Bart Millard
{{short description|American singer and songwriter (born 1972)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Bart Millard
| image = Bart Millard and Robin Shaffer in concert.JPG
| caption = Millard in 2008
| image_size =
| birth_name = Bart Marshall Millard{{cite web|url=http://www.christianmusicreview.org/bartmillard.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120429015249/http://www.christianmusicreview.org/bartmillard.html|title=Bart Millard biography|author=Christian Music Review|archive-date=April 29, 2012|access-date=April 21, 2012}}
| alias =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1972|12|1|mf=y}}https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-can-only-imagine-bart-millard/1007070742 I Can Only Imagine by Bart Millard. "On December 1, 1972, I came into the world."
| death_date =
| birth_place = Greenville, Texas, U.S.
| instrument = Vocals
| genre = Rock · Christian rock · CCM
| occupation = Singer · songwriter
| years_active = 1994–present
| label = Fair Trade Services
| associated_acts = MercyMe
| website = {{URL|bartmillard.org}}
}}
Bart Marshall Millard (born December 1, 1972) is an American singer and songwriter who is best known as the leader of the band MercyMe. He has also released two solo albums: Hymned, No. 1, in 2005 and Hymned Again in 2008. He received a solo Grammy nomination in the category of Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album for the latter album.
Band career
In high school, Millard wanted to become a football player, a dream which ended when he injured both ankles at a high school football game. As a result, Millard took choir as an elective. Millard's father, Arthur Wesley Millard Jr.,Brad Schmitt, [https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2018/02/13/bart-millard-mercyme-can-only-imagine-movie-book-father-abuse/320728002/ "MercyMe's Bart Millard thought his father was going to kill him"], Tennessean, February 13, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018. died in 1991, during Bart's first year of college, and his youth pastor invited him to work with the church's youth group worship band. Millard accepted and worked with the video and audio systems for the group. James (Jim) Bryson played the piano for that band and later went on to play with Bart Millard and the worship band on a trip to Switzerland. This trip inspired Millard to pursue a full-time musical career. Millard and two of his friends, James Phillip Bryson and Michael John Scheuchzer, moved to Oklahoma City,{{when|date=December 2018}} and formed MercyMe. Since then, the band has recorded six independent, ten studio, two Christmas, and three compilation albums.{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mercyme-mn0000870809/discography|title=MercyMe - Album Discography - AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=April 25, 2018}}
Solo career
Millard made a promise to his grandmother to record an album of hymns before she died, which he did with Hymned No. 1, and he subsequently shared the story of how he was inspired by his grandmother's faith.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/music/interviews/2008/bartmillard-1008.html|title=Reimagining the Hymns|last=Breimeier|first=Russ|date=October 6, 2008|magazine=Christianity Today|access-date=April 22, 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.crosswalk.com/culture/music/bart-millard-the-solo-side-take-two-11580941.html|title=Bart Millard: The Solo Side, Take Two|last=Greer|first=Andrew|date=August 26, 2008|publisher=Crosswalk via Christian Music Planet|access-date=April 22, 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.crosswalk.com/culture/music/bart-millard-mawmaws-boy-1347339.html|title=Bart Millard: MawMaw's Boy|last=Evans Price|first=Deborah|date=August 23, 2005|publisher=Crosswalk|access-date=April 22, 2012}} Millard made the second of his two hymn albums because he realized that the church he was attending did not sing hymns and he wanted his children to have hymns as a part of their lives.
Millard said his dad heavily influenced him in his musical direction with respect to the hymn albums, drawing particularly on Willie Nelson and Louie Prima. Millard stated that these influences would not be appropriate for MercyMe, as MercyMe is similar to Coldplay, while these hymns are more in the vein of Frank Sinatra. Millard said that he embarked on his solo effort in order to give expression to musical styles that would not have been compatible with MercyMe. Millard said that they sang a Hank Williams song called "I Saw the Light" in his church growing up.
The title of Hymned Again is a "tongue-in-cheek" reference to the first album. The first album was an effort to make songs that he did not particularly care about cooler, and the second album was created to achieve a Kansas City swing/shuffle mood in the vein of Louie Prima, Harry Connick Jr. and Jamie Cullum, which is what was achieved. According to Greer, this album was very reminiscent of She by Connick, which was done five or six times according to Millard. Millard said he accomplished this by listening to a stack of albums by these musicians. Millard said the songs on the album Hymned Again are in the tradition of the Great Revival era musically, but that this was not done on purpose. Millard said the one original song on the album, titled "Jesus Cares for Me", was written by Thad Cockrell, a song that, according to the singer, "could’ve been written 50, 60 years ago." Millard nervously asked Vince Gill to participate on the album. On the possibility of a future "Hymned" effort, Millard said, "Man, I hope so."
Millard is featured as a vocalist on "I See Love", a 2004 single by Third Day and Steven Curtis Chapman. He is also featured as a backing vocalist on Phil Wickham's 2009 single "Safe".
Awards
Millard was deemed the Best Male Vocalist by Christianity Today in 2005 for his work on his solo album Hymned No. 1 and for The Christmas Sessions album with MercyMe.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/music/bestoflists/2005/bestartists-0106.html?start=1|title=Best Artists of 2005|author=Christianity Today|author-link=Christianity Today|date=January 1, 2006|magazine=Christianity Today|access-date=April 22, 2012}} Millard's Hymned No. 1 was ranked No. 9 on Christianity Today
Film
Millard's song "I Can Only Imagine" was inspired by his father's death, and was made into a film also titled I Can Only Imagine. The film was released on March 16, 2018.
Personal life
Millard is from Greenville, Texas, where his wife Shannon and he currently live. They have five children: Sam, Gracie, Charlie, Sophie, and Miles.{{cite web|url=http://www.klove.com/blog/post/2012/07/23/Talking-with-Bart-Millard.aspx|title=Talking with Bart Millard: Kids & Insane Family Moments|date=July 23, 2012|author=K-LOVE|author-link=K-LOVE|publisher=Educational Media Foundation|access-date=April 22, 2014}}
Millard's mother Adele left him with his abusive father when he was just a boy. They have since reconciled, and she died in July 2022.{{Cite web |last=Law |first=Jeannie Ortega |last2=Reporter |first2=Christian Post |date=2022-07-12 |title=MercyMe's Bart Millard speaks of mom's passing, says they made amends over abusive childhood |url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/mercymes-bart-millard-speaks-of-mothers-passing.html |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=www.christianpost.com |language=en}}
Arthur Wesley Millard Jr., Bart's father, abused him as a boy. However, Arthur became a Christian later in life. Bart and he made amends before Arthur died of pancreatic cancer in 1991.{{Cite web |last=Schmitt |first=Brad |title=MercyMe's Bart Millard thought his father was going to kill him |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2018/02/13/bart-millard-mercyme-can-only-imagine-movie-book-father-abuse/320728002/ |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=The Tennessean |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Mehrotra |first=Kriti |date=2023-12-07 |title=What Happened to Bart Millard's Dad? How Did He Die? |url=https://thecinemaholic.com/bart-millards-dad/ |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=The Cinemaholic |language=en-US}}
Discography
{{See also|MercyMe discography}}
= Albums =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" |
| scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:8em;"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Album details ! scope="col" colspan="3"| Peak chart positions |
|---|
| scope="col" style="width:4em;font-size:90%;"| US {{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=bart millard|chart=all}}|title=Billboard 200 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=April 13, 2020}} ! scope="col" style="width:4em;font-size:90%;"| US ! scope="col" style="width:4em;font-size:90%;"| US |
| scope="row"| Hymned, No. 1
|
| — | 12 | 13 |
| scope="row"| Hymned Again
|
| 126 | 8 | — |
=Guest appearances=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Artist ! Album ! Song |
|---|
| 2002
| Steven Curtis Chapman, Out of Eden, Jennifer Knapp, Jeremy Lubbuck Jody Moreing, Lila McCann, Joy Williams, Jody Moreing, and Warren Ham | Let's Roll: Together In Unity, Faith, and Hope | style="text-align:center;"| "The Lords Prayer" "To You Be the Glory" |
| 2004
| Third Day and Steven Curtis Chapman | The Passion of the Christ: Songs | style="text-align:center;"| "I See Love" |
| 2007
| rowspan="2" | Phil Wickham | Cannons | style="text-align:center;"| "The Light Will Come" |
| 2009
| style="text-align:center;"| "Safe" |
| 2011
| Apostles Church | Love Came Through | style="text-align:center;"| "Jesus, Name Above All Names" |
| 2012
| The Way Back Home | style="text-align:center;"| "The Weight" |
| 2013
| Made | style="text-align:center;"| "Words" |
| 2014
| Francesca Battistelli, Jamie Grace, Jeremy Camp, Matt Maher, and Dave Frey | non-single album | style="text-align:center;"| "Hope Can Change Everything" |
| 2018
| Love Is A Lion | style="text-align:center;"| "WaveWalker" |
| 2018
|No Matter What | style="text-align:center;| "No Matter What" |
| rowspan="2"| 2019
| style="text-align:center;" | "He Won't Let Go" |
| TobyMac
| The St. Nemele Collab Sessions | style="text-align:center;" | "Overflow (Willyecho Remix)" |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://bartmillard.org/}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Millard, Bart}}
Category:American performers of Christian music
Category:American rock singers
Category:Fair Trade Services artists
Category:People from Greenville, Texas
Category:Songwriters from Texas
Category:21st-century American singers