Steve Green (born August 1, 1956) is an American Christian music singer.[2]
Early life
Green was born in Portland, Oregon, to Charles and Jo Green, who were Baptist missionaries. He spent much of his early life in Argentina and then proceeded to attend Phoenix Christian High School along with two of his six siblings. He graduated from Phoenix Christian High School in 1974 and, at age 18, enrolled at Grand Canyon University. His intended major was pre-law, but a professor recognized his musical talent and encouraged him to develop it.[3]
Career
After two years at the university, Green left to travel the world with the band Truth. After his two-year stint with Truth (1976–78), Green married Marijean McCarty, a former member of Truth. They moved to Alexandria, Indiana, to sing backup for the Bill Gaither Trio.[4] In 1980, Green joined Gary McSpadden, Lee Young and Bill Gaither to form the Gaither Vocal Band.[5] Green sang tenor for their first two albums, The New Gaither Vocal Band and Passin' the Faith Along. In 1982, Steve and Gaither's musicians formed the Christian rock band White Heart. Green sang lead for White Heart as they recorded their debut self-titled album (which sold nearly 70,000 copies).[6] In 1983, Steve left White Heart, feeling that his place was not in a rock band.[6] That same year, a confrontation by his brother, Randy, led to a spiritual renewal in Green's life.[7] He signed a solo contract with Sparrow Records, and released his self-titled debut album in 1984. In the same year, he established Steve Green Ministries.[8]
Green's breakout year came in 1985 with the release of He Holds the Keys, which earned him the Dove Award for Male Vocalist of the Year in the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) category. The following year, 1986, saw the release of two recordings, For God And God Alone and a worship/hymns album titled A Mighty Fortress. In early 1988, he released an album dedicated to his parents, called Find Us Faithful. Green was involved with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association from the mid-1980s onward. He was one of the first artists to be involved with Promise Keepers, performing at their inaugural event at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado, in July 1993 before 50,000 men. His song "Answer the Call" was inspired by the event, and another song, "O Men of God Arise," embodies the Promise Keeper's message. Green recorded The Mission in 1989 and We Believe in 1991. He released an album of hymns in 1992, and a more pop-style on his 1994 album, Where Mercy Begins.
In 2005 Green released a new album, Somewhere Between, which saw him move in a different direction, leaning more toward an art song style. The album featured fewer declarative answers than Green's past work, and instead explored questions of pain, doubt and loss that life inevitably rains down on both the just and the unjust. Green co-wrote half of the songs on the album.[9] In 2007 Green released his last non-compilation album under the Sparrow label, Always: Songs of Worship. In 2010, Green released Love Will Find a Way, his first release through Steve Green Ministries. The album featured David Phelps and Wes Hampton on the track "God is Love". In 2012, Green released two albums, Rest in the Wonder and Christmas. Green stated, "Rest in the Wonder is a declaration of absolute trust in God, fiercely holding to what we know for certain and reverently worshiping the One whose ways are higher than our ways and whose thoughts are higher than our thoughts."[10]
2014 saw the release of two more albums from Green: Hide the Word: Bible Songs for Kids and Hymns.[11] Regarding his Hymns project, Green said, "In every age, the church has lifted her voice to express praise and adoration, but the church has also used singing to refute dangerous heresy and remind one another of the foundational Biblical truths."[12]
His latest English album, Hold Fast, was released in 2018.[13] Of this album Green says, “I don’t think it’s like anything I’ve done.” It features the reading of one Psalm, the singing of full portions of multiple Psalms, an organ and orchestra, and several songs written by Green himself.[14]
Green has been nominated for a Grammy Award four times. He has also been the Dove Award winner seven times and was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2017.[15] His website states he has sold over three million albums.[1] His bilingual abilities have seen the release of seven Spanish CDs in the United States, including El Descanso, in 2019.[16]
Personal life
Steve Green married Marijean in 1976. They have two children, Summer (Mark) and Josiah (Jamie-Lee), and six grandchildren.[1]
