Next ‘Your Family Live!’ Webcast
Your Parenting Questions Answered
www.FocusontheFamily.com/webcasts
June 23, 2010:
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. (EDT)
Parenting is one of our most rewarding life experiences, but it can be our most challenging too. With so much conflicting advice from a variety of sources, it’s hard not to have questions about your parenting skills. You need a realistic approach to parenting, giving you the skills you need to raise your kids in the real world.
Join us on Your Family Live! when Dr. Juli Slattery and Dr. Kevin Leman give you real-life answers to your real-life issues! Plus, you’ll hear parts of our recent conversation with Bart Millard, lead singer from MercyMe, about his family, parenting and being a dad.
“The Generous Mr. Lovewell” Gives Band Highest Chart Debut of their Career
NASHVILLE, TN…..5/12/10….Last week, INO Records’ multi-platinum and award-winning band MercyMe unleashed The Generous Mr. Lovewell, giving the band the highest chart debut of their career, bowing in at No. 3 in the nation on Billboard’s Top 200 SoundScan Chart, and No. 1 on the overall Contemporary Christian SoundScan chart. The album is the No. 1 selling record at Family Christian Stores, Lifeway, Mardel, Berean and most other Christian bookstores, has already hit No. 1 on iTunes® Christian Albums chart (No. 5 overall), and boasts the No. 1 single “All of Creation,” which continues to hold the top spot on both the Christian AC and Inspo charts after six weeks.
“I am excited about this sales debut by MercyMe,” remarked INO Records’ President Jeff Moseley. “To continually outdo themselves on each release is rare. In this business environment, a No. 3 debut by an artist is outstanding. We think it shows that the power of a song and a creative album still moves people and enhances their lives.”
The excitement about The Generous Mr. Lovewell began with great reviews from USA Today, Billboard, Christianity Todayand more, and then ignited a massive twitter groundswell as artists such as Chris Daughtry, The Jonas Brothers, Mandisa, TobyMac, Jeremy Camp, Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman and more tweeted their support for MercyMe and The Generous Mr. Lovewell. In addition, fans all across the country have been sharing their stories of seeing Mr. Lovewell in action as they experience and watch good deeds take place all across the world.
“We have just been blown away by all the support from everyone for this album,” commented lead vocalist Bart Millard. “But more than that, it’s incredibly humbling to see the “love well” idea take flight – there are so many people out there living for Christ and truly living His love in the lives of others. I am in awe and incredibly thankful for the opportunity to witness it all!”
Named Billboard magazine’s “Christian Song Artist of the Decade,” MercyMe has been putting their message from The Generous Mr. Lovewell into action themselves over the past few weeks. Partnering with radio stations nationwide, they have made stops at Rescue Missions, serving food, washing dishes, and more, while also making personal visits to music fans, giving them intimate acoustic performances, fellowship and financial contributions to those in need. What is becoming known as the “Lovewell phenomenon” will continue on throughout the year as the band moves forward in their efforts and tours the country.
In The Studio With Mr. Lovewell
A Behind the scenes look at the brand new album from MercyMe – The Generous Mr. Lovewell!
Mr. Lovewell Gets Love from Retail, Radio, Critics and Fans Alike
Nashville, TN…May 6, 2010…Billboard magazine’s “Christian Song Artist of the Decade,” MercyMe’s brand new project, The Generous Mr. Lovewell, available now, has already peaked at No.1 on iTunes ® Christian Albums Chart and in the Top 5 on its overall album chart. Additionally, the album is currently the No.1 selling record at Family Christian Stores, Lifeway, Mardel, Berean and most other Christian bookstores. Furthermore, The Generous Mr. Lovewell is getting a lot of love from all who listen, including critics from Billboard, USA Today, Christianity Today, New Release Tuesday and more:
“MercyMe’s sixth studio album is a well conceived and beautifully executed record that celebrates the power of love to change the world. Frontman Bart Millard and the band have crafted a set of tunes that are sonically engaging and musically substantive. Music with a message has never sounded more lovely.”-Billboard
“MercyMe ups the musical ante with a whimsy-filled concept album about a balloon-carrying character who encourages people to, well, “love well,” using everything from random acts of kindness to intentional, determined commitment. The title track recalls Mr. Blue Sky-era Electric Light Orchestra, and the rest ranges from inspirational ballads to synth-pulsing anthems.”
- USA Today
“MercyMe remains a lyrical fortress for an inspired constituency looking for straightforward spiritual encouragement. And with Lovewell, MercyMe’s message remains a serious asset to this industry.”-Christianitytoday.com
“The Generous Mr. Lovewell is RIDICULOUS!! This album truly establishes MercyMe as the premier artist in all of Christian music. I didn’t think MercyMe could top All That Is Within Me but The Generous Mr. Lovewell rocks, has some incredible new musical twists and Bart’s vocals have never sounded better.”-NewReleaseTuesday.com
“The band has never sounded better, nor [Bart] Millard more soulful and confident, than on The Generous Mr. Lovewell, easily one of MercyMe’s best efforts in their incredible string of success.”-NoisyWhisper.com
In addition to a stellar reception from the press, every single Christian AC station in the country is playing the chart topping single “All of Creation,” as the hit track continues to dominate the charts holding its place at No. 1 on AC Monitored and Soft AC/Inspo for more than 7 weeks total and is currently in the Top 10 at CHR.
This week as the Grammy nominated band celebrates their new album, they stopped by Good Day Dallas (FOX) and performed their hit single, while also speaking to over 100 different radio stations over the past two days. After their stop at Good Day, they made a special appearance at a Chick-fil-a in Dallas meeting fans for a fun and personal event hosted by KTLY in partnership with Lifeway Christian stores.
In addition to the meet and greet, the band continues to live out their message of loving well as the band broke out their bowling shoes and played with select winners from a radio promotion with KTLA. MercyMe also recently served at Rescue Missions in California where they served food, washed dishes and loved on the residents and also assisted radio listeners in Portland, Seattle and Las Vegas by providing contributions to the winners that went towards meeting their needs.
Loving Well
April 29, 2010…Nashville, TN…MercyMe continues to live out their message of “loving well” as they move forward in their journey across America, recently serving at Rescue Missions in California and assisting radio listeners in Nevada. The Grammy® nominated band is preparing for the release of their upcoming album with INO Records The Generous Mr. Lovewell, available nationwide next Tuesday, May 4th.
With a desire to ‘love well’ and also honor those who do so every day, the band recently paid visits to both the Fresno Rescue Mission and the Orange County Rescue Mission in California. In Fresno, the band met with the men from the Recovery Program and heard the inspiring testimonies of how God has changed their lives. In addition, they visited the Orange County Rescue Mission in conjunction with the Fish radio station LA. The station asked for listeners to nominate family and friends who they felt were ‘loving others well.’ As a result, The Fish brought in the people whom they felt had the most compelling stories to witness a special acoustic performance by MercyMe at Rockwell’s Bakery and be on the air with band members and morning show co-host Reba Toney. While some of MercyMe were co-hosting the radio program, the others were helping with the station’s food drive by collecting cans in the parking lot. Later on in the day, the Fish LA and the band took the donations to the Orange Country Rescue Mission and served food, washed dishes and loved on the residents. To view the efforts done in California, watch the video clip here: http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=a63983a3a6f3e393ef13
“It was fun to see how guys from Mercy Me gave Glenda James such a personal connection! She’s going to remember what the Love of Christ is all about every time she starts her car now!” says SOS Program Director, Scott Herrold.
MERCYME ENCOURAGES “ALL OF CREATION” TO ‘LOVE WELL’
DEBUT SINGLE ADDED AT OVER 55 STATIONS
FOLLOWING SUCCESSFUL RADIO PROMO TOUR ACROSS THE U.S.
NASHVILLE, TN…2/10/10…Multi-platinum and award-winning band MercyMe is encouraging “All Of Creation” to “love well” with their upcoming studio album “The Generous Mr. Lovewell” (INO Records), scheduled to arrive May 4th nationwide.
“The album, “The Generous Mr. Lovewell,” revolves around a fictional character we created who reminds us that we simply need to love others well,” explains MercyMe frontman Bart Millard. “For some of us, it means that we need to put hands and feet on our ideology and rhetoric. For others, it means that we need to continue in doing well, but to not stop there. We need to let people know why we are called to make a difference. Our prayer is that this album would mobilize the body of Christ to encourage people in word and deed.”
MercyMe recently had the opportunity to share this concept as they personally premiered their first single, “All of Creation” to radio stations across the U.S. The band split up into three teams of two, making stops at major market stations such as K-LOVE, Z88 in Orlando, The Fish Los Angeles, KCMS in Seattle, WCSG in Grand Rapids and dozens more.
Produced by Brown Bannister and Dan Muckala, the project features 11 tracks, and with each member sending regular tweets throughout the recording, photo shoots and more, fans have been able to stay connected to the process. The band plans to continue this process, and has already posted YouTube videos talking about the idea behind Mr. Lovewell and the new single:
Millard Describes the idea behind “The Generous Mr. Lovewell”-
Millard Introduces “All Of Creation”-
http://www.youtube.com/user/INORecords#p/a/u/0/q-tywXLREik
“We as a band are all very excited about “The Generous Mr. Lovewell,” continues Millard. “And hopefully it will create a movement of encouraging people to make a difference in the world whether it’s helping your neighbor or just loving each other.”
Also this spring, fans can catch MercyMe on the Rock And Worship Roadshow as they travel across the country alongside fellow acts David Crowder*Band, Family Force 5, Francesca Battistelli, Fee, Remedy Drive and Sidewalk Prophets. To see if the tour is coming to a city nearby please visit: www.rockandworshiproadshow.com.
For more information on MercyMe and “The Generous Mr. Lovewell,” please go to www.mercyme.org or www.mrlovewell.com, or via Twitter @MrLovewell.
Behind The Album
Bart talks about the meaning behind MercyMe’s new album title “The Generous Mr. Lovewell”.
Radio Tour (Day 4)
The journey has come to an end as MercyMe wraps their radio tour after a successful week of visiting numerous radio stations across the U.S. introducing them to their new single “All of Creation,” from the band’s upcoming INO Records CD, THE GENEROUS MR. LOVEWELL (May 4).
Teams Barty (Bart and Barry), Team Jathan (Jim and Nathan) and Team Mobby (Robby and Mike) grew a friendly competition as they split up their route between the members and conquered the country. Bringing their fans along for the ride through each members tweets, fans were able to get up close and personal with the band through text, pictures and videos!
Check out the band’s final moments during the last days of their voyage:
“Spending the morning with fish-fm in LA! These people know radio! http://twitpic.com/z833j”
(@bartmillard from KFSH in Los Angeles, CA)
“http://twitvid.com/640BA – Team Barty…BartenBarry…BartnoBarry whatever our name is, is still in action.”
(@bartmillard from the road)
“Thanks a ton to @kduvfm in Visalia, Ca for a great morning. Lovewell Cometh!”
(@bartmillard and barrygraul from KDUV in Visalia, CA)
“Thanks to Don Star 88.3 for having us today. Oh and also for share DeBrand chocolatier w/ us. http://twitpic.com/yyc2s”
(@robbyshaffer from WLAB in Ft. Wayne, IN )
“Team Mobby hit 22 stations and we didn’t have an RV tobstreyxh out in. MOBBY RULZ!!!”
(@jimbrysonmm and mikescheuchzer from the road)
“Awesome pizza time w/ you guys!!! RT @KTIS @mercyme @mikescheuchzer @robbyshaffer Thanks for stopping by. Great to see you all again.”
(@mikescheuchzer from KTIS in Minneapolis, MN)
“SpiritFM Lynchburg VA morning show. Great people and a great station! http://twitpic.com/z27lx”
(@jimbrysonmm from Lynchburg,VA)
Stay tuned for more details on THE GENEROUS MR. LOVEWELL!
Radio Tour (Day 3)
The competition continues to build between the members of MercyMe and their various “teams,” as they proceed with their radio promo tour across the U.S. to premiere their new single, “All of Creation” from the band’s upcoming INO Records CD, THE GENEROUS MR. LOVEWELL (May 4).
Bart and Barry (Team Barty) are conquering the West coast, Jim and Nathan (Team Jathan) the East Coast, and Robby and Mike (Team Mobby) the midwest and while on the road the band has been bringing their fans along for the ride through their tweets. Have you decided which team you are on?
Check out the band’s tweets below, along with a few photos/videos to see their journey thus far:
“On the air with @1041thefish in Portland. Good times! http://twitpic.com/yv74p”
(@bartmillard from KFIS The Fish in Portland, OR)
“The awesomeness of Team Barty! http://twitvid.com/F3BB7“
(@bartmillard and barrygraul from the West Coast)
“Just had a great time w/ @mynameiscorey@ the pulse radio!!! Thanks for the road snacks!!! http://twitpic.com/yxf7c “
(from @mikescheuchzer and @robbyshaffer from WHPZ in South Bend, IN)
“This the way we roll @ 8:16 am http://twitvid.com/AE1A6”
(from @mikescheuchzer from the midwest)
“Jim acting like the child he is on 106.9 The Light here in Ashville. Great to be here! http://twitpic.com/yx4ws “
(@nathancochran from WMIT in Ashville, NC )
With more details soon to be announced on THE GENEROUS MR. LOVEWELL, the band debuted the album cover for the upcoming release today. To view please visit http://www.mercyme.org/2010/01/20/the-generous-mr-lovewell-cover%E2%80%A6part-2/.
Watch for updates throughout the week!
Radio Tour (Day 2)
MercyMe is on Day 2 of their cross-country radio promo tour as they premiere their new single, “All of Creation,” from the band’s upcoming INO Records CD, THE GENEROUS MR. LOVEWELL (May 4).
The band has a ‘divide and conquer’ approach to this promo tour, with band members Bart and Barry (Team Barty) hitting the West coast, Jim and Nathan (Team Jathan) the East Coast, and Robby and Mike (Team Mobby) the midwest.
Check out the band’s tweets below, along with a few photos to see their journey thus far:
“Cleveland Rocks and so does the Fish 95.5fm. http://twitpic.com/ysd7d”
(@robbyshaffer from WFHM in Cleveland, OH)
“On the air now in Cleveland on the FISH!!! robby’s about to sing… Be frightened.”
(@mikescheuchzer from WFHM in Cleveland, OH)
“Here visiting with J93.3 in Atlanta! http://twitpic.com/ysa52“
(@nathancochran from WVFJ in Atlanta, GA)
“Our friends from 88.1 The Promise in Jacksonville. Thanks for hanging out. Lovewell. http://twitpic.com/yqaz7“
(@jimbrysonmm from WCRJ in Jacksonville, FL)
“I now know why the devil tried to keep us outta Seattle. He wanted us to miss the awesomeness of Spirit 105.3 KCMS. TEAM BARTY back on top!”
(@bartmillard from KCMS in Seattle, WA)
“mikescheuchzer @BartMillard you wish you’d have been @ the FISH in Cleveland punk!!!! MOBBY RULZ!!!”
(@mikescheuchzer from WFHM in Cleveland, OH)
“No rain, mild temp, incredible mountain views, coffee of course, & the wonderful ppl at Spirit 105.3 KCMS! thx 4 yr hospitality.”
(@barrygraul from KCMS in Seattle, WA)
With more details soon to be announced on THE GENEROUS MR. LOVEWELL, INO Records’ is also leaking some fun teasers to prepare fans for what is yet to come. Watch the videos here: http://mrlovewell.com/
Watch for updates throughout the week!
