Chris Tomlin most sung Christian artist Christian Music

Chris Tomlin most sung Christian artist

January 28, 2009 – 10:37 am

Chris Tomlin isn’t a great musician, and he’ll be the first to admit it.

But the 36-year-old rising star — performing at 7:30 tonight in the Bryce Jordan Center — currently holds the title of the country’s most-sung Christian artist. And he’s infinitely more concerned about the ease in which his message is conveyed to the world.

“My gifts are more in connecting with people and leading them in worship, not so much, ‘Here’s my musicianship,’ ” Tomlin said. “I feel like I’m an average musician, but my gifts are more connected with people and helping them express their affections to God.”

Tomlin is a Texas-based worship leader who is heavily involved with the Passion Conferences, a Christian organization that holds many annual gatherings geared to students and young adults.

On the musical front, he has seen his albums go gold and platinum and has won a handful of Dove Awards, which honor the Christian music community. Songs like “How Great Is Our God” — which Tomlin said he has heard sung in a number of languages worldwide — showcase a simple sing-along style he confessed isn’t as easy to create as one would think.

“The hardest thing I’ve ever tried to do is to say something profound in a simple way,” he said, mentioning “Amazing Grace” as an example of the type of song he strives to write. “I’m not as interested in wowing people in how many times I can change keys in a song or change time signatures.”

Israel Houghton, the opening act for the show along with his group New Breed, said he and Tomlin share the “same heart” when it comes to focusing on the overall message in the music, despite having a slightly different fan base and a more urban sound.

“At the end of the day, you just want people to have an experience with God and nothing else will do,” said Houghton, a Grammy Award-winning artist.

Houghton’s experiences showcasing his music to the mainstream include backing Alicia Keys at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards and taking part in a tribute to gospel featuring Aretha Franklin at the 50th Grammy Awards.

“There has to be an effect that takes place outside of Sunday morning that brings salt and flavor to places that need it and brings light to dark places,” he said. “When you have the opportunity to represent Christianity outside of the industry, it’s a tremendous responsibility.”

Tomlin found it difficult to comment on why overtly Christian music hasn’t made more progress seeping into the mainstream in recent years, acknowledging the message is made for people going through hard times.

“The message of Jesus Christ is for the whole world,” he said, calling it “sad” that the Christian music community is viewed as a subculture. “It brings hope to people, the hope of the world really.”

Tomlin last performed at the Bryce Jordan Center as part of his “How Great Is Our God” tour in 2007 in what promoter Bernie Punt called a “very successful concert.” Punt said the setup this time may surprise attendees who have only been to the arena for basketball games, large-scale shows or the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon.

“Our arena will be converted to an intimate theater setup which will complement the Tomlin performance because fans will have close proximity to the production and the artists will be able to feel the energy from the crowd,” Punt said.

And for Tomlin, who remembers his last State College performance as “fantastic,” the message is what it’s all about.

Christian Music Online