Michael English
Encyclopedia
Michael English is an American Christian singer. Initially, he was a member of his family's singing group, and is currently a member of The Gaither Vocal Band
. During his solo career, he recorded eight studio albums. English's highest-charting solo single was "Your Love Amazes Me
", which reached No. 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1996.
English was raised by parents Aubine and Grace English, in a town called North East, near Wallace, North Carolina
. English performed in his family's singing group, The Singing Samaritans, from 1972 until 1980. After graduating from high school, he joined The Singing Americans, where he shortened his name to Mike English, later going back to Michael. He left the group in 1982 and joined The Goodmans. At about the same time he married his first wife Lisa Bailey and they had a daughter Megan who was born in late 1984. After that, he joined a regional group, The Gospel Couriers, for about six months until he rejoined The Singing Americans. It was then that he had his first big success in southern gospel music
with the live recording of what would become his signature song, "I Bowed On My Knees (And Cried Holy)".
Although one of the Goodmans had brought him the song to sing and record while he was still there with them, the Singing Americans felt the song had not gone as far as it could while he sang with the group. This prompted English to record the track with the group, bringing the song its biggest success.
His last album with the Singing Americans, Black and White, was one of their most popular. It featured a single English was fairly well known for called "Welcome To Heaven", but success of it was possibly stalled when he left the group in 1985 to join The Gaither Vocal Band as their new lead singer, replacing Gary McSpadden, who moved to singing baritone. The change of groups introduced more people to the southern gospel genre. After rising to fame as a member of the Gaither Vocal Band, Bill Gaither encouraged English to pursue a solo career. He signed his first solo recording contract with Warner Alliance
in 1991 while continuing to sing lead in the Gaither Vocal Band.
His debut effort, Michael English, was well received, ultimately winning two Dove Awards in 1992 for Male Vocalist and New Artist. He left the Gaither Vocal Band in 1994.
where he received four Dove Awards, including Artist of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year. English had learned that Marabeth Jordan, with whom he had an affair, was pregnant with his child. (Jordan sang with First Call, a group he had been on tour with.) Jordan was dismissed from First Call, and two weeks later, English says, she miscarried. First Call and English had just completed a tour for unwed mothers, and each was married.
English was pressured by Warner Alliance to make a public apology, and he was eventually dropped by the label. Warner removed all promotions, marketing, which halted sales of English's records, and Christian radio stations pulled English's songs off the air. He also returned his Dove Awards to the Gospel Music Association
. English and his wife Lisa, who were married for 11 years and had a daughter in common, divorced.
English stayed with Ashley and Wynonna Judd during his recovery period. Though he would not totally abandon music, English would not perform gospel music for the three years following the scandal. In 1994, English signed a record contract with Curb Records
to produce mainstream pop music
. A lot of the material English had previously recorded on his spiritual albums was now being re-released as pop music.
A duet with country music superstar and longtime friend, Wynonna Judd
, titled "Healing" a song English had recorded for his album, "Hope" introduced English to a new audience when the song was featured in the 1994 movie, Silent Fall
.
At both the 1996 and 1997 Dove Awards, his co-production for album projects by The Martins
won Southern Gospel Album of the Year. He also produced albums he had already started for The Stamps Quartet, The Gaither Vocal Band, and performed as a background singer on several artists' Christian albums, as well as demo work.
In August 1996, southern gospel audiences re-accepted English after promoter/historian Charles Waller reunited English with Ed Hill, Rick Strickland
, Dwayne Burke and Milton Smith as the Singing Americans, before an audience of over 4,000 gospel music fans at the Grand Ole Gospel Reunion. JD Sumner also invited English to appear with the Stamps at the National Quartet Convention, as well as the Grand Ole Opry.
Curb Records
released Gospel, produced by English and featuring his own band with arrangements he had sung in his concerts over the past several years. This album was co-produced by long-time friend Jay Demarcus
of Rascal Flatts
. Gary LeVox
, the lead singer of Rascal Flatts, sang background vocals as well. In March 1999, Bill Gaither invited English to appear at a recording of Gaither Homecoming
. Three videos were released from this taping, "Good News", "Harmony in the Heartland'", and "What a Time".
In March 2000. English recorded a new album, Heaven to Earth, which was released by Curb Records. Premiering his album on Trinity Broadcasting Network
’s Praise the Lord, English gave a powerful testimony of what God had brought him through and shared his story about his addiction to painkillers and subsequent treatment and rehab.
In 2009, English rejoined the Gaither Vocal Band—making it a quintet—singing lead.
On March 4, 2010, Michael English underwent surgery on the spinal column in his neck. While he was recovering, Marshall Hall
came back to fill in for two months, and Reggie Smith filled in for one month. With an emotional concert return, English sang again with the vocal band on August 1, 2010.
. The couple have one daughter, Issabella.
In addition to touring, English released his autobiography, The Prodigal Comes Home, in April 2007.
Gaither Vocal Band
The Gaither Vocal Band is a Grammy award-winning Christian music vocal group, headed by Bill Gaither. They originally recorded contemporary Christian music, but after the popularity of the Gaither Homecoming videos, the group has become known for southern gospel.-Group history:The Gaither Vocal...
. During his solo career, he recorded eight studio albums. English's highest-charting solo single was "Your Love Amazes Me
Your Love Amazes Me
"Your Love Amazes Me" is the title of a country music song written by Amanda Hunt-Taylor and Chuck Jones, and recorded by American country music singer John Berry. The third single of Berry's career, it is his only Number One single on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was also the first...
", which reached No. 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1996.
Early years
Born in Kenansville, North CarolinaKenansville, North Carolina
Kenansville is a town in Duplin County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,149 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Duplin County.-Geography:Kenansville is located at ....
English was raised by parents Aubine and Grace English, in a town called North East, near Wallace, North Carolina
Wallace, North Carolina
Wallace is a town in Duplin county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 3,344 at the 2000 census.The Pender County portion of Wallace is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. English performed in his family's singing group, The Singing Samaritans, from 1972 until 1980. After graduating from high school, he joined The Singing Americans, where he shortened his name to Mike English, later going back to Michael. He left the group in 1982 and joined The Goodmans. At about the same time he married his first wife Lisa Bailey and they had a daughter Megan who was born in late 1984. After that, he joined a regional group, The Gospel Couriers, for about six months until he rejoined The Singing Americans. It was then that he had his first big success in southern gospel music
Southern Gospel
Southern Gospel music—at one time also known as "quartet music"—is music whose lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...
with the live recording of what would become his signature song, "I Bowed On My Knees (And Cried Holy)".
Although one of the Goodmans had brought him the song to sing and record while he was still there with them, the Singing Americans felt the song had not gone as far as it could while he sang with the group. This prompted English to record the track with the group, bringing the song its biggest success.
His last album with the Singing Americans, Black and White, was one of their most popular. It featured a single English was fairly well known for called "Welcome To Heaven", but success of it was possibly stalled when he left the group in 1985 to join The Gaither Vocal Band as their new lead singer, replacing Gary McSpadden, who moved to singing baritone. The change of groups introduced more people to the southern gospel genre. After rising to fame as a member of the Gaither Vocal Band, Bill Gaither encouraged English to pursue a solo career. He signed his first solo recording contract with Warner Alliance
Warner Alliance
Warner Alliance was a Contemporary Christian imprint of Warner Music Group. Its operations were suspended in 1998. Artists on the label included Billy & Sarah Gaines, the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Caedmon's Call, Donnie McClurkin, First Call, Wayne Watson, Take 6, Mid South, and the Worldwide...
in 1991 while continuing to sing lead in the Gaither Vocal Band.
His debut effort, Michael English, was well received, ultimately winning two Dove Awards in 1992 for Male Vocalist and New Artist. He left the Gaither Vocal Band in 1994.
Scandal
English's Christian music career abruptly came to a halt on May 6, 1994, just one week after the 24th GMA Dove Awards24th GMA Dove Awards
The 24th Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on April 1, 1993 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 1992. The show was held in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hosted by Barbara Mandrell.-Award recipients:*Artist of the Year**Michael English...
where he received four Dove Awards, including Artist of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year. English had learned that Marabeth Jordan, with whom he had an affair, was pregnant with his child. (Jordan sang with First Call, a group he had been on tour with.) Jordan was dismissed from First Call, and two weeks later, English says, she miscarried. First Call and English had just completed a tour for unwed mothers, and each was married.
English was pressured by Warner Alliance to make a public apology, and he was eventually dropped by the label. Warner removed all promotions, marketing, which halted sales of English's records, and Christian radio stations pulled English's songs off the air. He also returned his Dove Awards to the Gospel Music Association
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...
. English and his wife Lisa, who were married for 11 years and had a daughter in common, divorced.
English stayed with Ashley and Wynonna Judd during his recovery period. Though he would not totally abandon music, English would not perform gospel music for the three years following the scandal. In 1994, English signed a record contract with Curb Records
Curb Records
Curb Records is a record label started by Mike Curb originally as Sidewalk Records in 1963...
to produce mainstream pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
. A lot of the material English had previously recorded on his spiritual albums was now being re-released as pop music.
A duet with country music superstar and longtime friend, Wynonna Judd
Wynonna Judd
Wynonna Ellen Judd is an American country music singer. Her solo albums and singles are all credited to the singular name Wynonna. Wynonna first rose to fame in the 1980s alongside her mother, Naomi, in the country music duo The Judds...
, titled "Healing" a song English had recorded for his album, "Hope" introduced English to a new audience when the song was featured in the 1994 movie, Silent Fall
Silent Fall
Silent Fall is a 1994 mystery film about a boy with autism who is the only witness to a savage double murder. The film was directed by Bruce Beresford, and stars Richard Dreyfuss, Linda Hamilton, John Lithgow, J. T. Walsh, and Liv Tyler.-Plot:...
.
Comeback
In September 1996, English released a pop album, Freedom. The album’s first single, "Your Love Amazes Me" (a cover of country music singer John Berry's 1994 hit), peaked at number 10 on the adult contemporary chart, but could only hit number 105 on the main chart.At both the 1996 and 1997 Dove Awards, his co-production for album projects by The Martins
The Martins
The Martins are a Christian music vocal trio composed of three siblings: Joyce Martin Sanders, Jonathan Martin, and Judy Martin Hess.-Music career:...
won Southern Gospel Album of the Year. He also produced albums he had already started for The Stamps Quartet, The Gaither Vocal Band, and performed as a background singer on several artists' Christian albums, as well as demo work.
In August 1996, southern gospel audiences re-accepted English after promoter/historian Charles Waller reunited English with Ed Hill, Rick Strickland
Rick Strickland
Rick Strickland is a Southern Gospel singer. Although he is currently a soloist, Strickland has sung tenor with several groups in the past, including The Singing Americans , The Sound , The Kingdom Heirs , The Stamps Quartet, and Ed Enoch and Golden Covenant...
, Dwayne Burke and Milton Smith as the Singing Americans, before an audience of over 4,000 gospel music fans at the Grand Ole Gospel Reunion. JD Sumner also invited English to appear with the Stamps at the National Quartet Convention, as well as the Grand Ole Opry.
Curb Records
Curb Records
Curb Records is a record label started by Mike Curb originally as Sidewalk Records in 1963...
released Gospel, produced by English and featuring his own band with arrangements he had sung in his concerts over the past several years. This album was co-produced by long-time friend Jay Demarcus
Jay DeMarcus
Jay DeMarcus is the bass guitarist, harmony vocalist, pianist and songwriter in the American country trio Rascal Flatts.DeMarcus was born in Columbus, Ohio...
of 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...
. Gary LeVox
Gary LeVox
Gary LeVox is the lead vocalist of American country trio Rascal Flatts. His stage name literally means "The Voice", a name he lifted from the studio-console label for his lead-vocal track....
, the lead singer of Rascal Flatts, sang background vocals as well. In March 1999, Bill Gaither invited English to appear at a recording of Gaither Homecoming
Gaither Homecoming
Gaither Homecoming is the name applied to a series of videos, music recordings and concerts, which are organized, promoted and usually presented by Christian music songwriter and impresario Bill Gaither...
. Three videos were released from this taping, "Good News", "Harmony in the Heartland'", and "What a Time".
In March 2000. English recorded a new album, Heaven to Earth, which was released by Curb Records. Premiering his album on Trinity Broadcasting Network
Trinity Broadcasting Network
The Trinity Broadcasting Network is a major American Christian television network. TBN is based in Costa Mesa, California, with auxiliary studio facilities in Irving, Texas; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Gadsden, Alabama; Decatur, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Orlando, Florida; and New...
’s Praise the Lord, English gave a powerful testimony of what God had brought him through and shared his story about his addiction to painkillers and subsequent treatment and rehab.
In 2009, English rejoined the Gaither Vocal Band—making it a quintet—singing lead.
On March 4, 2010, Michael English underwent surgery on the spinal column in his neck. While he was recovering, Marshall Hall
Marshall Hall (singer)
Marshall Hall was born on December 30, 1970 in Lexington, KY to a musical family - mother Alice, father Dale, older brother Mitchell, and younger brother Matthew....
came back to fill in for two months, and Reggie Smith filled in for one month. With an emotional concert return, English sang again with the vocal band on August 1, 2010.
Personal life
On August 29, 2002, English married Marcie Stambaugh, a pastor's daughter, 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...
. The couple have one daughter, Issabella.
In addition to touring, English released his autobiography, The Prodigal Comes Home, in April 2007.
Solo discography
- 1992: Michael English (Warner Alliance)
- 1993: Hope (Warner Alliance)
- 1995: Michael English (Curb Records)
- 1996: Freedom (Curb)
- 1998: Gospel (Curb)
- 2000: Heaven to Earth (Curb)
- 2003: A Michael English Christmas (Curb)
- 2006: Michael English Greatest Hits: In Christ Alone (Curb)
- 2008: The Prodigal Comes Home (Curb)
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US CHR AC | US AC Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
||
| 1995 | "Healing" (with Wynonna Judd Wynonna Judd Wynonna Ellen Judd is an American country music singer. Her solo albums and singles are all credited to the singular name Wynonna. Wynonna first rose to fame in the 1980s alongside her mother, Naomi, in the country music duo The Judds... ) |
— | — | 120 |
| 1996 | "Your Love Amazes Me Your Love Amazes Me "Your Love Amazes Me" is the title of a country music song written by Amanda Hunt-Taylor and Chuck Jones, and recorded by American country music singer John Berry. The third single of Berry's career, it is his only Number One single on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was also the first... " |
— | 10 | 105 |
| 2000 | "Heaven to Earth" | 17 | — | — |
| 2008 | "Feels Like Redemption" | 26 | — | — |
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | "Healing" | Randee St. Nicholas |
External links
- Official Website
- [ Allmusic Entry]
- Billboard Entry
- CBN interview