Sparrow Records
Sparrow Records is a popular Christian music record label; a division of EMI.
Background
Sparrow Records was founded in 1976 by Billy Ray Hearn, then A&R director at Myrrh Records.[1] Purchased by EMI in 1992, it is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group,[2] and has been named by Billboard Magazine as "America's Best Christian Music Record Label". Sparrow Records immediately rose to significant prominence with the signing of singer, songwriter, Contemporary Christian musician and minister Keith Green. Within a year of his 1976 signing by Sparrow, Keith Green was the top selling Christian artist in America.
As of 2009, Sparrow features many of Contemporary Christian Music's popular and up-and-coming artists, including Britt Nicole, Chris Tomlin, Mandisa, Matt Redman, Matthew West, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Switchfoot. Since 1996, a popular production of Sparrow Records has been the annual WOW Hits CCM series. The WOW franchise then added the annual WOW Gospel series of albums in 1998. The WOW Worship series was introduced in 1999, an annual compilation of the greatest hits in Worship music. These compilations can be found in practically any popular music store. The WOW Worship series, once only focused on worship music, now also includes Christian hits in rock, rap, gospel, and R&B music as well.
Current Artists
Former Artists
- 2nd Chapter of Acts (Disbanded)
- Aaron Spiro (Active, currently unsigned)
- Avalon (Active, with Koch Records)
- Bethany Dillon Active
- Barry McGuire (Inactive)
- Charlie Hall (Active, with sixstepsrecords)
- Jump 5 (Disbanded)
- Charlie Peacock
- Chris Tomlin (Active, with sixstepsrecords)
- Christy Nockels (Active, with sixstepsrecords)
- David Crowder Band (Active, with sixstepsrecords)
- Delirious? (Disbanded)
- The Elms (Disbanded)
- Geoff Moore and the Distance (Disbanded)
- John Michael Talbot (Active, with Troubadour for the Lord)
- Keith Green (Deceased)
- Kirk Franklin (Active, with GospoCentric Records)
- Kristian Stanfill (Active, with sixstepsrecords)
- Margaret Becker (Active, with Kingsway Music)
- Matt Redman (Active, with sixstepsrecords)
- Michael Card (Active, currently unsigned)
- Michelle Tumes (Active, with EMI CMG)
- Needtobreathe (Active, with Atlantic Records)
- Newsboys (Active, with Inpop Records)
- Out of the Grey (On Hiatus)
- Phil Keaggy (Active)
- Resurrection Band
- Robbie Seay Band (Active, currently unsigned)
- Russ Taff (Active, with Springhouse Records)
- Sheila Walsh
- Skillet (Active, with Lava Records/Ardent Records/Atlantic Records)
- Steve Green (Active, currently unsigned)
- Steve Taylor
- Susan Ashton (Active, currently unsigned)
- Switchfoot (Active, with lowercase people records (Switchfoot still has a distribution agreement with Sparrow Records))
- Tim Hughes (Active, with Survivor Records)
- Twila Paris (Active, with Koch Records)
- ZOEgirl (Disbanded)
Compilations
References
Sparrow Projects
See also
External links
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Sparrow Records
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