Matthew West
Encyclopedia
On July 26, 2002, only a week or two before signing a record contract with Universal South Records, West had an injury to his left arm which threatened his musical career and guitar
playing. He says, "I locked myself out of my house. But I'd done that before, and I had a way of breaking in through a window. But this time, I had a really hard time getting the window open. I started pushing up on the window really hard and my hand broke through the glass. Blood starting spewing out of my left arm everywhere and I ran down my street screaming for help. After seeing so much blood, I went into shock and just blacked out in the middle of the street. The next thing I can remember is some construction workers praying over me in Spanish and then being taken to the hospital
." West was told that the chances were low of regaining the full use of his left arm, having come very close to severing a major artery
. He recovered after the accident, however, and was able to continue playing guitar and record for his first studio album
.
on December 26, 2003. The album's producers Kenny Greenberg and Jason Houser co-wrote the song "More
" with West. The track was his first and most successful radio single to date, staying at #1 on R&R
's Christian Adult Contemporary chart for a record-breaking nine weeks. It was the most played Christian AC song of 2004 and went on to be labelled as the Christian Song of the Year by ASCAP. Two additional songs, "The End" and "You Know Where to Find Me", were also released as singles off the album. Beginning in late September 2004, West joined Avalon
and Mark Schultz
on a 40-city fall tour, which concluded at the end of November. In 2005, he was nominated for five Dove Awards, including "New Artist of the Year" and "Song of the Year". He won the "Recorded Music Packaging of the Year" Dove Award for his debut album Happy.
In early 2005, he was on the WinterJam 2005 tour, hosted by NewSong
, with tobyMac
, Building 429
, Tait
, and Rachael Lampa
.
With Kenny Greenberg and Jason Houser once again as producers, Matthew West began recording for his second studio album in early 2005. History
, co-produced by West, was released on June 21, 2005 on Universal South Records. The first single off the album, "Next Thing You Know", was released June 20, a day before the album's release. The theme of the title track "History" was inspired by a R&R
music news headline "Matthew West Makes History", in reference to his first album, Happy. "It's not every day you read a headline like that with your name in it that calls you a history maker," he said. Beginning on September 14, 2005, he kicked off the 30-city History 101 tour, his first headlining tour, which included guest musicians Shawn McDonald
and Paul Wright. He then joined tobyMac
's Winter Wonder Slam tour, beginning on December 1, 2005, along with John Reuben
, BarlowGirl
, GRITS
, and DJ Maj
. Two additional songs were released off History as singles: "Only Grace" and the title track "History".
His independent album Sellout was re-released in 2006 on Universal South Records.
Vanderbilt Voice Center discovered "hemorrhaging caused by some polyp
s". He was told by his doctors that vocal surgery was the only option, since a few weeks had passed. The surgery took place on May 17, 2007, a process that he said was "career threatening." Afterward, he was prescribed a two-month period of silence for vocal rest
.
A video documentary titled Nothing to Say, directed and produced by Benjamin Eisner, was released in early 2008, highlighting Matthew West's time of silence and vocal recovery in 2007. In February 2008, the documentary was available exclusively in Family Christian Stores
as a CD/DVD combo pack with West's album Something to Say
.
" was released in late 2007. The song was available as a free download from West's website. He also recorded a duet("Christmas Makes Me Cry
") with American Idol
finalist Mandisa
which was released as a Christmas
radio single in November 2007, from Mandisa's Christmas Joy EP
.
Matthew West's album, Something to Say
, was released on January 15, 2008. It reached #8 on Billboard
's Top Christian albums chart, and peaked at #159 on the Billboard 200
chart, making it his first Billboard 200 album . It was produced by Brown Bannister
, Ed Cash
, and Christopher Stevens. West said in an interview that all of the album's songs had already been written and the title "Something to Say" had already been decided "months before I found out that I was going to have nothing to say." The first radio single
released from the album was "You Are Everything
". In March 2008, the song reached #1 on R&R
's Christian AC chart. "Something to Say", the album's title track, was also released to radio, receiving airplay in June 2008.
Matthew West guested on tobyMac
's 26-city "Boomin' Beyond Measure" tour along with Jeremy Camp
. The tour ran from February 6 through March 21, 2008.
He was featured on the Billy Graham
television special America's Dream: Chasing Happiness, which aired in the U.S. on March 1–9, 2008. The appearance included a world premiere of his music video for "Nothing Else", a song from History
. On June 29, West hosted GMA
's 2008 Gospel Dream, a televised Christian music talent competition. "The Motions
" was released as his next single, placing at #1 on R&Rs Christian AC chart in April 2009.
He has a song on the upcoming album of country artist Jo Dee Messina
, and another under consideration by “American Idol
” finalist Danny Gokey
. In December 2009, "The Motions
" was Grammy-nominated for Best Gospel Song, his first Grammy nomination.
, Mandisa
, Jump5
, Sara Groves
, Joy Williams, Salvador
, Natalie Grant
, PureNRG
, and Point of Grace
, as well as mainstream country act Billy Ray Cyrus
. Rascal Flatts
recorded Matthew's song "The Day Before You" on their album Feels Like Today. He co-wrote "Voice of a Savior" by Mandisa and "Thank You" by 33Miles
, both of which were released as singles in early 2008.
with his wife Emily. He married
Emily on May 10, 2003 after proposing to her in September 2002. They have a daughter Luella Jane ("Lulu") and a daughter Delaney Ruth. The Wests own a pug
named Earl "The Girl".
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
playing. He says, "I locked myself out of my house. But I'd done that before, and I had a way of breaking in through a window. But this time, I had a really hard time getting the window open. I started pushing up on the window really hard and my hand broke through the glass. Blood starting spewing out of my left arm everywhere and I ran down my street screaming for help. After seeing so much blood, I went into shock and just blacked out in the middle of the street. The next thing I can remember is some construction workers praying over me in Spanish and then being taken to the hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
." West was told that the chances were low of regaining the full use of his left arm, having come very close to severing a major artery
Artery
Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. This blood is normally oxygenated, exceptions made for the pulmonary and umbilical arteries....
. He recovered after the accident, however, and was able to continue playing guitar and record for his first studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
.
Happy (2003)
After signing with Universal South Records on August 23, 2002, West released his first non-independent studio album, HappyHappy (Matthew West album)
Happy is Matthew West's first non-independent album released in 2003. It was followed by History, Sellout and Something to Say.- Track listing :#"More" – 4:28#"Happy" – 3:38#"The Turnaround" – 4:00...
on December 26, 2003. The album's producers Kenny Greenberg and Jason Houser co-wrote the song "More
More (Matthew West song)
"More" is a song written and performed by contemporary Christian musician Matthew West from his first album, Happy. Released in late 2003, it was the first and most successful radio single of West's career to date. The song stayed at #1 on Christian radio for nine consecutive weeks during 2004,...
" with West. The track was his first and most successful radio single to date, staying at #1 on R&R
Radio & Records
Radio & Records was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It originally started out as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006, up until its final issue in 2009.-History:The company was founded in 1973 and...
's Christian Adult Contemporary chart for a record-breaking nine weeks. It was the most played Christian AC song of 2004 and went on to be labelled as the Christian Song of the Year by ASCAP. Two additional songs, "The End" and "You Know Where to Find Me", were also released as singles off the album. Beginning in late September 2004, West joined Avalon
Avalon (group)
Avalon or Group Avalon was a band consisting of Djo Moupondo and his brother Mohombi Moupondo with Congolese ancestry. A multilingual band, they performed songs in Swedish, French, English and Lingala....
and Mark Schultz
Mark Schultz (musician)
Mark Schultz is a Contemporary Christian music singer/songwriter. He grew up in Colby, Kansas and graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in marketing. At Kansas State, Mark was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he served eight years as a youth group...
on a 40-city fall tour, which concluded at the end of November. In 2005, he was nominated for five Dove Awards, including "New Artist of the Year" and "Song of the Year". He won the "Recorded Music Packaging of the Year" Dove Award for his debut album Happy.
In early 2005, he was on the WinterJam 2005 tour, hosted by NewSong
NewSong
NewSong is a Contemporary Christian Music group that was founded in 1981, at Morningside Baptist Church in Valdosta, Georgia. They have had eight GMA Dove Award nominations. They are the founders of the Winter Jam Tour Spectacular, the United States' largest annual Christian music tour. It began in...
, with tobyMac
TobyMac
Toby McKeehan , better known by his stage name TobyMac , is a Christian recording artist, music producer, hip-hop/pop artist, singer-songwriter, and author....
, Building 429
Building 429
Building 429 is a Christian rock band signed to Essential Records. They were the Gospel Music Association 2005 New Artist of the Year. Their name is derived from a Biblical passage known as Ephesians 4:29, which, in the New International Version of the Bible, reads as follows: "Do not let any...
, Tait
Tait (band)
Tait is a Christian rock band formed by Michael Tait, one of the members of dc Talk and the lead singer of Newsboys since 2010.- Pre-formation of Tait :...
, and Rachael Lampa
Rachael Lampa
Rachael Maureen Lampa is a Dove award winning American Christian singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She rose to fame in 2000 with her debut album Live For You, winning a Dove Award as well as achieving four number one singles including "Blessed", "Shaken", "God Loves You",...
.
History (2005)
History (Matthew West album)
History is the second studio album released by American CCM musician Matthew West. The album was released on Universal South Records on June 21, 2005. While the entire album was produced by Kenny Greenberg and Jason Houser, six of the tracks were written solely by West and the other five he...
, co-produced by West, was released on June 21, 2005 on Universal South Records. The first single off the album, "Next Thing You Know", was released June 20, a day before the album's release. The theme of the title track "History" was inspired by a R&R
Radio & Records
Radio & Records was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It originally started out as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006, up until its final issue in 2009.-History:The company was founded in 1973 and...
music news headline "Matthew West Makes History", in reference to his first album, Happy. "It's not every day you read a headline like that with your name in it that calls you a history maker," he said. Beginning on September 14, 2005, he kicked off the 30-city History 101 tour, his first headlining tour, which included guest musicians Shawn McDonald
Shawn McDonald
-Childhood:As a child, McDonald lived with his grandparents because his parents could not take care of him. Not really understanding the situation, he became rebellious. He would sneak out of the house, drink alcohol, get intoxicated, and later use drugs...
and Paul Wright. He then joined tobyMac
TobyMac
Toby McKeehan , better known by his stage name TobyMac , is a Christian recording artist, music producer, hip-hop/pop artist, singer-songwriter, and author....
's Winter Wonder Slam tour, beginning on December 1, 2005, along with John Reuben
John Reuben
John Reuben is an American hip hop artist signed to Gotee Records until late 2010. Reuben has sold over 200,000 copies of his first four albums. He released his sixth album, Sex, Drugs and Self-Control on December 22, 2009...
, BarlowGirl
BarlowGirl
BarlowGirl is an American Christian rock–CCM all-female band from Chicago, Illinois. The band is composed of sisters Alyssa , Rebecca , and Lauren Barlow . The band has won several awards in their genre; their song "Never Alone" was the longest running No...
, GRITS
GRITS
GRITS, also known as G.R.I.T.S., is a Christian Hip Hop group from Nashville, Tennessee. Their name is an acronym, which stands for "Grammatical Revolution In The Spirit." GRITS is made up of Stacey "Coffee" Jones and Teron "Bonafide" Carter, both of whom were DC Talk dancers.Their song "Ooh Aah"...
, and DJ Maj
DJ Maj
Mike Allen, professionally known as DJ Maj, is a Christian music DJ, contributing to Gospel music albums released by tobyMac, GRITS, Ill Harmonics, Carman, dc Talk, and the Newsboys...
. Two additional songs were released off History as singles: "Only Grace" and the title track "History".
His independent album Sellout was re-released in 2006 on Universal South Records.
Vocal problems
West said that he began to experience "some vocal fatigue" in April 2007. He said "I had lost some of my vocal range, staying on higher notes and lower notes. I even began having a hard time speaking." At a vocal check-up in response to the issue, West's doctors at the NashvilleNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
Vanderbilt Voice Center discovered "hemorrhaging caused by some polyp
Polyp (medicine)
A polyp is an abnormal growth of tissue projecting from a mucous membrane. If it is attached to the surface by a narrow elongated stalk, it is said to be pedunculated. If no stalk is present, it is said to be sessile. Polyps are commonly found in the colon, stomach, nose, sinus, urinary bladder...
s". He was told by his doctors that vocal surgery was the only option, since a few weeks had passed. The surgery took place on May 17, 2007, a process that he said was "career threatening." Afterward, he was prescribed a two-month period of silence for vocal rest
Vocal rest
Vocal rest is the process of resting the vocal folds by not speaking or singing, which typically follows vocal disorders or viral infections which cause hoarseness in the voice, such as the common cold or influenza. The purpose of vocal rest is to hasten recovery time. It is believed that vocal...
.
A video documentary titled Nothing to Say, directed and produced by Benjamin Eisner, was released in early 2008, highlighting Matthew West's time of silence and vocal recovery in 2007. In February 2008, the documentary was available exclusively in Family Christian Stores
Family Christian Stores
Family Christian Stores is the world's largest Christian-focused retailer, and it is located in the United States. As of 2007, the retail chain had 4,600 employees in over 300 stores in 40 states...
as a CD/DVD combo pack with West's album Something to Say
Something to Say (Matthew West album)
Something to Say is the third full-length studio album by CCM artist Matthew West. It was released on January 15, 2008 through Sparrow Records. The album's first single, "You Are Everything", was the most-played song on Christian AC radio in 2008. Other singles from the album include the title...
.
Something to Say (2008–2010)
His next single "You Are EverythingYou Are Everything (Matthew West song)
"You Are Everything" is a single by Christian musician Matthew West, from his 2008 album Something to Say. It was a #1 hit in early and mid 2008, and was 2008's most-played song of the year on American contemporary Christian radio....
" was released in late 2007. The song was available as a free download from West's website. He also recorded a duet("Christmas Makes Me Cry
Christmas Makes Me Cry
"Christmas Makes Me Cry" is the third single from Christian singer, Mandisa. The single comes from her 2007 Christmas EP, Christmas Joy, and was released on November 6, 2007. It features Christian singer and producer, Matthew West. The song was re-released a year later as the first single from...
") with American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
finalist Mandisa
Mandisa
Mandisa Hundley is an American gospel singer, who was the ninth-place finalist in the fifth season of American Idol.-Early life:...
which was released as a Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
radio single in November 2007, from Mandisa's Christmas Joy EP
Christmas Joy EP
Christmas Joy is a 2007 EP by Mandisa.-Track listing:#What Christmas Means to Me#Joy to the World#Christmas Makes Me Cry #O Holy Night-Chart and sales performance :...
.
Matthew West's album, Something to Say
Something to Say (Matthew West album)
Something to Say is the third full-length studio album by CCM artist Matthew West. It was released on January 15, 2008 through Sparrow Records. The album's first single, "You Are Everything", was the most-played song on Christian AC radio in 2008. Other singles from the album include the title...
, was released on January 15, 2008. It reached #8 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
's Top Christian albums chart, and peaked at #159 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, making it his first Billboard 200 album . It was produced by Brown Bannister
Brown Bannister
Brown Bannister is a CCM producer and songwriter. Bannister released one album of his own, Talk to One Another, in 1981 on NewPax Records. It was reissued on the Reunion Records Label five years later, featuring a newer recording of the album's final cut, "Create In Me A Clean Heart"...
, Ed Cash
Ed Cash
Ed Cash is a producer, songwriter, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist. He was named the “Producer of the Year” at the Gospel Music Awards for four consecutive years and gains recognition for his work with Christian singer, Chris Tomlin...
, and Christopher Stevens. West said in an interview that all of the album's songs had already been written and the title "Something to Say" had already been decided "months before I found out that I was going to have nothing to say." The first radio single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
released from the album was "You Are Everything
You Are Everything (Matthew West song)
"You Are Everything" is a single by Christian musician Matthew West, from his 2008 album Something to Say. It was a #1 hit in early and mid 2008, and was 2008's most-played song of the year on American contemporary Christian radio....
". In March 2008, the song reached #1 on R&R
Radio & Records
Radio & Records was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It originally started out as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006, up until its final issue in 2009.-History:The company was founded in 1973 and...
's Christian AC chart. "Something to Say", the album's title track, was also released to radio, receiving airplay in June 2008.
Matthew West guested on tobyMac
TobyMac
Toby McKeehan , better known by his stage name TobyMac , is a Christian recording artist, music producer, hip-hop/pop artist, singer-songwriter, and author....
's 26-city "Boomin' Beyond Measure" tour along with Jeremy Camp
Jeremy Camp
Jeremy Thomas Camp is a contemporary Christian musician from Lafayette, Indiana. Camp has released seven albums, four of them RIAA-certified as Gold and two are live albums, and 17 number-one hit songs...
. The tour ran from February 6 through March 21, 2008.
He was featured on the Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
television special America's Dream: Chasing Happiness, which aired in the U.S. on March 1–9, 2008. The appearance included a world premiere of his music video for "Nothing Else", a song from History
History (Matthew West album)
History is the second studio album released by American CCM musician Matthew West. The album was released on Universal South Records on June 21, 2005. While the entire album was produced by Kenny Greenberg and Jason Houser, six of the tracks were written solely by West and the other five he...
. On June 29, West hosted GMA
Gospel Music Association
The Gospel Music Association was founded in 1964 for the purpose of supporting and promoting the development of all forms of Gospel music. There are currently about 4,000 members worldwide...
's 2008 Gospel Dream, a televised Christian music talent competition. "The Motions
The Motions
"The Motions" is a song by contemporary Christian singer-songwriter Matthew West from his third studio album, Something to Say. It was released in January 2009 as the album's third single...
" was released as his next single, placing at #1 on R&Rs Christian AC chart in April 2009.
He has a song on the upcoming album of country artist Jo Dee Messina
Jo Dee Messina
Jo Dee Marie Messina , known professionally as Jo Dee Messina, is an American country music artist. She has charted nine Number One singles on the Billboard country music charts. She has been honored by the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music and has been nominated for two...
, and another under consideration by “American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
” finalist Danny Gokey
Danny Gokey
Daniel Jay "Danny" Gokey is an American country music singer and church music director from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was the third place finalist on the eighth season of American Idol...
. In December 2009, "The Motions
The Motions
"The Motions" is a song by contemporary Christian singer-songwriter Matthew West from his third studio album, Something to Say. It was released in January 2009 as the album's third single...
" was Grammy-nominated for Best Gospel Song, his first Grammy nomination.
Story Of Your Life (2010-present)
The first single from Matthew West's new album, "My Own Little World" was released on August 23, 2010. The LP---"The Story of Your Life"---was released October 5, 2010, and according to West, is a response to thousands of life stories his fans shared with him. "The first day, I got 1,000 stories. All of a sudden, I was like, 'holy cow, something special is about to take place'. I rented a cabin in Tennessee, about 25 minutes from my house that felt like it was out in the middle of nowhere. And I spent two months in that cabin reading 10,000 stories," the singer/songwriter reported in an interview with CBN.com. Matthew is also starring in "The Heart of Christmas."Other songwriting
In addition to his main solo career, Matthew West has also written songs for other bands and musicians, including Mark SchultzMark Schultz (musician)
Mark Schultz is a Contemporary Christian music singer/songwriter. He grew up in Colby, Kansas and graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in marketing. At Kansas State, Mark was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he served eight years as a youth group...
, Mandisa
Mandisa
Mandisa Hundley is an American gospel singer, who was the ninth-place finalist in the fifth season of American Idol.-Early life:...
, Jump5
Jump5
- History :Siblings Brandon and Brittany Hargest had competed on the same dance team as Lesley Moore, and were familiar with Chris Fedun and Libby Hodges through the competitive dance circuit. The mother of Hodges held an open casting call to find additional members to form a new pop group with her...
, Sara Groves
Sara Groves
Sara Groves is an American Contemporary Christian singer, record producer, and author....
, Joy Williams, Salvador
Salvador (band)
Salvador is a Christian band. The band began with Art, Nic, and Josh Gonzales as part of the worship band in their home church located in north east Austin, Texas. Which was called King of Glory church...
, Natalie Grant
Natalie Grant
Natalie Grant is a singer-songwriter of contemporary Christian music. Her work has gained prominence, including four consecutive Dove Awards for best female artist, and with her signature song, Held...
, PureNRG
PureNRG
PureNRG were a Christian pop group from Nashville, Tennessee. They were signed to Fervent Records in March 2007. In 2008 Warner Bros. Records signed pureNRG...
, and Point of Grace
Point of Grace
Point of Grace is an all-female Contemporary Christian music group. The trio consists of Shelley Breen, Denise Jones, and Leigh Cappillino. The group started out as a quartet in 1991, with original members Breen and Jones, as well as Terry Jones and Heather Payne...
, as well as mainstream country act Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus
William "Billy" Ray Cyrus is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon...
. Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts is an American country music band that originated in Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney...
recorded Matthew's song "The Day Before You" on their album Feels Like Today. He co-wrote "Voice of a Savior" by Mandisa and "Thank You" by 33Miles
33Miles
33Miles is a contemporary Christian band with country music influences from Franklin, Tennessee. They began playing in Nashville and signed to INO Records, who released the band's debut album, 33Miles, in 2007. The album peaked at #8 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers albums chart and #16 on its Top...
, both of which were released as singles in early 2008.
Personal life
Matthew West currently lives in Nashville, TennesseeNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
with his wife Emily. He married
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
Emily on May 10, 2003 after proposing to her in September 2002. They have a daughter Luella Jane ("Lulu") and a daughter Delaney Ruth. The Wests own a pug
Pug
The pug is a "toy" breed of dog with a wrinkly, short-muzzled face, and curled tail. The breed has a fine, glossy coat that comes in a variety of colors, and a compact square body with well-developed muscle. They have been described as multum in parvo , referring to the pug's personality and...
named Earl "The Girl".
GMA Dove Awards
| Year | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Dove Awards of 2005 The 36th Annual GMA Dove Awards, also called the 36th Annual GMA Music Awards, were held on April 13, 2005 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2004. The show was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee and was hosted by Steven Curtis Chapman, CeCe Winans, Rebecca St... |
New Artist of the Year | |
| Song of the Year ("More More (Matthew West song) "More" is a song written and performed by contemporary Christian musician Matthew West from his first album, Happy. Released in late 2003, it was the first and most successful radio single of West's career to date. The song stayed at #1 on Christian radio for nine consecutive weeks during 2004,... ") |
||
| Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("More") | ||
| Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year (Happy Happy (Matthew West album) Happy is Matthew West's first non-independent album released in 2003. It was followed by History, Sellout and Something to Say.- Track listing :#"More" – 4:28#"Happy" – 3:38#"The Turnaround" – 4:00... ) |
||
| Recorded Music Packaging of the Year (Happy) | ||
| 2006 Dove Awards of 2006 The 37th Annual GMA Dove Awards, also called the 37th Annual GMA Music Awards, were held on April 5, 2006 recognizing accomplishments of Christian musicians for the year 2005. The show was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hosted by Rebecca St. James and Kirk Franklin... |
Song of the Year ("Only Grace") | |
| 2011 | Short Form Music Video of the Year ("My Own Little World") | Pending |
Albums
- 1997 - September Sun
- 1998 - Every Step of the Way
- 2002 - Sellout
- 2003 - HappyHappy (Matthew West album)Happy is Matthew West's first non-independent album released in 2003. It was followed by History, Sellout and Something to Say.- Track listing :#"More" – 4:28#"Happy" – 3:38#"The Turnaround" – 4:00...
- 2005 - HistoryHistory (Matthew West album)History is the second studio album released by American CCM musician Matthew West. The album was released on Universal South Records on June 21, 2005. While the entire album was produced by Kenny Greenberg and Jason Houser, six of the tracks were written solely by West and the other five he...
- 2008 - Something to SaySomething to Say (Matthew West album)Something to Say is the third full-length studio album by CCM artist Matthew West. It was released on January 15, 2008 through Sparrow Records. The album's first single, "You Are Everything", was the most-played song on Christian AC radio in 2008. Other singles from the album include the title...
- 2010 - The Story of Your Life
Singles
- "MoreMore (Matthew West song)"More" is a song written and performed by contemporary Christian musician Matthew West from his first album, Happy. Released in late 2003, it was the first and most successful radio single of West's career to date. The song stayed at #1 on Christian radio for nine consecutive weeks during 2004,...
" – peaked at number 1 on Christian AC charts for nine weeks - "The End"
- "You Know Where to Find Me"
- "Next Thing You Know"
- "Only Grace"
- "History"
- "You Are EverythingYou Are Everything (Matthew West song)"You Are Everything" is a single by Christian musician Matthew West, from his 2008 album Something to Say. It was a #1 hit in early and mid 2008, and was 2008's most-played song of the year on American contemporary Christian radio....
" – peaked at number 1 on Christian AC charts in March 2008 - "Something to Say"
- "The MotionsThe Motions"The Motions" is a song by contemporary Christian singer-songwriter Matthew West from his third studio album, Something to Say. It was released in January 2009 as the album's third single...
" – reached number 1 on Christian AC charts in April 2009 - "When I Say I Do" - released March 31, 2009
- "Save A Place For Me"
- "The Center"
- "My Own Little World"
- "Strong Enough"
Compilation contributions
- 2003: Festival Con Dios Vol. 3 – "MoreMore (Matthew West song)"More" is a song written and performed by contemporary Christian musician Matthew West from his first album, Happy. Released in late 2003, it was the first and most successful radio single of West's career to date. The song stayed at #1 on Christian radio for nine consecutive weeks during 2004,...
", from HappyHappy (Matthew West album)Happy is Matthew West's first non-independent album released in 2003. It was followed by History, Sellout and Something to Say.- Track listing :#"More" – 4:28#"Happy" – 3:38#"The Turnaround" – 4:00...
(InpopInpop RecordsInpop Records is an independent contemporary Christian music record label based in Franklin, Tennessee, USA. It was launched in July 1999 by Australians Peter Furler, Dale Bray, and Wes Campbell...
) - 2004: WOW Hits 2005WOW Hits 2005WOW Hits 2005 is a two-disc compilation album of hit songs that were selected to represent the best in contemporary Christian music. It was released on October 5, 2004. The album includes thirty one songs plus three bonus tracks. It features songs by Steven Curtis Chapman, Newsboys, MercyMe,...
– "More", from Happy (SparrowSparrow Records-Background:Sparrow Records was founded in 1976 by Billy Ray Hearn, then A&R director at Myrrh Records. Purchased by EMI in 1992, it is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group, and has been named by Billboard Magazine as "America's Best Christian Music Record Label"...
) - 2005: WOW Christmas: GreenWOW Christmas: GreenWOW Christmas: Green is the second release in the WOW Christmas series. It is the follow-up to the platinum-selling WOW Christmas: Red album. The double-disc album features 15 new tracks that are exclusive to this release. The album peaked at #54 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2005, and at #2 on...
– "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" (WordWord RecordsWord Records is a Christian record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a division of Word Entertainment , which, itself is co-owned by Warner Music Group and Curb Records...
) - 2005: Night of Joy 2005 – "Get Away", from HistoryHistory (Matthew West album)History is the second studio album released by American CCM musician Matthew West. The album was released on Universal South Records on June 21, 2005. While the entire album was produced by Kenny Greenberg and Jason Houser, six of the tracks were written solely by West and the other five he...
(DisneyThe Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
) - 2006: WOW Hits 2007WOW Hits 2007WOW Hits 2007 is a two-disc compilation album of songs that have been touted to represent the best of Christian music of 2006. It was released on October 3, 2006. The album features songs by Jeremy Camp, Casting Crowns, MercyMe, Chris Tomlin, and many more highly renowned groups and singers. The...
– "Only Grace", from History (EMIEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
) - 2007: Christmas Joy EPChristmas Joy EPChristmas Joy is a 2007 EP by Mandisa.-Track listing:#What Christmas Means to Me#Joy to the World#Christmas Makes Me Cry #O Holy Night-Chart and sales performance :...
– "Christmas Makes Me Cry", a duet with MandisaMandisaMandisa Hundley is an American gospel singer, who was the ninth-place finalist in the fifth season of American Idol.-Early life:...
(Sparrow) - 2007: WOW Hits 2008WOW Hits 2008WOW Hits 2008 is a two-disc compilation album comprising some of the biggest hits on Christian radio from the previous year. Disc one features more of the adult contemporary hits, while disc two features the CHR/Pop and Rock hits. On November 12, 2008 the album was certified gold in the US by the...
– "History", from History (EMI) - 2008: WOW Hits 1WOW Hits 1WOW Hits 1 was intended to be the first of three single-CD WOW Hits albums to be released in 2008. It contains sixteen of the most recent hit songs on Christian radio plus three bonus tracks...
- "You Are Everything," from Something to SaySomething to Say (Matthew West album)Something to Say is the third full-length studio album by CCM artist Matthew West. It was released on January 15, 2008 through Sparrow Records. The album's first single, "You Are Everything", was the most-played song on Christian AC radio in 2008. Other singles from the album include the title... - 2008: WOW Hits 2009WOW Hits 2009WOW Hits 2009 is a two-disc compilation album composed of some of the biggest hits on Christian radio during the previous year. Disc one features more of the adult contemporary hits, while disc two features the CHR–pop and rock hits....
- "You Are Everything," from Something to SaySomething to Say (Matthew West album)Something to Say is the third full-length studio album by CCM artist Matthew West. It was released on January 15, 2008 through Sparrow Records. The album's first single, "You Are Everything", was the most-played song on Christian AC radio in 2008. Other singles from the album include the title... - 2009: WOW Hits 2010WOW Hits 2010WOW Hits 2010 is a two-disc compilation album composed of some of the biggest hits on Christian radio in 2009. Disc one features more adult contemporary hits, while disc two features the CHR–pop and rock hits. The album charted at number one on the Hot Christian Albums chart and number 33 on the...
- "The Motions," from Something to SaySomething to Say (Matthew West album)Something to Say is the third full-length studio album by CCM artist Matthew West. It was released on January 15, 2008 through Sparrow Records. The album's first single, "You Are Everything", was the most-played song on Christian AC radio in 2008. Other singles from the album include the title... - 2010: WOW Hits 2011WOW Hits 2011WOW Hits 2011 is a two-disc compilation album composed of some of the biggest hits on Christian radio in 2010. Disc one features more AC radio hits, while disc two features the CHR/Rock radio hits. The album was also issued in a deluxe version featuring six bonus remixes.The album hit No. 1 on...
- "My Own Little World," from The Story of Your Life - 2011: Music Inspired by the Story - "Good (Adam & Eve)," a duet with Leigh Nash (EMI Christian Music)