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Chris Tomlin says he has a responsibility to write songs for people to sing and worship God. Tomlin played Friday, Feb. 6 at the Wells Fargo Theater. He also is nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album. Photo courtesy of CMA Media Promotions
Barry Manilow may have belted out the lyrics, “I write the songs that make the whole world sing,” but in reality that songwriter my well be Chris Tomlin, a Christian rock musician.
Even if you are unaware of his name or presence, you know Tomlin, or more to the point his words have been on the tip of your tongue if you have visited a church or worship service in the last several years.
According to Christian Copyright Licensing International, a company that licenses songs to churches, “How Great is Our God,” by Tomlin has been the most requested song by churches in the United States for the past four years. And in its August 2008 report, CCLI lists four other songs by Tomlin in the top 13 – “Forever,” “Holy is the Lord,” “Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone),” and “We Fall Down.”
Sound familiar now? You can sing-along with Tomlin on Friday, Feb. 6 at the Wells Fargo Theater in Denver. Tickets are $32 and $25 at Ticketmaster.
It’s pretty heady stuff being what Time magazine called “the most often sung contemporary artist in U.S. congregations every week,” but don’t think Tomlin is about holding airs. He’s down to earth and extremely humble. When asked to describe his music, he didn’t give the standard responses of guitar-laden riffs or melodic harmonies, but, “It’s thousands and thousands of voices singing, praising God,” he said.
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