| Lincoln Brewster | |
|---|---|
Lincoln Brewster performing live at the Creation Festival NorthEast 2009. |
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| Background information | |
| Born | July 30, 1971 Fairbanks, Alaska |
| Genres | Worship, CCM |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter, worship leader, pastor |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals, drums, mandolin, percussion |
| Years active | 1994–present (Solo) |
| Labels | Integrity |
| Website | www.lincolnbrewster.com |
| Members | |
| Lincoln Brewster (guitar) Norm Stockton (bass) Mike Johns (drums) Roman Vysochin (keyboard) |
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| Past members | |
| Steve Padilla (keyboard) CJ Hatlevig (drums) Reid McNulty (bass) |
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Lincoln Brewster (born July 30, 1971 in Fairbanks, Alaska) is a contemporary Christian musician and pastor. As a guitarist, singer, and songwriter, Brewster became a sought-after session guitarist in the early 90s. Brewster is the senior worship pastor at Bayside Church in Roseville, California.
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Brewster has been musically inclined since his early childhood in Homer, Alaska. At the age of one, his mother, Cheryl, noticed how well he could keep rhythm on a drum set his grandfather had given him. At the age of five, his mother introduced him to the mandolin. Quickly mastering the instrument, he began playing for cruise ship tourists alongside his mother in Homer.
By the age of 12, Brewster had a band called Lincoln and the Missing Links, which included his mother on bass and vocals. In his late teens, he moved with his family to Modesto, California, where he attended Grace M. Davis High School and joined the high school jazz band (playing guitar and drums) and marching band (playing snare drum).
Due to connections gained in Los Angeles, he had recording contract offers by 19. Feeling an emptiness in his life, Brewster attended church services with his high school sweetheart and Christian, Laura. He recalls feeling God drawing him close after attending a drama ministry performance with Laura. "I was afraid to lay down a lot of things in my life," Lincoln said. "One night, I laid all my cards on the table. I asked the Lord to come into my life, all by myself. It was the best night of sleep I'd ever had. I was very peaceful. I think that was what enabled me to blow off that record deal."
After receiving a call from Steve Perry inviting him to audition as lead guitarist for his next solo project, For the Love of Strange Medicine, Brewster accepted and began songwriting and rehearsals for the album. Brewster's guitar technique, tone, and equipment choices possessed similar qualities and texturing to Journey's Neal Schon, and was touted as a favorable feature in the resulting album. He also toured with Perry for six months from 1994 to early 1995.
At the end of the tour, Brewster and wife Laura moved to Modesto, California where they attended Calvary Temple Church. After working as a sound technician for the church for a while, the senior pastor offered Brewster the position of associate music director and youth worship leader.
In 1997, the Brewsters left California and moved to Nashville to serve as youth pastors and eventually as full-time music ministers at The Oasis Church. It was there that Brewster met with executives from Integrity Incorporated who were there to work on a new Hosanna! Music album. After seeing his talent on the guitar, one executive listened to a demo project Brewster had produced. Already impressed with the production work and artistry, the executive also learned that Brewster had played every instrument and performed all the vocals himself. In 2001, Lincoln moved back to California to become the worship pastor at Bayside Church in Sacramento.
Brewster was signed to Integrity's Vertical Music label with whom he has released five full-length albums.
While working on his own self-titled album (with producer Paul Mills), Brewster worked with label-mate Darrell Evans, contributing vocals, guitar and co-writing on Evans' Freedom project. He also spent some time on the road, touring with Michael W. Smith during Smith's 1998 Live the Life tour. Brewster's second album, Live to Worship (produced by Jeff Quimby and co-produced by Brewster), was released in 2000. According to his biography in his official website, "Lincoln now combines his talents and determination to record songs that will minister to a new generation of believers."
Brewster's album, Today Is the Day, was released on September 23, 2008.[1] The album's first released single, was the title track "Today Is the Day". On September 22, 2009 Lincoln released Today Is the Day (Deluxe Edition), a CD/DVD edition with same songs as Today Is the Day, two music videos, a few song stories and a part of his instructional video.
Lincoln released his latest project, Real Life, on September 28, 2010. The record is packed full of upbeat, contemporary worship tracks such as "Best Days" and the optimistic "Reaching For You." It also includes contemplative radio-ready songs such as the title track "Real Life," and the rhythmic "Whom Shall I Fear."
Brewster primarily uses two different 57 reissue Fender Stratocasters with DiMarzio pickups, one with Ash body on an Aztec Gold finish, the other on a three-color sunburst finish with an Alder body, both with maple fingerboards and necks. He has other Stratocasters as well as a few Gibson Les Pauls and an SG and other different guitars.
| Title | Release Date |
|---|---|
| Lincoln Brewster | April 21, 1999 |
| Live to Worship | May 17, 2000 |
| Amazed | August 2002 |
| All to You... Live | August 30, 2005 |
| Let the Praises Ring | November 7, 2006 |
| Today Is the Day | September 23, 2008 |
| Real Life | September 28, 2010 |
| Album | Release Date | Songs |
|---|---|---|
| Caught in the Moment | 2006 | "Caught in the Moment" |
| Let the Praises Ring | 2006 | "Everlasting God" "Love the Lord" |
| Today Is the Day | 2008 | "Today Is the Day" "God You Reign" "Salvation Is Here" "The Power of Your Name" |
| non-album track | 2009 | "Glory to God" |
| Real Life | 2010 | "Reaching For You" |
| Album Title | Release Date | Songs |
|---|---|---|
| B.C./A.D.: Who Split Time? | 1999 | What Kind of Man |
| Youthlink: Beyond Sight | 1999 | Shout to the Lord |
| Only God for Me | 1999 | More Faithful Than I |
| Rock of Refuge: Acoustic Worship | 2000 | Everybody Praise the Lord |
| Millennium Worship 2 | 2001 | Psalm 91 |
| World's Best: Days of Elijah | 2001 | The Power of Your Love |
| Open the Eyes of My Heart, Volume 1 | 2001 | The Power of Your Love You Alone Lord, I Lift Your Name on High |
| Creation Worships | 2002 | The Power of Your Love Take Me Higher Lead Me played lead guitar and backing vocals on album |
| Open the Eyes of My Heart, Volume 2 | 2002 | Take Me Higher Psalm 91 God of Wonders (guitar with Paul Baloche and Lamont Hiebert) |
| Songs 4 Worship: Modern | 2002 | Shout to the Lord Lord, I Lift Your Name on High Take Me Higher Breathe (with Jami Smith) |
| Absolute Worship | 2004 | The Power of Your Love |
| Vertical Momentum | Let the Praises Ring | |
| You've Got Music | Everybody Praise the Lord | |
| Everything Counts | More Like You | |
| Offering of Worship | You Are the One | |
| Brilliant Music of Today: Hear & Now | 2005 | Majestic |
| Worship Project H2.14 | 2005 | Majestic All the Earth Will Sing Your Praises Glory |
| Cover the Earth | 2005 | Love the Lord |
| Arise: A Celebration of Worship | 2006 | Let the Praises Ring All to You Another Hallelujah Everybody Praise the Lord |
| iWorship Platinum | 2006 | Shout to the Lord |
| iWorship 24:7 | 2007 | Salvation is Here Everlasting God Love the Lord |
| Artist/Title | Release Date | |
|---|---|---|
| Quintana & Spear: Shades of Shadow | 1992 | played lead guitar on three tracks |
| Steve Perry: For the Love of Strange Medicine | 1994 | played lead guitar, sang background vocals and assisted in songwriting |
| Darrell Evans: Freedom | 1998 | played lead guitar, all other electric guitar, mandolin and collaborated in some songwriting |
| Norm Stockton : Tea in the Typhoon | 2009 | Guitar solo on "...But I Play One on TV (I'm Not a Fuzoid)" |