Love Remains, the debut album from Hillary Scott & The Scott Family, bows at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Christian Albums chart (dated Aug. 20), No. 2 on Top Country Albums and No. 7 on the Billboard 200.
The album was produced by Ricky Skaggs.
MercyMe made history by scoring its 22nd Hot Christian Songs top 10, as "Dear Younger Me," the fourth single from the group's album Welcome to the New, moves into #9. MercyMe moves into a tie with Casting Crowns for the most top 10s among groups, dating to the chart's June 2003 inception. Among all acts, only Chris Tomlin has earned more (24).
It's been 20 years since Gordon Kennedy, Jeff Balding, Blair Masters, John Hammond and Jimmie Sloas joined forces as Dogs of Peace to record Speak, a groundbreaking album that was musically inventive, lyrically insightful and both playful and poignant all at the same time.
Now the Dogs are back with Heel, a potent collection of tunes that percolate with the same passion that gave voice to Speak. "The message is just a proclamation of what we believe to be the truth and we try to tell it the best way we can. We're just trying to write the best songs and record them to the best of our ability, and hopefully that's what we've done again."
Each song is brought to life by five well-accomplished musicians.
Kennedy is a legendary guitarist and two-time Grammy winner who co-wrote Eric Clapton's Grammy winning Song of the Year "Change the World." Currently on tour with Peter Frampton, Kennedy has written songs for Don Henley, Garth Brooks, Ricky Skaggs, Bruce Hornsby, Tim McGraw and Carrie Underwood among others as a player, has worked with Little Big Town, Kenny Loggins, Reba McEntire, Amy Grant, PFR, Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins and many more.
Sloas is a world-renowned bass player/songwriter and producer whose credits include Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Megadeth, PFR, Thomas Rhett and others. He has performed with different artists on "Good Morning America," "The Tonight Show," "Saturday Night Live," "Conan" and the CMA Awards Show.
Blair Masters is a keyboardist/composer/producer who has recorded with Frankie Valli, Amy Grant, Casting Crowns, Steven Curtis Chapman, Megadeth and Jeremy Camp. As a producer, he has worked with Jim Brickman, Twila Paris and Point of Grace. He has toured with Frampton, McDonald, MercyMe, Giant and Steve Wariner, and he has composed music for television shows on A&E, the Discovery Channel, ABC, NBC and CBS.
John Hammond has recorded or performed drums with Vince Gill, Jewel, Faith Hill, Olivia Newton-John, Barry Manilow, Whitney Houston, Peter Cetera, Kristin Chenoweth, Bill Gaither, Christopher Cross, Cliff Richard and many others. He has performed on "The Today Show," "Pepsi Smash," "The Tonight Show," The Dove Awards and for the President as part of an In Command Performance at the White House.
Balding's credits include Taylor Swift, Don Henley, Shakira, Little Big Town, Megadeth, Keith Urban and Jewel. Balding has held elected positions with The Recording Academy and serves on Belmont University's Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business and the Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School Academy Advisory Board.
In recording Heel, the Dogs enlisted special friends to lend their talents. Michael Omartian plays piano on "Friend of the Groom." Skaggs lends his mandolin to "Only the Gold" and Frampton puts his signature guitar licks on "Healed." PFR's Joel Hanson, Whiteheart alum Rick Florian and the McCrary Sisters provide guests vocals on "He's the Light of the World." As much as they enjoyed having friends add to their musical offerings, for the Dogs of Peace, the biggest reward was just in being back together and getting a chance to howl once again. "This was a passion project for us all," says Masters. "We didn't go, 'Let's make a record that has a hit song!' It was really, 'Let's make some music that we love making.' That's what inspired everybody and there's a quote from Gordon that we all embrace: 'If nothing else happens with this other than it being an offering, then that alone is enough reason to do it.' That's the heart behind the record. If it's an offering we put at His feet, then that's enough and is the reason for this record."
Crowder is celebrating a Top 10 entry on the Billboard 200 with his solo album debut, Neon Steeple, hitting No. 9. The album released last week to critical acclaim, with outlets praising his innovative sound and new musical direction.
Last Saturday, Crowder fulfilled a lifelong dream in making his Grand Ole Opry debut. Performing a tribute to Hank Williams Sr. with "I Saw The Light," Crowder was a fan favorite in a night of Opry performances that included Deana Carter and country music legend Ricky Skaggs. Following the performance of his original track "Come As You Are," which Rhapsody referenced as evidence of Crowder as a "creative wordsmith," an emotional Ricky Skaggs in a rare moment championed Crowder as an "international harvester," declaring his music as joy filled and something that he envisions will free people from "addictions, drugs and alcohol, and most importantly, religion, things that bind us and hold us down and make us think that we have to do it a certain way."
Bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs says growing up in Kentucky, “I was redneck before ‘Duck Dynasty’ came out.” In his new memoir "Kentucky Traveler," Skaggs recounts his years with bluegrass legend Bill Monroe, the painful breakup of his first marriage and his decision to leave country music behind for his first musical love – bluegrass.The 59-year-old father of four spoke to Fox News about his career, and the terrible crime that nearly killed his son.
When your son Andrew was seven, he was shot in the face in a road rage incident. You write in your book that you forgive the man who did it.
Skaggs: My son, he's the one that showed the forgiveness before I did. He was the one that set the pace and said, "Dad we've got to forgive this guy because he doesn't know Jesus. He doesn't have love in his heart like I do." It really convinced me. The Scriptures say "out of the mouth of babes," and it really truly was. To walk into a hospital and see your son lying there with a bullet hole in his face is not an easy thing, but I knew if he could go through it and forgive, then what excuse did I have? I'm the father, I'm supposed to be the leader, showing him the way, and he showed me that this was what needed to be done.
You say that when you were a country singer you got flack for talking about religion during your concerts.
Skaggs: I did, I got a lot of flak for that. I think it's something you can mature in, knowing how to do that in a way that maybe doesn't rub it in people's faces or offend people so much. I think my record label felt that if I did it, it was going to hurt my record sales and offend people. I think too when you're immature probably as I was, I think when someone tells you that you can't do something then that makes you want to do it even more.
Do you still talk about faith from the stage?
Skaggs: I do but the kind of music I'm playing now, bluegrass -- gospel music is one of the threads through the fabric of the music. Gospel is a very strong, intrinsic part of bluegrass so it's accepted a lot more.
How important is your faith?
Skaggs: It's the most important. If I didn't have my faith, I couldn't make it. It's the foundation I stand on. I believe in the Bible, I read it, I pray. My mother taught me how to pray and I've never forgotten that. Faith, family and music are the foundation stones I stand on.
Steven Curtis Chapman brings his inspirational sound back home to his rural Kentucky origins on Deep Roots,
the latest exclusive album release from Cracker Barrel Old Country
Store. The new 12-track CD will feature stand-out collaborations with
bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs and some of Nashville’s finest players, as
well as three generations of Chapman family members including:
Chapman’s father, Herb Chapman Sr., brother, Herb Chapman Jr., son,
Caleb Chapman, and daughter-in-law, Jillian Edwards Chapman. The
uniquely personal album will be available for purchase in all Cracker
Barrel locations, iTunes and Amazon.com beginning March 11, 2013.
Having achieved 47 No. 1 hits on Christian radio, five GRAMMY® awards,
and an unprecedented 57 Dove Awards, Chapman shows a new side with Deep Roots. The album includes a
compilation of both fan-favorite hits and timeless hymns, all newly
recorded.
Deep Roots Track Listing:
’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus
How Great Thou Art (featuring Jillian Edwards Chapman)
What a Friend We Have in Jesus (featuring Ricky Skaggs)
Blessed Assurance
Life is Like a Mountain Railroad (Life’s Railway to Heaven) (featuring Herb Chapman Sr. and Herb Chapman Jr.)
He Touched Me (featuring Herb Chapman Sr. and Herb Chapman Jr.)
