Bruce Carroll
Genre: Pop
Official Web Site
Bruce Carroll Bibliography: (click on each album cover to view tracks and Bruce Carroll lyrics)
Bruce Carroll Biography It should surprise no one that Bruce Carroll finds himself today in a better place spiritually and musically than ever before.
Although the world may point to his two Grammy awards, 7 Dove awards and 11 No. 1 hits on the Christian charts and say "you have arrived," Bruce doesn't see it that way. For him, the musical journey is just beginning, and every day it takes a fresh turn.
The proof is in his new CD, Big World. Bruce penned all 12 songs, their lyrics rich with perspective. The music bears a patina only time and experience can lend, and he's eager to share it.
"There's more maturity in my faith, my life, my production. I'm playing better and singing better, which is one of my motivations for doing this CD," he says.
In many ways, this award-winning singer/songwriter's life has come full circle. From his first public performances as a 12-year old in a trio with his older brother and sister, all the way through his many prestigious awards, Bruce's musical path has been fruitful, if not always straight. He began his career in secular music, inspired as a kid by the harmonies and convictions of Peter, Paul and Mary. He pursued his dream of being a professional folk musician through the bars and supper clubs across Texas and beyond. After moderate success, many years on the hard road and a bout with addiction, he found Christ in 1979.
"When I encountered Christ, all that went away," he says. "I was set free never looked back."
He even put his music aside for a time, not wanting to play the clubs and bars anymore, and tried other work. But it kept tapping him on the shoulder, and he eventually made his way to Nashville. Bruce's trials had given him empathy and his relationship with Christ had given him a purpose that resonated in his songs, and the burgeoning Christian music industry took notice. Over the course of seven years, he would make eight top-selling albums for Word Records and win a trophy case full of awards.
Bruce's music defies narrow description beyond "great." His early folk inspiration, years on the Texas scene, an affinity for pop music and a love for bluegrass all weave in and out of his composing. Always, it is original, inspired and able to strike deep chords with his listeners. It deals with real issues through real insight.
"I've always been outside the box lyrically and musically," he says. "Some of my new work is pop orchestral, some is real scaled back. Some is earthy acoustic. It's a mixed bag of styles that just happen to be all what I like and what the songs seem to want to wear."
Bruce believes this project and his concerts now represent more depth than ever before. "There's more life lived, more experience and hopefully more wisdom gained that I can sing about. We don't have to make anything up; life is so amazing."
He continues to write, record and perform new music from his home base near Memphis, TN. He has authored a best-selling, award-winning Christian book, Sometimes Miracles Hide. He and his wife Nikki are working on a second book.
After years on the road more often than he was home, this family man has also added to his resume a dynamic music ministry at Hope Presbyterian Church, one of the fastest growing churches in America. His music is no small part of that success.
"It's church for the unchurched," he says of Hope. "I used to be an unchurched guy. I know how uncomfortable church can be for the unchurched, feeling like you don't belong."
That sensitivity and a feeling of inclusiveness flow through his music. Touching on what we all experience grounds it.
"I am leaning towards writing heart songs about real life issues, songs that aren't able to be tied up in nice little neat bows, because life is not tied up in nice little neat bows. Sometimes we don't get the answers, so we operate in faith. Sometimes people just want to know someone knows how they feel. Sometimes that is the redemptive quality of the song: I've felt your pain."
Bruce's current ministry also allows him to produce on Hope's in-house record label he started and do numerous concert dates in other cities each year, opportunities he embraces. He feels God has great plans for him to continue sharing his music and to enable other artists like himself to do the same.
"I want to make as much noise, stir up as much trouble, change as much thinking, bust people's predispositions, turn stuff upside down. I want artists to own their songs and projects.
"We all need to be out of the box," he continues. "That's why I called my latest release Big World. 'It's a big world, Battles to be won, adventures yet to come. It's a big, big world, Beauty to defend, faithful to the end. This is what life is, and I was meant for this big world.'
"There's a lot more God wants to do with us," Bruce says. "This is a big world and we serve a Big God. God doesn't want us to be restrained."
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