Matt Maher
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Matt Maher |
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Matthew "Matt" Maher is a singer/songwriter/worship leader originally from Newfoundland, Canada, who later relocated to Mesa, Arizona. He has written and produced 3 independent albums: The End and The Beginning (2001), Welcome to Life (2003), and Overflow (2006). All three albums were produced by Maher, with Welcome to Life and Overflow both being co-produced by Maher and Nashville engineer Jeff Thomas. All three records were released through www.spiritandsong.com, a publishing company based out of Portland, Oregon. In 2005, Maher signed a publishing deal with EMI publishing, and went on to have several of his songs recorded by other artists (Phillips Craig and Dean, Michael Olson, Bethany Dillon, Chris Tomlin). In the spring of 2007, Maher signed to Essential Records. His new album Empty and Beautiful was released on April 8, 2008.
Your Grace is Enough
Matt is most known for his song, "Your Grace Is Enough" which Chris Tomlin recorded on His 2004 Platinum release, Arriving. The two met at a Youth Specialties conference held in Phoenix when Tomlin's band was asked to "back" Maher up. Tomlin instantly fell in love with the song. Since then, the song has become a popular worship anthem. Matt recorded a new version of the song, combining both his and Tomlin's versions, for the album "Empty and Beautiful". The song was released as a single on iTunes in March 2008, and reached #2 on Billboard's Adult Christian Contemporary Chart, where it remained in the top ten for over 8 weeks.
Mission as a Worship Leader
Matt serves at St. Timothy's Catholic Parish in Mesa, Arizona, where he met and learned from his friend and mentor, Tom Booth. St. Timothy's is both Oceans in Europe and Australia later in 2008.
Empty and Beautiful
On April 8, 2008, Matt Maher's new album Empty and Beautiful was released. As of April 8th, the album reached number 55 on the album charts in itunes, and number 2 on the Christian and Gospel Album chart.
Visit of Pope Benedict XVI
When Pope Benedict XVI visited the United States in April 2008, Maher was asked to lead worship for crowds of thousands at the Rally for Youth and Seminarians in Yonkers, NY, which also featured Kelly Clarkson, tobyMac and Third Day among others. He was subsequently interviewed on Fox News, where he played his title track from Empty and Beautiful on the secular airwaves.
Discography
| Album Title | Release Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| The End and the Beginning | 2002 | Spirit and Song |
| Welcome to Life | 2004 | Spirit and Song |
| Overflow | March 22, 2006 | Spirit and Song |
| Empty & Beautiful | April 8, 2008 | Essential Records |
| Untitled | September 22, 2009 | Essential Records |
Awards
- 2008 Praise And Worship Album Of The Year: Empty & Beautiful[1]
Other
- 2008 Catholic Album Of The Year: Empty & Beautiful
References
- ^ Matt received four other nominations in 2008: New Artist Of The Year, Inspirational Song Of The Year: "Empty And Beautiful", Praise And Worship Song Of The Year: "Your Grace Is Enough", and Song Of The Year: "Your Grace Is Enough" GMA Canada list of 2008 nominees