Greatest Hits is a compilation album from Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman released on October 21, 1997 by Sparrow Records.

Artist/Band Information

Steven Curtis Chapman (born November 21, 1962 in Paducah, Kentucky, U.S.) is a Christian singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and author.

After starting his career in the late 1980s as a songwriter, Chapman has turned into one of the most prolific singers in the genre, releasing more than 20 albums to this date. Chapman has also won five Grammy awards and 56 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, more than any other artist in history. His seven "Artist of the Year" Dove Awards, his latest in 2009, are also an industry record.http As of 2007, Chapman has sold more than 10 million albums and has 9 RIAA-certified Gold or Platinum albums.http Steven Curtis Chapman Wins 5th Grammy at 47th Annual Awards, about.com

Chapman is also a vocal advocate for adoption, along with his wife Mary Beth. Together, they have started a charity organization called Show Hope (formerly called Shaohannah's Hope), that mobilizes individuals and communities to care for orphans through its international orphan care work as well as adoption aid grants to help put more orphans from overseas and the U.S. in loving, forever families. In 2009, Show Hope finished building Maria's Big House of Hope, a medical care center in China that provides holistic care to orphans with special needs. He is also a contributor to Compassionart, a charity founded by Martin Smith of British rock band Delirious?.

Chapman was recognized in the Fall 2010 (Volume 65) issue of Wood & Steel discussing the new guitar in honor of his youngest daughter Maria. The guitar features the flower from Maria's picture and the word "SEE" on the 12th fret in Maria Sue's Handwriting. In 2003 Steven Curtis Chapman starred in Christmas Child and he played the role of Reverend Michael Curtis.

Early life

Steven Curtis Chapman was born to Judy and Herb Chapman in Paducah, Kentucky on November 21, 1962. Chapman's father is a guitar teacher in Paducah, and young Steven and Herb Jr. grew up playing the guitar and singing.

Upon finishing high school, Chapman enrolled as a pre-med student at Georgetown College in Kentucky. After a couple of semesters he transferred to Anderson College in Indiana. However, he soon dropped out and went to Nashville to pursue a career in music. While in Nashville he briefly attended Belmont University. He began working a music show at Opryland USA while dedicating time to songwriting.Personal interview, April 1990

In the 1980s, Chapman wrote a song called "Built to Last," which was recorded by prominent gospel group The Imperials. The strength of the song prompted him to be signed to a songwriting deal with Sparrow Records, where he rose to prominence. As of 2007, artists like Sandi Patty, Billy Dean, Glen Campbell, and Roger Whittaker have recorded Chapman's songs.

First albums

In 1987, Chapman released his first album, First Hand. The album included the song "Weak Days," which peaked at #2 on the Contemporary Christian Music chart. In 1988, he followed with his second album, Real Life Conversations, which earned him four more hits, including the #1 song "His Eyes." The song, which was co-written by James Isaac Elliott, earned the Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year award from the Gospel Music Association in 1989. That year, he also won a GMA Award for Best Songwriter of the Year.

After that, Chapman followed with more albums like More to This Life and For the Sake of the Call. All of these albums featured several #1 singles, and were awarded several GMA Awards. The latter also gave Chapman his first Grammy in the Best Pop Gospel Album category. These achievements strengthened his position in the Christian music scene.

Going mainstream

In 1992, Chapman made a successful shift into a more mainstream audience with his album The Great Adventure. The album garnered Chapman with two more Grammys, for the album and for the title track video. After Sparrow Records was purchased by EMI/Liberty, they began to market the album to a broader audience, pushing it to gold status in 1993. The success of the album prompted Chapman to record one of his concerts and release it as The Live Adventure, both as a video and a CD. This continuation won Chapman more GMA Awards, and also a new award from American Songwriter magazine for Songwriter and Artist of the Year.

Chapman continued to enjoy success with albums like Heaven in the Real World, Signs of Life, and Speechless. In 2001, with the release of Declaration, Chapman got more attention in the Top 200. That album, along with 2003's All About Love, peaked in the Top 15. The follow-up, All Things New, made it to #22.

Chapman has also released three Christmas albums, beginning with 1995's The Music of Christmas. In 2005, he released All I Really Want for Christmas, and this was followed by a re-release of The Music of Christmas in 2004, distributed only at Hallmark Cards stores.

In the Christian video game Dance Praise, four songs from Steven Curtis Chapman are included: "All About Love," "Dive," "Live Out Loud," and "Only Getting Started." The Dance Praise expansion pack, Dance Praise Expansion Pack Volume 1: Modern Worship, adds the following songs to the game: "Children of the Burning Heart," "Let us Pray," "See the Glory," "Fingerprints of God," and "I Do Believe."

Chapman also hosts the Gospel Music Channel show, "The Best of the Dove Awards."

Recent years

In 2006, Chapman went on tour to several Asian countries. His website claims his concert for U.S. troops serving in South Korea was the first Christian concert ever performed for the troops in that country, and a concert in Shanghai, China was "the first public performance by a Gospel recording artist event in the city open to China passport holders," and the third-largest concert in Shanghai that spring.http News Brief, July 26, 2006 (accessed August 19, 2006) The tour also took the artist to Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Singapore. During the same period, his song "The Blessing" reached number one on Thailand radio charts. His number one hit was Dive.

In 2007, Chapman co-headlined Newsong's annual Winter Jam tour with Jeremy Camp. For the tour, he brought his sons' band, The Following, out on tour to play as his backing band, along with longtime keyboardist Scott Sheriff. Chapman also released This Moment, which included the hit singles "Cinderella" and "Yours," in October 2007. He was chosen for WOW Hits 2009 for Cinderella. He continues to tour with his sons, Caleb and Will.

On April 20, 2008, Chapman was awarded a star on Nashville's Walk of Fame for his contributions in Christian music.

On November 3, 2009, Chapman released his seventeenth album Beauty Will Rise. Many of the songs from this album are inspired by the death of his daughter, Maria Sue. He claims that the songs on the album are his "personal psalms." Steven, Mary Beth, Caleb, and Will got a tattoo of the flower that Maria drew before her untimely death. "Beauty Will Rise", "Choosing to SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope", and Steven's new song "Meant to Be" are dedicated to Maria's memory.

Personal life

Sccmarybethporch.jpgthumbChapman and wife Mary Beth as featured in the album The Music of Christmas.

Chapman is a devout Christian, and as of 2010, he has been married to Mary Beth Chapman (they had the same last name prior to their marriage) for more than 25 years. The couple met in the early '80s at Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana and married in the fall of 1984. They currently live in Franklin, Tennessee, and have three biological children. Emily Elizabeth, Caleb Stevenson, and Will Franklin. After going on a Mission Trip to Haiti with Mary Beth in 1997, Emily asked her parents about adopting a little girl from the other side of the world, but they said "No". After much persistance from Emily Elizabeth and doing some research, Steven and Mary Beth changed their minds and they adopted three young girls from China. Shaohannah "Shaoey" Hope Yan, Stephanie "Stevey" Joy Ru, and Maria Sue Chunxi. Mary Beth's older brother Jim Chapman, recorded in the country music group 4 Runner in the mid-1990s.

Together, Chapman and his wife have written three children's books with adoption themes: Shaoey And Dot: Bug Meets Bundle (2004), Shaoey and Dot: The Christmas Miracle (2005), and Shaoey and Dot: A Thunder and Lightning Bug Story with illustrations by Jim Chapman (2006). Chapman's modern fairytale, Cinderella: The Love of a Daddy and His Princess (2008) chronicles and celebrates the blessings of childhood, family, love, and life. Together with minister Scotty Smith, Chapman has authored two books for the adult inspirational market: Speechless (1999), and Restoring Broken Things (2005). Chapman's song "All About Love" has been featured in commercials for the Fox television show Celebrity Duets.

Chapman and his sons recorded under the name of "Stevenson" after his son Caleb Stevenson for the 2003 Veggie Rocks CD. (Song: "I Love My Lips," VeggieTales). Steven recorded a new song for the brand new Veggie Tales Movie "It's A Meaningful Life" called "Meant to Be". Steven Curtis Chapman is best friends with Geoff Moore. The Chapmans are members of Christ Community Church. The Chapmans own two dogs, Duke and Winston.

Death of Maria Sue Chunxi Chapman

24 hours before Maria died she got in trouble for misbehaving. On the morning of the accident Steven had a talk with her. Maria Sue Chunxi Chapman died from her injuries and blood loss in an accident on May 21, 2008., The Associated Press, May 22, 2008 The accident happened eight days after Maria's 5th birthday. Will Franklin was pulling into the driveway of their house after he auditioned for a musical at School and Maria Sue was running to meet him. They didn't see each other in time and Will accidentally ran over Maria. Maria was air lifted to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. The paramedics tried to save her on the way to the Hospital, but they couldn't. Maria was pronounced dead upon arrival. The entire family was preparing to celebrate Caleb's high school graduation from Christ Presbyterian Academy and Emily's engagement just hours before the accident. A spokesman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol termed it a terrible accident, no charges were filed, and The Tennessee Highway Patrol let Will off with a warning.

During the memorial service for Maria, in which Pastor Scotty Smith preached, the family expressed their faith in God and their love for one another.

After Maria's accident, the Chapman family spoke publicly about their loss and the role that faith played in it all. They have appeared on Good Morning America, Larry King Live, in People magazine, The 700 Club, and Huckabee.Kimball, Josh. in The Christian Post, August 6, 2008Kimball, Josh. in The Christian Post, August 23, 2008 Maria was buried in her flower girl dress as she along with Stevey was going to be a flower girl in Emily's wedding that October. Maria's favorite color was blue. The family put Maria's ballet shoes, her favorite doll, letters from her brothers and sisters, and other things that were dear to Maria Sue in her coffin. Will kept Maria's security blanket so that he would have something to remember her by. Maria Sue is buried in Williamson Memorial Gardens in Franklin, Tennessee. Steven Curtis Chapman's subsequent album, Beauty Will Rise focuses on this event and its aftermath. Steven almost quit his singing career due to Maria's death and he almost chose to never sing "Cinderella" again, but then he realized that Maria would have wanted him to continue both his career and singing "Cinderella".

In November 2009, a year after Maria Sue died, Chapman performed at a special concert at Harvest Christian Fellowship. Greg Laurie, the pastor of Harvest, suffered the loss of his own son, Christopher Laurie, just months after Chapman's loss. Steven performed several songs from Beauty Will Rise, and took part in a live discussion between himself and Pastor Laurie. The two talked about dealing with grief and their mutual belief and hope in Heaven.http

Activism and social causes

All i really want for christmas-scc.jpgthumbleftChapman's first adopted daughter, Shaohannah, was featured on his album All I Really Want for Christmas.

In 2009, Show Hope finished building Maria's Big House of Hope, a medical care center in China that provides holistic care to orphans with special needs. Maria's Big House of Hope is also dedicated to the memory of the late Maria Sue Chapman. Both were awarded the Congressional Angels in Adoption award by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) in Washington, D.C. in September 2001.http National Angels Category, Past Angels in Adoption Award Recipients, 1999–2005

In 2009 Steven and Mary Beth received the Children's Champion Award from the charitable organization Children's Hunger Fund for their work with Show Hope.

In the late 1990s, Chapman became involved in youth violence prevention efforts following the 1997 Heath High School shooting at his alma mater in West Paducah, Kentucky.http Testimony of Steven Curtis Chapman to the Early Childhood, Youth and Families Subcommittee Committee on Education and the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives, on May 18, 1999 Chapman even dedicated a song, "With Hope," from his 1999 album, Speechless, to the families who lost someone in the shooting. In addition, he was asked to sing at the funeral of one of the victims. Chapman later gave a memorial concert, and joined Charles Colson and others in creating a video designed to sensitize teenagers to the signs of serious violence planning among peers, and to encourage them to report plans that are told to them. Chapman also has promoted the international charity World Vision for at least a decade, serving as spokesman for Project Restore, its program serving the U.S. Gulf Coast region in recovery from Hurricane Katrina, in cooperation with the Gospel Music Association.

He has also traveled to Uganda on a few occasions to help with the problem of street children, and to help orphans and adoption organizations. He has played at local churches, including KPC (Kampala Pentecostal Church) in Kampala. Since Maria's unexpected death Mary Beth Chapman has written and released a book about losing her youngest daughter called "Choosing to SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope, Caleb married his girlfriend Julia, Caleb and Will have started a Christian Band called "Caleb", Shaoey joined her school's basketball team and learned how to play the trumpet for music class at school, and Stevey is doing gymnastics and made her acting and singing debute in the 2010 "Veggie Tales" Movie It's A Meaningful Life. Shaoey and Stevey are taking voice lessons and they even started a band with Maria before she died.

Discography

Chapman has released 16 studio albums, more than 20 albums total in his career, including two Christmas albums, several collections of greatest hits, and a live album. He has sold more than ten million total albums (including two certified Platinum albums, seven certified Gold albums), and has had 46 #1 Christian radio hits.

Studio albums

Estimated sales figures are included in the list.

*First Hand (1987) – 150,000

*Real Life Conversations (1988) – 225,000

*More to This Life. (1989) – 525,000 RIAA Gold Certified

*For the Sake of the call (1990) – 650,000 RIAA Gold Certified

*The Great Adventure (1992) – 700,000 RIAA Gold Certified

*The Live Adventure (1993) – 100,000

*Heaven in the Real World (1994) – 1,075,000 RIAA Platinum Certified

*The Music of Christmas (1995) – 600,000 RIAA Gold Certified

*Signs of Life (1996) – 750,000 RIAA Gold Certified

*Greatest Hits (1997) – 550,000 RIAA Gold Certified

*Speechless (1999) – 1,150,000 RIAA Platinum Certified

*Declaration (2001) – 900,000 RIAA Gold Certified

*All About Love (2003) – 525,000 RIAA Gold Certified

*All Things New (2004) – 300,000

*The Music of Christmas (Hallmark Exclusive) (2004) – 400,000

*The Abbey Road Sessions (2005) – 50,000,

*All I Really Want for Christmas (2005) – 350,000

*This Moment (2007)

*This Moment - Special Edition (2007)

*This Moment - Cinderella Edition (2008) – 323,000 for all 3 releases of This Moment 20,000 sold in the last two week 12/12/09

* Cinderella Digital Single Sales - 175,000

*Beauty Will Rise (2009) running total = 81,461 as of 25/12/09

1st Week Sales = 17,043

2nd Week Sales = 9,895

3rd Week Sales = 8,805

4th Week Sales = 16,157

5th Week Sales = 6,911

6th Week Sales = 8,209

7th Week Sales = 14,441

Awards

References