of those writing sessions became part of the girls' lives. They worked hard, and on March 15, 1995, The Whole Truth
The Whole Truth (album)
Point of Grace is the second album by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 1995 by Word Records with selected market distribution by Epic Records in a deal that dated to Word's ownership by Capital Cities Communications in the 1980s...
was released. The album's first single, "The Great Divide", shot to No. 1 and became the girls' seventh consecutive No. 1 single. Its powerful message of the gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
touched so many lives, and it is to this day a favorite among the members of the group and their listeners. Lyrically, the whole album had an evangelistic feel to it, with its messages about God's love ("Love Like No Other" and "Without The Love Of Jesus"), Christ's sacrifice ("Dying To Reach You" and "The Great Divide") and Christian life ("Gather At The River"), and it spoke into the hearts of many listeners. The album did very well on the charts, charting at No. 1 and staying there for 13 consecutive weeks. After it left the No. 1 spot, it remained in the Top 10 for 45 consecutive weeks. It was certified gold by the RIAA in 1997 and the remaining four singles also reached the top of the charts. The girls embarked on a nationwide tour with Phillips, Craig & Dean and special guest Cheri Keaggy
Cheri Keaggy
Cheri Keaggy is a gospel singer and songwriter, with a musical style of Contemporary Christian music. She is now divorced from her high school sweetheart Eddie Keaggy, the nephew of the CCM pioneer artist, Phil Keaggy....
, and were also a part of the Young Messiah Farewell Tour, along with artists like 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:...
, 4Him
4Him
4Him was a Contemporary Christian group founded in 1990 in Alabama, USA. The group has a Grammy nomination, seven Dove awards and an album certified gold to their credit. The group was inducted into Alabama's Music Hall of Fame, following the awarding of The Governor’s Achievement Award...
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...
. They also contributed songs in several special event albums. They recorded a new rendition of the hymn "Fairest Lord Jesus" for the Hymns & Voices album; the song "Hold On To Me" for the My Utmost for His Highest
My Utmost for His Highest (album)
My Utmost for His Highest is the first of two albums of songs inspired by Oswald Chambers' devotional My Utmost for His Highest. The album, produced by Brown Bannister, features performances by popular Christian musicians of songs relating to a day from Chamber's book...
project and a new take on "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" for the album Christmas Carols Of The Young Messiah. The hard work on The Whole Truth
The Whole Truth (album)
Point of Grace is the second album by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 1995 by Word Records with selected market distribution by Epic Records in a deal that dated to Word's ownership by Capital Cities Communications in the 1980s...
paid off; they were named the 1996 Group of the Year at the Dove Awards and also won Doves for Pop/Contemporary Recorded Album of the Year (The Whole Truth
The Whole Truth (album)
Point of Grace is the second album by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 1995 by Word Records with selected market distribution by Epic Records in a deal that dated to Word's ownership by Capital Cities Communications in the 1980s...
), Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year ("The Great Divide") and Special Event Album of the Year (My Utmost For His Highest).
1996–1997: Growing up
In July 1995 it was announced that the girls signed a major book deal with Simon and Schuster. They were getting noticed by the media and had been featured in major publications such as the Ladies Home Journal and TIMETime
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
Magazine. The book was written by the girls along with Davin Seay. In it, each member told her life story, and the other chapters were divided into question-and-answer sections were the girls addressed topics like dating, sex, clothes, family life and friends. The girls hoped that this would offer their fans a greater glimpse into their lives and beliefs. Along with writing the book, the girls also began work on their third album. This project was a growing pain of sorts for them. John Mays, the man who had signed them to Word Records
Word Records
Word Records is a Christian record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a division of Word Entertainment , which, itself is co-owned by Warner Music Group and Curb Records...
, had left his position there as A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
to join 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"...
. The girls were left to make all major decisions, and for the first time, were executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
s of their album. They took their time with the record, and the result was Life Love & Other Mysteries
Life Love & Other Mysteries
Life, Love & Other Mysteries is the third album by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 1996 by Word and Epic Records.-Track listing:# "Life, Love & Other Mysteries" - 4:03# "Keep the Candle Burning" - 4:26...
, released on September 9, 1996. The book was also released that same day, bearing the subtitle "Advice and Inspiration from Christian Music's No. 1 Pop Group."
The media was paying attention to Point of Grace. On the day of the album released, Word Records
Word Records
Word Records is a Christian record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a division of Word Entertainment , which, itself is co-owned by Warner Music Group and Curb Records...
chartered the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
' DC-9 jet and the girls flew to five different cities in one day to promote their album. They made stops 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...
; Chicago, Illinois; Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
and finally ended back in 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...
. During each stop they performed their current single, "Keep The Candle Burning", which went No. 1 on the day their album released. It became the girls' twelfth consecutive No. 1 single. A music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
with footage from their whirlwind promo tour was released a few months later. The girls announced that they would be co-headlining an arena tour with 4Him
4Him
4Him was a Contemporary Christian group founded in 1990 in Alabama, USA. The group has a Grammy nomination, seven Dove awards and an album certified gold to their credit. The group was inducted into Alabama's Music Hall of Fame, following the awarding of The Governor’s Achievement Award...
, who had just released their album The Message. The tour hit major markets and was very successful, leading both groups to add a spring leg, which went into early summer of 1997. In 1996, the girls contributed the song "Follow The Star" to the album Emmanuel: A Musical Celebration Of The Life Of Christ. They were not able to go on the tour, with Avalon
Avalon (band)
Avalon is an American contemporary Christian vocal quartet who has earned multiple RIAA-certified gold records, sold four million albums, and released 22 number one Christian hits.- 1995–1997: Formation of Avalon and A Maze of Grace :...
taking their place.
Life Love & Other Mysteries
Life Love & Other Mysteries
Life, Love & Other Mysteries is the third album by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 1996 by Word and Epic Records.-Track listing:# "Life, Love & Other Mysteries" - 4:03# "Keep the Candle Burning" - 4:26...
has been one of their most successful albums to date. It was certified gold by the RIAA in 1997 and platinum in 1999. The album debuted at No. 1 and stayed at the top of the charts for 10 weeks. It was one of the Top 5 selling albums throughout 1997 and one of the Top 10 selling albums in 1998. The album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album in 1997. The girls were also nominated for the 1997 Group of the Year at the Dove Awards and "Keep The Candle Burning" was nominated for Song of the Year. The girls gave a memorable performance of the song during the live The Nashville Network
The Nashville Network
The Nashville Network, usually referred to as TNN, was an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming included music videos, taped concerts, movies, syndicated programs, and numerous talk shows...
broadcast from the Sommet Center, with the whole audience swaying little flashlights back and forth. The girls continued touring until September of that year and took some time off, due to Denise's first child arriving in October.
1998–2000: Artistic establishment, media attention and a hiatus
Point of Grace began work on their new album in late 1997/early 1998. Brown BannisterBrown Bannister
Brown Bannister is a CCM producer and songwriter. Bannister released one album of his own, Talk to One Another, in 1981 on NewPax Records. It was reissued on the Reunion Records Label five years later, featuring a newer recording of the album's final cut, "Create In Me A Clean Heart"...
, who had previously worked with 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,...
and 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"...
was brought on to handle production duties. He brought an exciting twist to the girls' music. They were looking for a more progressive, live band sound for this album, and sure enough, there was less programming than their previous efforts. Chris Eaton was also brought along to handle the vocal production for the album, and the results pleased the girls, as the vocal arrangements were far more intricate than before. It would be interesting to apply these vocal arrangements on a live show setting, and on their one-off concert dates in the spring and summer of 1998, the girls previewed some of the new songs, such as "Jesus Is", "Steady On" and "Better Days." They took a pause in the middle of recording for Terry to give birth to her first child in April.
The remaining members appeared at the 1998 Dove Awards without her, where they were nominated for Artist of the Year, Group of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year for "Circle Of Friends", but the group went home empty-handed. During The Nashville Network
The Nashville Network
The Nashville Network, usually referred to as TNN, was an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming included music videos, taped concerts, movies, syndicated programs, and numerous talk shows...
broadcast of the show, pre-show host Kathy Troccoli
Kathy Troccoli
Kathleen Colleen "Kathy" Troccoli is a contemporary Christian singer, author, and speaker.-Personal:Born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 24, 1958, Troccoli moved at age three and was raised in Islip Terrace, Long Island, New York, graduating from East Islip High School. At 15, she lost her father...
informed fans of Cole Devore Jones' birth April 15 (a week before the Doves), calling him jokingly Terry and Chris's "tax return".
In July 1998, the girls released their new single, "Steady On" to radio stations, and to promote the album, also entitled Steady On, they released a CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
to Christian bookstores. The single contained the album version of "Steady On", a pop remix and a dance remix, both produced
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...
by Tony McAnany. There was also enhanced content on the CD, such as brief bios from the girls, excerpts from a new devotional book, a photo gallery and other anecdotes. The album was released on August 4, 1998, and debuted at No. 1 on the SoundScan sales chart, and remained in the Top 10 for 7 consecutive weeks. It was certified gold by the RIAA in 1999 and platinum in 2002. The lead single and title track soon reached the top of the charts, becoming Point of Grace's 16th consecutive No. 1 single. Five more singles followed suit, making it a total of 21 consecutive No. 1s. In October 1998, the girls launched their first tour as a headliner. The Steady On Tour
The Steady On Tour
The Steady On Tour was a nationwide theater tour which took place in the fall of 1998 and winter and spring of 1999. It was headlined by Point of Grace and featured special guests Watermark.-History:...
was also the first time they toured with their own band. Led by Dana Cappillino, the musicians breathed new life into Point of Grace's music. In 1999 they won Dove Awards for Group of the Year and Enhanced CD of the Year for the Steady On CD Single. At the 1999 Grammy Awards, they were nominated for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album for Steady On. Heather also got married in 1999, in the middle of the tour. They contributed the song "The River" for the Experiencing God album, the song "Forever On And On" for the Streams album project, and "Love Won't Leave You Now" for The Mercy Project, dedicated to Mercy Ministries of America.
After the Steady On tour closed in the Spring of 1999, the girls began work on their first Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
release. The album was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee; London, England and Montreal, Canada. Brown Bannister
Brown Bannister
Brown Bannister is a CCM producer and songwriter. Bannister released one album of his own, Talk to One Another, in 1981 on NewPax Records. It was reissued on the Reunion Records Label five years later, featuring a newer recording of the album's final cut, "Create In Me A Clean Heart"...
once again handled the production, and A&R man Brent Bourgeois
Brent Bourgeois
Brent Thomas Bourgeois is an American rock musician, songwriter, and producer. He was co-leader of the band Bourgeois Tagg with Larry Tagg, and has released several solo albums. His later work has been classified in the genres Pop and Contemporary Christian Music.- Early career :Born in New...
and vocal arranger Chris Eaton were also brought back on. The orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
, arranged by Carl Marsh and Ronn Huff was recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
in London. The end result was a lush, classic collection of holiday favorites and new originals. The girls were proud of their accomplishment, and on September 27, 1999, A Christmas Story
A Christmas Story (album)
A Christmas Story is the fifth album and first Christmas album by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 1999 by Word Records....
was released. The fact that Life Love & Other Mysteries
Life Love & Other Mysteries
Life, Love & Other Mysteries is the third album by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 1996 by Word and Epic Records.-Track listing:# "Life, Love & Other Mysteries" - 4:03# "Keep the Candle Burning" - 4:26...
had just been certified platinum and "The Song Is Alive" had just become their 21st No. 1 song caught the media's attention once again, and they appeared in several media outlets such as Donny & Marie
Donny & Marie (1998 TV series)
Donny & Marie was an American talk show hosted by Donny and Marie Osmond, that aired in syndication from September 1998 to May 2000. The show had a "house band", featuring Jerry Williams , Kat Dyson , Paul Peterson , and Nick Vincent . The show aired from 1998 to 2000.-External links:*...
, ABC's The View and The 700 Club
The 700 Club
The 700 Club is the flagship news talk show of the Christian Broadcasting Network, airing in syndication throughout the United States and Canada. In production since 1966, it is currently hosted by Pat Robertson, Terry Meeuwsen, Kristi Watts, and Gordon P. Robertson, two of whom will host on any...
, where they plugged A Christmas Story
A Christmas Story (album)
A Christmas Story is the fifth album and first Christmas album by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 1999 by Word Records....
and their participation on 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"...
's Christmas Tour. All four members started the tour together, but Terry, who was 9 months pregnant with her second child (another son, Luke Marshall), left the tour halfway through, leaving Heather, Shelley and Denise to perform as a trio. After the tour ended, the girls took a year-long hiatus, regrouping occasionally for Women of Faith
Women of Faith
is a Christian women’s organization that has been holding non-denominational conferences at various locations around North America since 1996. According to their Web site, Women of Faith is a faith-based women’s organization encouraging women of all ages and stages in life to grow in faith and...
conferences and one or two one-off dates. To keep their fans happy until the release of their next studio album, Word
Word Records
Word Records is a Christian record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a division of Word Entertainment , which, itself is co-owned by Warner Music Group and Curb Records...
released Rarities & Remixes
Rarities & Remixes
Rarities & Remixes is the sixth album by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 2000 by Word Records.The album features several remixes of some of the group's past hits, plus some rarity songs that weren't included in their previous albums.-Track listing:# "Gather At The...
a collection of remixed hits from their first two releases, four songs from their independent album, two rare tracks and a live version of "Circle Of Friends". They also performed four songs at the Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
Crusade in Nashville, Tennessee.
2001–2003: A fresh (re)start, Girls of Grace, and 24
After a well-deserved hiatus, the girls regrouped in early 2001 to begin work on the follow-up to 1998's Steady OnSteady On
Steady On is the fourth album by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 1998 by Word and Epic Records. It was also the first time they worked with producer Brown Bannister.-Track listing:# "Steady On" - 4:47# "My God" - 4:42...
. While the girls approached this recording as if it were the first, their experience led them to call all the shots during the process. They worked with six different producers in this album: Brown Bannister, with whom they had previously worked, David Tyson
David Tyson
David Tyson is a Canadian rock music producer and songwriter. He is best known for co-writing Alannah Myles' 1990 #1 hit "Black Velvet" and producing her debut album. He also co-wrote 3 hit songs from Amanda Marshall's self-titled 1995 debut album.Tyson has won 3 Juno Awards for his work,...
, Nathan Nockels who played keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
for them in the Steady On Tour
The Steady On Tour
The Steady On Tour was a nationwide theater tour which took place in the fall of 1998 and winter and spring of 1999. It was headlined by Point of Grace and featured special guests Watermark.-History:...
, Tom Laune, Glenn Garrett, and Wayne Tester. Each producer
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...
brought a different sound from the girls, which is what they were aiming for when they started work on this project. The lead single, "Blue Skies" was an instant radio hit, and soon went No. 1 on the charts. The album, entitled Free to Fly
Free to Fly
Free to Fly is the seventh album and fifth studio album by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 2001 by Word Records.-Track listing:# "By Heart" - 3:38# "You Will Never Walk Alone" - 4:24# "He Sends His Love" - 4:35...
was released on May 1, 2001, and that same week they opened the Dove Awards telecast, shot at the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
in 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...
. They gave a rousing performance of the cut "Begin With Me", complete with a pyrotechnics display. The girls went on to promote the album during the summer of 2001, performing at the major Christian festivals and doing their own concerts, while preparing for The Free To Fly Tour. There were rumors going around that the tour might be canceled due to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, but Heather cleared this up on a newsletter, stating that now, more than ever, people needed to hear the message of hope. And in honor of the ones who lost their lives in the attacks, they closed each show with a rousing a cappella rendition of "America The Beautiful
America the Beautiful
"America the Beautiful" is an American patriotic song. The lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and the music composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward....
".
In early 2002, Point of Grace began work on a project that is dear to their hearts to this day. After years of receiving letters and getting questions from teenage girls, they felt as if God was calling them to do something to make a difference in those girls' lives. The Girls of Grace
Girls of Grace
Girls of Grace is a compilation album produced by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 2002 by Word Records.The album was a project from Point of Grace that includes several tracks recorded by other female artists of the Christian music scene like Rachel Lampa, Jennifer...
project slowly became a reality. They worked with the Tennessee Choral Academy, and several female artists such as Rachael Lampa
Rachael Lampa
Rachael Maureen Lampa is a Dove award winning American Christian singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She rose to fame in 2000 with her debut album Live For You, winning a Dove Award as well as achieving four number one singles including "Blessed", "Shaken", "God Loves You",...
, Joy Williams, Out of Eden
Out of Eden
Out of Eden was an American Gospel music group often identified with R&B, and contemporary Christian music. It featured sisters Lisa Kimmey, Andrea Kimmey-Baca, and Danielle Kimmey...
and Jaci Velasquez
Jaci Velasquez
Jacquelyn Davette Velasquez is an American Contemporary Christian and Latin Pop singer—in both English and Spanish languages....
contributed to the project with their talents. Point of Grace previewed the Girls of Grace devotional book, workbook, journal and album during the 2002 GMA Week and premiered one of their songs from the project, "All I'll Ever Need", on the 2002 Dove Awards telecast. The girls continued performing concerts until the summer of 2002, when they took a few months off. Shelley and Heather gave birth to their first children in September, and in the same month, Terry gave birth to her third child. The Girls of Grace album was released on August 20, 2002, and the first conference took place in October of the same year in Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
. It was a two-day event. To start things up on Friday night, the girls would give a high-energy concert. On Saturday, there were many speakers, such as Susie Shellenberger
Susie Shellenberger
Susie Shellenberger is an international speaker and author of 40+ books that have sold more than 1.5 million copies combined. She is the current editor and namesake of SUSIE, a brand for teen girls that includes a print and monthly magazine titled SUSIE Magazine, a Global SUSIE Online Sisterhood ...
of BRIO Magazine, Nancy Alcorn of Mercy Ministries of America, and each member of Point of Grace as well. They addressed topics such as self-esteem, sex, family issues, friendships and relationships with God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. There were also musical guests. On the first series of Girls of Grace conferences, Joy Williams helped provide music. Out of Eden
Out of Eden
Out of Eden was an American Gospel music group often identified with R&B, and contemporary Christian music. It featured sisters Lisa Kimmey, Andrea Kimmey-Baca, and Danielle Kimmey...
was there for the 2003 and 2004 conferences. The Katinas
The Katinas
The Katinas are a Contemporary Christian music group. The family of five brothers hails from American Samoa, and moved to Washington, USA after the death of their mother in 1988. The group's members sang in church as children, and began playing fairs, soon moving up to nationwide slots opening for...
also played in a few select 2004 conferences while Jaime Jamgochian and M.O.C. provided music and worship in 2005 and 2006.
In 2003, the commemorative album, 24
24 (album)
24 is a compilation of 24 hits from Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 2003 by Word Records.-Disc 1:# "Day By Day" – 3:32# "I'll Be Believing" – 3:18# "One More Broken Heart" – 4:03...
was released, featuring the group's 24 greatest hits—as well as a new song, "Day By Day". Along with the album came a booklet that gave information and thoughts on the songs. They also released their first DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, entitled 7, which contained the videos to "Jesus Will Still Be There", "Dying To Reach You", "Gather At The River", "Keep The Candle Burning", "Circle Of Friends", "Steady On", and "Begin With Me". Then in November 2003, they published a hardcover book titled, Keep The Candle Burning: 24 Reflections From Our Favorite Songs, which contained reflections on each of their previous hits. The group spent 2003 doing one-off shows, "Girls of Grace" concerts, and appeared on 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...
's Christmastime Tour.
2004–2006: Lineup changes and new sound
In November 2003, Terry Jones announced she would be retiring from Point of Grace. She was finding it harder and harder to handle a full-time music career and being a full-time wife and mother to her family. After much prayer, she wrote a letter which was posted on the group's official website, along with a letter from Heather, Shelley and Denise. They made it clear that they had no intentions of carrying on as a trio, and called upon band leader Dana Cappillino's wife Leigh, to join her husband on tour. Terry's last tour with the group was the 2003 Christmastime Tour with Michael W. SmithMichael 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...
, and her last concert was in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
, on February 28, 2004. Leigh had been officially on board since January 1, 2004, but her first concert was in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, on March 12, 2004.
Leigh's first album with Point of Grace was I Choose You
I Choose You
I Choose You is the tenth album and sixth studio album by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 2004 by Word Records.The album is the first to feature new member, Leigh Cappillino, who replaced founding member Terry Jones...
, released on October 12, 2004. It displayed a rawer, less glossy sound than before from the group. They also worked with producers with whom they had never worked with such as Mark Hammond
Mark Hammond
Mark Hammond may refer to:* Mark Hammond , South Carolina Secretary of State* Mark Hammond * Mark Hammond, main character in the video game series The Getaway...
, Wayne Kirkpatrick
Wayne Kirkpatrick
Wayne Kirkpatrick is an American singer/songwriter and musician born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana but now lives in Nashville, Tennessee. He graduated from Baton Rouge Magnet High School in 1979....
and David Zaffiro
David Zaffiro
-Career:His professional career began as guitarist for the metal band Bloodgood. Though he officially left the band following their third album, he did play various parts on later albums. He then began producing records independently and for others...
. Brent Bourgeois
Brent Bourgeois
Brent Thomas Bourgeois is an American rock musician, songwriter, and producer. He was co-leader of the band Bourgeois Tagg with Larry Tagg, and has released several solo albums. His later work has been classified in the genres Pop and Contemporary Christian Music.- Early career :Born in New...
, who produced the song "Forever On And On" from the Streams album also produced one track. The album was the most progressive of their career up to that point. They spent the remainder of 2004 doing promotional appearances and participating once again in 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...
's Christmastime Tour along with The Katinas
The Katinas
The Katinas are a Contemporary Christian music group. The family of five brothers hails from American Samoa, and moved to Washington, USA after the death of their mother in 1988. The group's members sang in church as children, and began playing fairs, soon moving up to nationwide slots opening for...
. In February 2005, they began the I Choose You Tour
The I Choose You Tour
The I Choose You Tour was a nationwide tour that took place in the winter and spring of 2005. It was headlined by Point of Grace and featured special guests Scott Krippayne and Charity Von...
with Scott Krippayne
Scott Krippayne
Scott Krippayne is a Christian music artist, singer and songwriter. He has released ten albums between 1992 and 2008...
and special guest Charity Von. The tour took the girls through 30 cities, and the show's set lists featured cuts from I Choose You
I Choose You
I Choose You is the tenth album and sixth studio album by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 2004 by Word Records.The album is the first to feature new member, Leigh Cappillino, who replaced founding member Terry Jones...
as well as songs from their back catalog. After the tour wrapped, the girls began work on their second Christmas release, again produced by Brown Bannister
Brown Bannister
Brown Bannister is a CCM producer and songwriter. Bannister released one album of his own, Talk to One Another, in 1981 on NewPax Records. It was reissued on the Reunion Records Label five years later, featuring a newer recording of the album's final cut, "Create In Me A Clean Heart"...
. The girls spent the summer of 2005 recording the album, which, like A Christmas Story
A Christmas Story (album)
A Christmas Story is the fifth album and first Christmas album by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 1999 by Word Records....
, featured holiday classics and new original songs. Winter Wonderland was released on October 4, 2005. They launched their first Christmas tour, the Winter Wonderland Tour in late November 2005, playing 16 concerts in varied markets. The show had John David Webster, who was featured on Winter Wonderland, as a special guests, and local choirs participated in every show.
In 2006, the girls resumed their Girls of Grace
Girls of Grace
Girls of Grace is a compilation album produced by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 2002 by Word Records.The album was a project from Point of Grace that includes several tracks recorded by other female artists of the Christian music scene like Rachel Lampa, Jennifer...
activities, and began working with Michael Passons
Michael Passons
Michael Passons , a native of Yazoo City, Mississippi, is the founding member of the Christian band Avalon. As a young musician, Michael was influenced by artists like Elton John and Lionel Richie. In college, he performed in a band and in a New Jersey-based group that toured nationally...
, formerly of Avalon
Avalon (band)
Avalon is an American contemporary Christian vocal quartet who has earned multiple RIAA-certified gold records, sold four million albums, and released 22 number one Christian hits.- 1995–1997: Formation of Avalon and A Maze of Grace :...
, who began to tour with them. On one-off dates, the girls would have acoustic segments where Dana and Michael would be featured on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, respectively, along with vocals from the girls. Heather also gave birth to her third child in 2006. The girls launched the 2006 Winter Wonderland Tour with special guest Scott Krippayne.
2007–2008: How You Live
The girls spent the first half of 2007 finishing work on their latest release, entitled How You LiveHow You Live
How You Live is the twelfth album and seventh studio album from Christian group Point of Grace. It was released on August 28, 2007 and has achieved critical and commercial success, peaking at number fifty-six on the Billboard 200 and at number four on the Billboard Christian & Gospel Album Charts...
. During that time, they contributed an a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
rendition of the hymn "All Hail The Power Of Jesus' Name" to the WoW Hymns project, which was released in March 2007. The girls promoted the first two singles, "All The World" and "You Are Good" during GMA Week in April, and have been singing a few album cuts during their recent concerts. The album, produced by Brown Bannister finds the girls returning to their musical roots, with the harmonies they are known for, and an earthy sound not yet explored by the girls. They shot a video to the single "How You Live (Turn Up The Music)", in mid-June in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, and premiered it on their official website in early July. Led by the single "All The World", they released the album How You Live
How You Live
How You Live is the twelfth album and seventh studio album from Christian group Point of Grace. It was released on August 28, 2007 and has achieved critical and commercial success, peaking at number fifty-six on the Billboard 200 and at number four on the Billboard Christian & Gospel Album Charts...
in late August. "All The World" was reasonably popular and found its way into the Top 40 in the Mediabase charts. The follow-up single, "How You Live (Turn Up The Music)" did far better, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot Christian Adult Contemporary Chart. The album peaked at number fifty-six on the Billboard 200 and at number four on the Top Christian & Gospel Album Charts. The unexpected success of the album and single earned the group five Dove Award nominations, including Song of the Year for "How You Live (Turn Up The Music)", Group of the Year and Artist of the Year. "How You Live" was released to country radio in April 2008, entering the country charts at #56.
In February 2008, the girls embarked on the All The World Tour with special guests Selah
Selah
Selah is a word used frequently in the Hebrew Bible, often in the Psalms, and is a difficult concept to translate. It is probably either a liturgico-musical mark or an instruction on the reading of the text, something like "stop and listen"...
and Michael Passons
Michael Passons
Michael Passons , a native of Yazoo City, Mississippi, is the founding member of the Christian band Avalon. As a young musician, Michael was influenced by artists like Elton John and Lionel Richie. In college, he performed in a band and in a New Jersey-based group that toured nationally...
, who has become the group's standard keyboard player.
In February 2008, Point Of Grace was nominated for five Dove Awards, including Group of the Year and Artist of The Year. The girls performed their single "How You Live (Turn Up The Music)" with Cindy Morgan
Cindy Morgan
Cindy Morgan is an American actress best known for her appearances as Lora/Yori in Tron and Lacey Underall in Caddyshack.-Biography:...
, the song's writer. They were backed by ballerinas and group member Denise Jones displayed her guitar skills for the first time on the telecast. They picked up the award for Country Recorded Song of the Year and Cindy Morgan took home the award for Songwriter of the Year, for "How You Live (Turn Up The Music)." On the same week of the Doves telecast, they made their debut on the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
stage, solidifying their growing acceptance in the country music market. They have been back on the show several times since their debut.
In June 2008, after much speculation, Heather Payne announced that she was retiring from Point Of Grace in order to spend time with her four children and to support her husband in his ministry. Shelley Breen, Leigh Cappillino and Denise Jones announced they would continue on as a trio, and recorded new music for the re-release of their album How You Live
How You Live
How You Live is the twelfth album and seventh studio album from Christian group Point of Grace. It was released on August 28, 2007 and has achieved critical and commercial success, peaking at number fifty-six on the Billboard 200 and at number four on the Billboard Christian & Gospel Album Charts...
, released in October 2008. In a recent chat session, Shelley Breen noted the group's recurring keyboard player Michael Passons
Michael Passons
Michael Passons , a native of Yazoo City, Mississippi, is the founding member of the Christian band Avalon. As a young musician, Michael was influenced by artists like Elton John and Lionel Richie. In college, he performed in a band and in a New Jersey-based group that toured nationally...
, who is a solo artist and former Avalon
Avalon (band)
Avalon is an American contemporary Christian vocal quartet who has earned multiple RIAA-certified gold records, sold four million albums, and released 22 number one Christian hits.- 1995–1997: Formation of Avalon and A Maze of Grace :...
member, sings selections of the group's older four-part harmonies.
http://www.pointofgrace.net/circleoffriends/viewthechat.htm
The girls released How You Live: Deluxe Edition and Tennessee Christmas: A Holiday Collection
Tennessee Christmas: A Holiday Collection
Tennessee Christmas: A Holiday Collection is a compilation from Point of Grace's two holiday releases, A Christmas Story, released in 1999 and Winter Wonderland, released in 2005. It is the first holiday release by the group as a trio...
in early October, and went on their annual Winter Wonderland Tour in early December, with special guest Ronnie Freeman.
2009–present: now three
The girls began 2009 by once again appearing at the Grand Ole Opry, performing the hits "I Wish" and "How You Live (Turn Up The Music)." They were nominated and won the Dove Award for Country Recorded Song of the Year for "I Wish", along with the song's writers, Cindy MorganCindy Morgan
Cindy Morgan is an American actress best known for her appearances as Lora/Yori in Tron and Lacey Underall in Caddyshack.-Biography:...
and Phil Madeira
Phil Madeira
Phil Madeira is an American songwriter, producer, musician and singer from Nashville, Tennessee. He was raised in Barrington, Rhode Island and attended Taylor University, which he graduated from in 1975....
.
On Saturday August 23 the group appeared on Fox News Channel's Huckabee
Huckabee
Huckabee is a TV political commentary program on Fox News hosted by former Republican Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. It premiered September 27, 2008, at 8 PM EDT.- Schedule :...
, performing "King of the World", the last single from How You Live accompanied by the host on bass guitar.
The group spent the bulk of 2009 working on the follow-up to How You Live
How You Live
How You Live is the twelfth album and seventh studio album from Christian group Point of Grace. It was released on August 28, 2007 and has achieved critical and commercial success, peaking at number fifty-six on the Billboard 200 and at number four on the Billboard Christian & Gospel Album Charts...
. Produced by Nathan Chapman
Nathan Chapman (record producer)
Nathan Chapman is an American record producer who works in the field of country music. He is known primarily for working with Taylor Swift, having produced her albums Taylor Swift, Fearless and Speak Now. The former was also the first album that he produced...
, the new album, entitled No Changin' Us
No Changin' Us
No Changin' Us is the fourteenth album and eighth studio album by Christian group Point of Grace. It was released on March 2, 2010. It is their first full-length recording since their 2007 release, How You Live. It is also their first full-length release since the June 2008 departure of Heather...
, was released on March 2, 2010, and featured a more country sound that the girls have been going towards. They embarked on a fall tour with Mark Schultz
Mark Schultz (musician)
Mark Schultz is a Contemporary Christian music singer/songwriter. He grew up in Colby, Kansas and graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in marketing. At Kansas State, Mark was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he served eight years as a youth group...
, the Come Alive Tour, and featured some of the new songs, including "Love & Laundry", "A Good Place To Turn Around" and "The Greatest Show On Earth", as well as covers of John Denver
John Denver
Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success...
's "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" and Diamond Rio
Diamond Rio
Diamond Rio is an American Country music/Christian music band formed in 1984 in Nashville, Tennessee. Since its foundation, the group has comprised the same six members: Gene Johnson , Jimmy Olander , Brian Prout , Marty Roe , Dan Truman , and Dana Williams...
's "Meet In The Middle."
Along with the new album, the group released their first ever cookbook, Cooking With Grace, written by the girls along with Julie Adkison.
The summer of 2010 was spent recording their first full-length holiday album since 2005's Winter Wonderland. Home For The Holidays
Home for the Holidays (Point of Grace album)
Home for the Holidays is the fifteenth album and fourth Christmas album by Christian group Point of Grace. It was released on October 5, 2010. It is their first full-length Christmas recording since their 2005 holiday release, Winter Wonderland. It is also their first full-length holiday release as...
was released on October 5, 2010, and the girls headlined a Christmas tour in support of the album.
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales threshold) |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Christ |
US 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... |
||||||||
| Point of Grace Point of Grace (album) Point of Grace is the debut album by Contemporary Christian group of the same name. It was released in 1993 by Word Records.-Track listing:# "I'll Be Believing" - 3:17# "One More Broken Heart" - 4:02# "Love Enough" - 4:11# "Living The Legacy" - 3:55... |
|
— | — |
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... : Gold |
|||||
| The Whole Truth The Whole Truth (album) Point of Grace is the second album by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 1995 by Word Records with selected market distribution by Epic Records in a deal that dated to Word's ownership by Capital Cities Communications in the 1980s... |
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A... |
3 | 132 |
|
|||||
| Life Love & Other Mysteries Life Love & Other Mysteries Life, Love & Other Mysteries is the third album by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 1996 by Word and Epic Records.-Track listing:# "Life, Love & Other Mysteries" - 4:03# "Keep the Candle Burning" - 4:26... |
|
1 | — |
|
|||||
| Steady On |
|
1 | 24 |
|
|||||
| Free to Fly Free to Fly Free to Fly is the seventh album and fifth studio album by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 2001 by Word Records.-Track listing:# "By Heart" - 3:38# "You Will Never Walk Alone" - 4:24# "He Sends His Love" - 4:35... |
|
1 | 20 |
|
|||||
| I Choose You I Choose You I Choose You is the tenth album and sixth studio album by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 2004 by Word Records.The album is the first to feature new member, Leigh Cappillino, who replaced founding member Terry Jones... |
Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
4 | 85 | ||||||
| How You Live How You Live How You Live is the twelfth album and seventh studio album from Christian group Point of Grace. It was released on August 28, 2007 and has achieved critical and commercial success, peaking at number fifty-six on the Billboard 200 and at number four on the Billboard Christian & Gospel Album Charts... |
|
4 | 56 | ||||||
| No Changin' Us No Changin' Us No Changin' Us is the fourteenth album and eighth studio album by Christian group Point of Grace. It was released on March 2, 2010. It is their first full-length recording since their 2007 release, How You Live. It is also their first full-length release since the June 2008 departure of Heather... |
|
2 | 60 | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Holiday albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales threshold) |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Christ |
US 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... |
US Holiday |
|||||||
| A Christmas Story A Christmas Story (album) A Christmas Story is the fifth album and first Christmas album by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 1999 by Word Records.... |
|
1 | 35 | 4 |
|
||||
| Winter Wonderland |
|
7 | 113 | 3 | |||||
| Tennessee Christmas: A Holiday Collection Tennessee Christmas: A Holiday Collection Tennessee Christmas: A Holiday Collection is a compilation from Point of Grace's two holiday releases, A Christmas Story, released in 1999 and Winter Wonderland, released in 2005. It is the first holiday release by the group as a trio... |
|
13 | 174 | 16 | |||||
| Home for the Holidays Home for the Holidays (Point of Grace album) Home for the Holidays is the fifteenth album and fourth Christmas album by Christian group Point of Grace. It was released on October 5, 2010. It is their first full-length Christmas recording since their 2005 holiday release, Winter Wonderland. It is also their first full-length holiday release as... |
|
21 | — | 7 | |||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Compilation albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales threshold) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Christ |
US 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... |
|||
| Girls of Grace Girls of Grace Girls of Grace is a compilation album produced by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 2002 by Word Records.The album was a project from Point of Grace that includes several tracks recorded by other female artists of the Christian music scene like Rachel Lampa, Jennifer... |
|
9 | 150 | |
| 24 24 (album) 24 is a compilation of 24 hits from Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 2003 by Word Records.-Disc 1:# "Day By Day" – 3:32# "I'll Be Believing" – 3:18# "One More Broken Heart" – 4:03... |
|
9 | 136 |
|
| Turn Up the Music: The Hits of Point of Grace |
|
To be released | ||
Remix albums
| Title | Details | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Christ |
||
| Rarities & Remixes Rarities & Remixes Rarities & Remixes is the sixth album by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 2000 by Word Records.The album features several remixes of some of the group's past hits, plus some rarity songs that weren't included in their previous albums.-Track listing:# "Gather At The... |
|
4 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Christ Hot Christian Songs Christian Songs is a Billboard chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.... |
US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
||||||||
| 1993 | "I'll Be Believing" | 7 | — | Point of Grace | |||||
| 1994 | "One More Broken Heart" | 20 | — | ||||||
| "Jesus Will Still Be There" | — | — | |||||||
| "Faith, Hope & Love" | 17 | — | |||||||
| "I Have No Doubt" | — | — | |||||||
| "No More Pain" | — | — | |||||||
| 1995 | "The Great Divide" | — | — | The Whole Truth | |||||
| "Dying To Reach You" | — | — | |||||||
| "Gather At The River" | — | — | |||||||
| "God Is With Us" | — | — | |||||||
| "Love Like No Other" | — | — | |||||||
| 1996 | "Keep The Candle Burning" | — | — | Life Love & Other Mysteries | |||||
| "You Are The Answer" | — | — | |||||||
| "Circle Of Friends" | — | — | |||||||
| "That's The Way It's Meant To Be" | — | — | |||||||
| 1998 | "Steady On" | — | — | Steady On | |||||
| "Saving Grace" | — | — | |||||||
| "When The Wind Blows" | — | — | |||||||
| "The Wonder Of It All" | — | — | |||||||
| "My God" | — | — | |||||||
| "The Song Is Alive" | — | — | |||||||
| 2001 | "Blue Skies" | — | — | Free to Fly | |||||
| "Praise Forevermore" | — | — | |||||||
| "He Sends His Love" | — | — | |||||||
| "You Will Never Walk Alone" | — | — | |||||||
| "Yes, I Believe" | — | — | |||||||
| 2002 | "The Love of Christ" | 28 | — | Girls of Grace | |||||
| 2003 | "Day By Day" | 2 | — | 24 | |||||
| 2004 | "I Choose You" | 8 | — | I Choose You | |||||
| 2005 | "Who Am I?" | 8 | — | ||||||
| "Waiting In The Wings" | — | — | |||||||
| "Make It Real" | — | — | |||||||
| "Let There Be Light" | 6 | — | Winter Wonderland | ||||||
| "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" | 25 | — | |||||||
| 2006 | "Santa Medley" | — | — | ||||||
| "Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)" | 20 | — | |||||||
| 2007 | "All the World" | 26 | — | How You Live (and Deluxe Edition) |
|||||
| "You Are Good" | — | — | |||||||
| "How You Live (Turn Up the Music)" | 7 | 52 | |||||||
| "Fearless Heart" | — | — | |||||||
| "Heal The Wound" | — | — | |||||||
| 2008 | "I Wish" | 18 | 49 | ||||||
| 2009 | "King of the World" | 39 | — | ||||||
| 2010 | "Come to Jesus" | — | — | No Changin' Us | |||||
| "There Is Nothing Greater Than Grace" | — | — | |||||||
| "Love and Laundry" | — | — | |||||||
| 2011 | "Hole in the World"A | Turn Up the Music: The Hits of Point of Grace | |||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
- A To be released July 12, 2011.
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... |
Artist of the Year | |
| Group of the Year | ||
| Song of the Year ("How You Live (Turn Up the Music) How You Live (Turn Up The Music) "How You Live " is a song written by Cindy Morgan for Point of Grace's seventh studio album How You Live. It is the third single from the album and the group's first release in the country music market... ") |
||
| Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year (How You Live How You Live How You Live is the twelfth album and seventh studio album from Christian group Point of Grace. It was released on August 28, 2007 and has achieved critical and commercial success, peaking at number fifty-six on the Billboard 200 and at number four on the Billboard Christian & Gospel Album Charts... ) |
||
| Country Recorded Song of the Year ("How You Live (Turn Up the Music)") | ||
| 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... |
Country Recorded Song of the Year ("I Wish") | |
| 2010 | Country Recorded Song of the Year ("King of the World") | |
| 2011 | Country Recorded Song of the Year ("There Is Nothing Greater Than Grace") | |
| Country Album of the Year (No Changin' Us No Changin' Us No Changin' Us is the fourteenth album and eighth studio album by Christian group Point of Grace. It was released on March 2, 2010. It is their first full-length recording since their 2007 release, How You Live. It is also their first full-length release since the June 2008 departure of Heather... ) |
||
| Christmas Album of the Year (Home for the Holidays Home for the Holidays (Point of Grace album) Home for the Holidays is the fifteenth album and fourth Christmas album by Christian group Point of Grace. It was released on October 5, 2010. It is their first full-length Christmas recording since their 2005 holiday release, Winter Wonderland. It is also their first full-length holiday release as... ) |
||
Books
- Life Love & Other Mysteries, 1996
- Steady On . . . Secured by Love, 1998
- Circle of Friends, 1999
- When Love Came Down at Christmas, 2000
- Girls of Grace, 2002
- Keep the Candle Burning: Reflections from Our Favorite Songs, 2003
- Girls of Grace: Q&A with Point of Grace, 2004
- Girls of Grace: Make It Real, 2005
- How You Live, 2008
- Cooking With Grace, 2010
Tours
- The Whole Truth Tour with Phillips, Craig & Dean and Cheri KeaggyCheri KeaggyCheri Keaggy is a gospel singer and songwriter, with a musical style of Contemporary Christian music. She is now divorced from her high school sweetheart Eddie Keaggy, the nephew of the CCM pioneer artist, Phil Keaggy....
(1995) - The Life Love & Other Mysteries TourThe Life Love & Other Mysteries TourThe Message about Life, Love, & Other Mysteries Tour was a nationwide arena concert tour which took place in the fall of 1996 and winter and spring of 1997...
with 4Him4Him4Him was a Contemporary Christian group founded in 1990 in Alabama, USA. The group has a Grammy nomination, seven Dove awards and an album certified gold to their credit. The group was inducted into Alabama's Music Hall of Fame, following the awarding of The Governor’s Achievement Award...
(1996–97) - The Steady On TourThe Steady On TourThe Steady On Tour was a nationwide theater tour which took place in the fall of 1998 and winter and spring of 1999. It was headlined by Point of Grace and featured special guests Watermark.-History:...
with special guests Watermark (1998–99) - An Amy Grant Christmas Tour (with Michael W. SmithMichael W. SmithMichael 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...
and The KatinasThe KatinasThe Katinas are a Contemporary Christian music group. The family of five brothers hails from American Samoa, and moved to Washington, USA after the death of their mother in 1988. The group's members sang in church as children, and began playing fairs, soon moving up to nationwide slots opening for...
) (1999) - The Free To Fly Tour with special guests FFHFFHFFH is a Contemporary Christian band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania in the United States. The band is occasionally known as Far From Home. They released six independent projects before being signed by Essential Records. Since then, they have released seven studio albums, as well as a "greatest-hits"...
(2001–02) - The Christmastime Tour with Michael W. SmithMichael W. SmithMichael 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...
and The KatinasThe KatinasThe Katinas are a Contemporary Christian music group. The family of five brothers hails from American Samoa, and moved to Washington, USA after the death of their mother in 1988. The group's members sang in church as children, and began playing fairs, soon moving up to nationwide slots opening for...
(2002, 2003, 2004) - The I Choose You TourThe I Choose You TourThe I Choose You Tour was a nationwide tour that took place in the winter and spring of 2005. It was headlined by Point of Grace and featured special guests Scott Krippayne and Charity Von...
with Scott KrippayneScott KrippayneScott Krippayne is a Christian music artist, singer and songwriter. He has released ten albums between 1992 and 2008...
and special guest Charity Von (2004) - The Winter Wonderland Tour with special guest John David Webster (2005)
- The Winter Wonderland Tour with special guest Scott KrippayneScott KrippayneScott Krippayne is a Christian music artist, singer and songwriter. He has released ten albums between 1992 and 2008...
(2006, 2007) - The All The World Tour with special guests SelahSelahSelah is a word used frequently in the Hebrew Bible, often in the Psalms, and is a difficult concept to translate. It is probably either a liturgico-musical mark or an instruction on the reading of the text, something like "stop and listen"...
and Michael PassonsMichael PassonsMichael Passons , a native of Yazoo City, Mississippi, is the founding member of the Christian band Avalon. As a young musician, Michael was influenced by artists like Elton John and Lionel Richie. In college, he performed in a band and in a New Jersey-based group that toured nationally...
(2008) - The Winter Wonderland Tour with special guest Ronnie Freeman (2008)
- The Come Alive Tour with Mark SchultzMark Schultz (musician)Mark Schultz is a Contemporary Christian music singer/songwriter. He grew up in Colby, Kansas and graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in marketing. At Kansas State, Mark was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he served eight years as a youth group...
(2009–10)
Mercy Ministries
Since the beginning of their career, the members of Point of Grace have had their hearts drawn to reaching out to young women. Early on, they began showing support of Mercy Ministries of America, a non-profit organization that helps young women who face life-controlling issues such as abuse, depression, unplanned pregnancies and eating disorders. The group frequently plugged Mercy Ministries at their concerts, and Nancy Alcorn, the founder, would normally go on the road with them or send a graduate from the Mercy Program to share her testimony about the work of Mercy Ministries. Alcorn is a regular featured speaker at the Girls of GraceGirls of Grace
Girls of Grace is a compilation album produced by Contemporary Christian group Point of Grace. It was released in 2002 by Word Records.The album was a project from Point of Grace that includes several tracks recorded by other female artists of the Christian music scene like Rachel Lampa, Jennifer...
conferences.
Compassion International
In 2006, the girls began showing support of Compassion InternationalCompassion International
Compassion International is a Christian child sponsorship organization dedicated to the long-term development of children living in poverty around the world. Compassion International, headquartered in Colorado Springs, functions in 26 countries such as Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, Haiti, Kenya, and...
, a Christian child-sponsorship organization dedicated to the long-term development of children living in poverty all over the world. In March 2006, Heather and her husband Brian took a trip to El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
to meet their sponsored child, and in April 2006, Shelley Breen, Denise Jones and Leigh Cappillino traveled to Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
to meet their sponsored children. According to the members, their trips were a life-changing experience, and have partnered with Compassion to create awareness for poverty and to urge their listeners to sponsor children as well.