MERCY ME BAND
Quick facts about Mercy Me
CAREER
ACTIVE FROM
CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS
GENRE
PLACE OF ORIGIN
ALBUMS
Who are Mercy Me?
MercyMe is a band of Christian musicians from Edmund, Oklahoma. They make contemporary Christian and Christian rock music, some of their popular songs being: ‘Greater’, ‘Even If’, ‘I can only imagine’ and ‘Flawless’.
MercyMe has a following of 413k on Instagram, 440.5k on Twitter, 758k on YouTube, just under 2 million on Facebook and over 1.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
The Christian musicians in MercyMe are Bart Millard, Robby Shaffer, Nathan Cochran, Michael Schuechzer and Barry Graul. James Bryson, Trent Austin and Kendall Combes also used to be in MercyMe but have since left the band.
As well as being chart-topping Christian musicians, MercyMe engage in charity work between tours. In 2005, the band participated in a benefit concert for the people affected by the Asian tsunami along with various other country, gospel and contemporary Christian musicians. In 2009, MercyMe toured with Compassion International and Imagine A Cure to raise money for children with diabetes and people with other medical needs.
Their philanthropic attitude stems from their own personal experience; MercyMe have had their share of hardships. In 2009, MercyMe’s tour bus was travelling through a green light at an intersection when they collided with a vehicle turning left through a red light in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Two of the vehicle’s passengers were killed, along with the driver’s unborn baby. The band issued a statement that their show at Six Flags St. Louis would be rescheduled due to the accident. Though not at fault, the accident left the group contemplating suffering in the world, not just their own.
How was Mercy Me formed?
MercyMe officially formed in 1994, after Bart Millard and James Bryson met through their youth pastor. The two led a praise team to Europe where they realised that they wanted a full-time career in the music industry. The band later grew to include other Christian musicians after they moved to Texas.
The name of the band came about after Bart Millard’s grandmother would call him and became concerned that he was always home to answer the phone. When she called him, she would exclaim, “Well mercy me, why don’t you get a real job?”
Take this world from me, I don't need it anymore. I am finally free, my heart is spoken for.
Career Achievements
MercyMe’s most current work is their single ‘Almost Home’, which was released in 2019, which will headline their 2020 tour entitled, ‘MercyMe at Sea Tour’.
When they first started, MercyMe released six independent albums between 1995 and 2000. They then released nine studio albums, seven of which were certified with RIAA awards. ‘Almost There’, which released in 2001, was certified with three RIAA: Platinum awards; ‘Spoken For’ in 2002, ‘Undone’ in 2004, ‘Coming Up to Breathe’ in 2006, ‘All That Is Within Me’ in 2007, ‘The Generous Mr. Lovewell’ in 2010 and ‘Welcome to the New’ in 2014 were all certified with RIAA: Gold awards. Most of their studio albums have also peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s ‘Top Christian Albums’ chart.
MercyMe have also released 28 singles, some of which have received RIAA certifications. In 2001, MercyMe released ‘I Can Only Imagine’ which received four RIAA: Platinum certifications and peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s ‘Hot Christian Songs’ chart. ‘Greater’ in 2014 and ‘Flawless’ in 2015 received RIAA: Gold certification’s and both peaked at No. 2 on the ‘Hot Christian Songs’ chart and No. 1 on the ‘Christian Airplay’ chart. Then, in 2017, ‘Even If’ received a RIAA: Platinum certification as well as peaking at No. 1 on both the ‘Hot Christian Songs’ chart and the ‘Christian Airplay’ chart.
MercyMe have won many awards for their work so far. In 2018, they won Billboard’s ‘Top Christian Artist’ award; in 2002 their song ‘I Can Only Imagine’ won two GMA Dove Awards for Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year; in 2004 their song ‘Word of God Speak’ won the Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year awards. That year MercyMe also won both Artist of the Year and Group of the Year.
In 2005, MercyMe won the GMA Dove Awards for Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year with their ‘Undone’ album as well as Special Event Album of the Year with their ‘The Passion of the Christ: Songs’ album.
MercyMe also won several of Billboard’s Decade Awards (2000-2009) such as the: No. 1 Christian song of the Decade for ‘Word of God Speak’, No. 4 Christian Album Artist of the Decade and No. 4 Christian Album of the Decade for ‘Almost There’.
In 2004 and 2010, MercyMe received the Favourite Contemporary Inspirational Artist award from the American Music Awards. MercyMe have also been nominated for six Grammy Awards for their music.
Mercy Me have been on several tours so far in their careers, have participated in several festivals and often hold concerts with other Christian musicians and bands.
In 2004, MercyMe went on their ‘One Nation Tour’, in 2005, their ‘Undone Tour’, ‘The Hurt and the Healer Tour’ in 2013, the ‘Summer Lights Tour’ in 2017, ‘The Live Tour’ in 2018 and the ‘Imagine Nation Tour’ in 2019.
In 2003, Mercy Me participated in ‘Atlanta Fest’ and the ‘Big Spring Jam’, the ‘Sonshine Festival’ in 2005, ‘Fishfest’ in 2007, ‘Winter Jam’ in 2008, ‘Rock & Worship Roadshow’ in 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015, ‘Dc Fest’ in 2010, ‘Kingdom Bound’ and ‘Ignite Fest’ in 2010, ‘Lifest Festival’ in 2011, ‘Ignite Fest Chicago’ in 2012, ‘Night of Joy’ in 2013 and 2015 and the ‘KLOVE Cruise’ in 2016.
Relationship with God
MercyMe were formed in the Henderson Hills Baptist Church in Edmund, Oklahoma and later served at the Highland Terrace Baptist Church in Greenville, Texas.
In an interview with Michael Scheuchzer, he spoke about how God influences MercyMe and inspires their work.
The Christian musicians want other people to experience the love and joy of Christ, but they also want them to place their hope in God even when it may seem difficult to.
Michael went on to say, “even though I’m a believer and I’m trusting in Christ, it doesn’t mean I’m not going to make mistakes that are gonna explode and leave shrapnel all over my life.”
There are some things in life that will be difficult, but MercyMe wants us to remember that God is unchanging and will always be faithful to us.
Contemporary Christian Rock Band Mercy Me 2017 Lifer
Contemporary Christian Rock Band MercyMe 2014 Welcome to the New
Contemporary Christian Rock Band Mercy Me 2012 The Hurt and the Healer
Christian Musician Mercy Me I Can Only Imagine
Christian Musician Mercy Me Even If
Christian Musician Mercy Me Word of God Speak
Christian Musician MercyMe All of Creation
Christian Musician Mercy Me So Long Self
Christian Musician Mercy Me You Are I am
Christian Musician Mercy Me You Reign
Christian Musician Mercy Me Greater
Christian Musician Mercy Me Here with Me
Christian Musician Mercy Me Grace Got You