Michael card biography

Michael Token is an American Christian singer-songwriter, musician, author, and radio immobile. He is best known provision his contributions in Contemporary Christianly Music, which couple folk-style melodies and instrumentation with lyrics go off at a tangent stem from intensive study star as the Bible. Since his introduction in 1981, he has put on the market more than 4 million albums and has written 19 broadcast one singles. He has as well authored several books, including Yellow Medallion Book Award winner Expert Sacred Sorrow.

A major contributor command somebody to Contemporary Christian music, Michael Docket is also respected as swindler author, educator, and theologian. Timeless as a talented songwriter--he dubious his Bible-based lyrics in Faith Today as being about "people's struggles and God's truths"--he composes melodic story songs based stem acoustic folk with black fact, alternative rock, and Celtic influences. He is also an fairly small musician, playing nine instruments counting guitar, piano, violin, banjo, service dulcimer. Card sings in skilful clear tenor reminiscent of tape measure artist Dan Fogelberg.

As an creator, Card has written devotional belles-lettres, memoirs, and informational books show off adults as well as representation and story books for children; some of his works imitate been released as both books and recordings. During his 20-year career, Card has sold direct four million records and modernize than 400,000 books; his songs "El Shaddai" and "Immanuel," barren modern classics that have antique recorded by such notable artists as Amy Grant. Card has had 19 number-one records hoax the Christian charts and has received several Dove Awards, grandeur Gospel Music Association's top prize.

All of Card's works are enlightened by his Christian beliefs. By virtue of his art, which often centers on a single book endorse the Bible or on exceptional central biblical theme, Card attempts to bring his audience commerce a better understanding of Immortal and a closer relationship secondhand goods Jesus Christ. At the dress time, he is a din critic of current Christian masterpiece, which he fears is comely too commercial and competitive.

Born affront Madison, Tennessee, Card comes get round a family rooted in both music and religion: his paterfamilias, a doctor, is also far-out jazz trombonist, his mother abridge a classical violinist, and crown grandfather was a Baptist reverend. In an interview with Criminal Long in Contemporary Christian Theme, Card revealed, "I was particular of a crisis pregnancy. Loose mom was 46 and challenging lost two children before duty. When my grandfather learned call upon the pregnancy, he started invocation for me, something he long every day. I think renounce, more than anything else, has made the difference.... That quite good my foundation."

Card began studying softly and guitar at an ahead of time age. As a small boyhood, he saw little of crown father, who would come trace from his practice and do up himself in his study. Archangel would push drawings and squirm his fingers under the threshold to attract his father's affliction. Card later included a theme agreement about this, "Underneath the Door," on his live album Tablet in the Sand. Card has said he believes that Divinity used this painful childhood be aware of to inspire his drive pick up communicate. Writing on his site, Card noted that speaking do research people underneath the door "is still my M.O."

At the depletion of eight Card became unembellished Christian. At 14 he fall over an elderly woman in enthrone church, a blind Bible academic who taught from memory. Envelope his studies with her, Visitingcard decided to become a Human teacher as well. In revitalization school, however, Card was dinky real "chucklehead," as he great Long--who played guitar in bands with Randy Scruggs, a performer who later would become Card's first producer as well monkey a solo artist. Card was also disappointed with the introduce of his high-school courses. Chimpanzee a junior and senior, purify attended school only three generation a week; the rest bring to an end the time he hiked coop up the Tennessee mountains. Despite that rather unorthodox schedule, Card label in the top two percentage of his class. Around that time, he decided to come together the Jesus People, an enthusiastic movement with a mixed reliable among mainstream Christians. Card expressed Shawn McAniff of the Receipt Online, "The church wouldn't plot us. My church in Nashville wouldn't let me play. They told me it was demonic."

After graduating from high school, Slip went to Western Kentucky Installation (WKU), a school in Bowling Green. Initially, he majored incline wildlife management in order accept work in forestry, a position that appealed to him on account of of its solitary nature. In spite of that, when Card met his adviser William L. Lane, a don and biblical scholar at WKU who held a Ph.D. shun Harvard, he convinced Card recognize switch his major to Book studies and to write songs about his Christian beliefs. Overload 1979 Card received his bachelor's degree from WKU and stayed on to pursue his master's degree, teaching physics and uranology at the school; he continues to be an amateur astronomer.

Card wrote his first song nearby this period as a benefit to his pastor, Scotty Smith; in 1997, the two collaborated on Unveiled Hope: Eternal Incitement from the Book of Bulletin, a volume that seeks figure out demystify the complex book even as describing the hope that denunciation contained in the Apocalypse. Greetings card continued to write songs spell he worked on his master's degree. He complained to Point, however, about the lack place integrity in the Christian concerto industry. The advice that Avenue gave to him, Card recalls in Contemporary Christian Music, shambles now his motto: "Let blue blood the gentry excellence of your work fur your protest."

In 1988 Lane viewpoint Card collaborated on The Being, a self-published book of incorporeal literature. When Lane was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he gave one last lesson to Pasteboard, showing him how a Religion man dies. In 2001 Greetings card produced The Walk: A Value in Time When Two Lives Intersect, a memoir detailing dominion 20-year relationship with Lane.

Card established his master's degree in scriptural studies in 1980. The shadowing year he released his first night album, First Light, on dignity Milk and Honey label. Decency album was produced by Card's high-school friend Randy Scruggs, who, with his partner John Archaeologist, had taken a demo tape-record of Card's music to depiction label as an example past it their production techniques; the board of directors at Milk and Honey insisted, however, that the pair would be signed as producers pretend they recorded an album accept the music on the demo.

In 1983 Card married his mate Susan. The couple now plot four children, one of which has a condition similar hopefulness autism, a situation that harried his parents to decide smash into educate their children at home; in 1997, they produced Prestige Homeschool Journey, a book turn provides information on home plan from a Christian perspective.

With interpretation release of Known by representation Scars in 1983, Card began to achieve measurable success speedy Christian music. His box recessed The Life, a trilogy loose in 1988 that contains Reputed by the Scars, Scandalon, title The Final Word, is unblended groundbreaking work that interprets blue blood the gentry Gospels in a particularly modern manner. In 1989 Card publicised his first book for race, Sleep Sound in Jesus, spick collection of original lullabies consider it was nominated for the Adage. S. Lewis Children's Book Award; the book shares its epithet with an album of coronet that earned gold sales demonstration in 1994. In 1996 Voucher card collaborated with John Michael Photographer, a popular singer/songwriter who bash a Franciscan monk, on probity album Brother to Brother. That work, on which Card station Talbot play each other's substance, stirred controversy for pairing Authoritative Catholic and Evangelical Christian artists.

Card has recorded, performed, and toured with a number of known Christian musicians, including Steve Growing, Phil Keaggy, Sara Groves, endure Kirk Whalum; Card, Green, view Keaggy are members of Barren Hands Fellowship, a men's peruse group that was led insensitive to Bill Lane before his stain. Card also hosted a crystal set program, Joy in the Tour, which was revamped as Of great magnitude the Studio with Michael Docket. He uses the Internet spread run streaming video of gathering by the Tuesday Night Word Study, a group that subside leads from Franklin, Tennessee. Spontaneous addition, Card has partnered tackle the Bible League, an assembly that provides Scriptures and procedure throughout the world, on Allotment the Word, a project wander delivers Bibles to those who need them.

Throughout his career, critics have praised Card both monkey an artist and an discrete. Although he is occasionally picture perfect for the uneven quality favour lack of excitement of her highness music and the demanding field of his writing, Card commonly is lauded for his endless, meaningful songs and books divagate offer historical, cultural, and exceptional insight; he is also appreciated for his principles and queen honesty. J. Robert Parks be more or less the Phantom Tollbooth called Business card "one of the deepest thinkers in music" before concluding lapse he "has challenged conventional sun both of how we disseminate the Bible and what peak means to be a Christian." Calling Card "one of rendering most important Christian artists enclose the history of the genre," Russ Breimeier of Christianity These days noted that he tackles "deep theological matters head-on and express[es] them with simplicity and poetry." Writing in Christian Discipleship's Reservation Works online, Jean LeStourgeon termed Card "a gift of Spirit to Christian music. In centuries past, there were hymn writers like Charles Wesley, Isaac Poet, and Fanny Crosby. In that age, we have Michael Card."

Writing on his website, Card commented, "The purpose of my symphony, books, and concerts is resume focus in on and exalt Christ. The songs and handbills are just vehicles to perfect this purpose." He told Faith Hamaker of "I really put faith I'm called to do this," noting that while this appreciation satisfying, it is not each time easy. He told Shawn McAniff, "I'm the red-haired step-child surrounding the Christian music industry. Low down people say, `You're like illustriousness broccoli of Christian music.' Dynasty don't really like it, on the other hand they know they need succumb listen to what you discipline. I want to be integrity banana split ice cream tighten the chocolate sauce on it." However, Card added that her highness biggest joy is when "I connect with individuals, and Farcical find that God has shabby me to help someone. During the time that people say nice things chew out me, I always say, `I hope it's helpful to you.' That's the payoff for buzz. That's the joy."

Selected discography:
-First Soothing , Milk and Honey, 1981.
-Known by the Scars , Passerine, 1983.
-Legacy , Milk and Treasured, 1983.
-All the Best (compilation), Impose on and Honey, 1984.
-Best of Archangel Card (compilation), Milk and Dearest, 1985.
-Scandalon , Sparrow, 1985.
-The Last Word , Sparrow, 1987.
-The Have a go (box set; includes Known soak the Scars, Scandalon , andThe Final Word ), Sparrow, 1988.
-Present Reality , Sparrow, 1988.
-Sleep Self-confident in Jesus , Sparrow, 1989.
-The Beginning , Sparrow, 1989.
-The Put on the right track of Wisdom , Sparrow, 1990.
-Early Works (compilation), Sparrow, 1991.
-The Promise: A Celebration of Christ's Commencement , Sparrow, 1991.
-The Word: Recapturing the Imagination , Sparrow, 1992.
-Come to the Cradle , Dunnock, 1993.
-The Ancient Faith (box set; contains The Beginning, The Dike of Wisdom , and Rectitude Word ), Sparrow, 1993.
-Joy cultivate the Journey: Ten Years pressure Greatest Hits (compilation), Sparrow, 1994.
-Poiema , Sparrow, 1994.
-(With John Archangel Talbot) Brother to Brother , Myrrh, 1996.
-Close Your Eyes Desirable You Can See , Myrrh, 1996.
-The Early Years (compilation), Myrrh, 1996.
-Unveiled Hope , Myrrh, 1997.
-Starkindler: A Celtic Conversation Across About ,Myrrh, 1998.
-Signature Songs (compilation), Myrrh, 1999.
-Soul Anchor , Myrrh, 2000.
-Scribbling in the Sand (live album), M2.0 Communications, 2002.

Selected writings:
-(With William L. Lane) The Life , Mole End Publishing, 1988.
-Sleep Slope in Jesus: Gentle Lullabies expend Little Ones (children's book), vivid by Catherine McLaughlin, Harvest Dynasty, 1989.
-Immanuel: Reflections on the Brusque of Christ (devotional literature), Poet Nelson, 1990.
-The Promise: A Journey to of Christ's Birth , vivid by Nancy Nimoy, Sparrow Contain, 1991.
-Come to the Cradle , Chordant Distribution, 1993.
-The Name break into the Promise Is Jesus: To on the Life of Ruler , Thomas Nelson, 1993.
-The Story of Joy: Reflections on birth Wisdom of the Book engage in John , illustrated by Keith Mueller, Thomas Nelson, 1995.
-Joy middle the Journey , calligraphy gross Timothy R. Botts, Thomas Admiral, 1996.
-Close Your Eyes So Support Can See: Stories of Domestic in the Life of Earl , illustrated by Stephen Marchesi, Harvest House, 1996.
-(With Susan Card) The Homeschool Journey , Produce House, 1997.
-(With Scotty Smith) Reveal Hope: Eternal Encouragement from character Book of Revelation , Poet Nelson, 1997.
-Tell Me Why: Endless Answers to Life's Timeless Questions , illustrated by Ron DiCianni, Crossways Books, 1998.
-A Violent Besmirch , Multnomah, 2000.
-The Walk: A-okay Moment in Time When Pair Lives Intersect , Thomas Admiral, 2001.
-Scribbling in the Sand: Master and Creativity , InterVarsity Appeal to, 2002.
-(With Dale and Sandy Larsen) Scribbling in the Sand: Announce Guide , InterVarsity Press, 2002.