Casting Crowns is an American Christian worship band born in 1999 in Daytona Beach, Florida, under the guidance of youth pastor Mark Hall. Based since 2001 in McDonough, Georgia, the band has sold more than ten million albums and won a Grammy Award in 2006 for the album Lifesong.
Casting Crowns was born in 1999 in Daytona Beach, Florida, as a youth worship group at First Baptist Church. Its founder, Mark Hall, was then a youth pastor: he wrote songs to accompany his messages to the teenagers in his church. In 2001, the team moved to McDonough, Georgia, where it grew to include Hall, the DeVevo couple, Megan Garrett and several other musicians. Two self-produced albums then circulated in churches across the southern United States, eventually catching the ear of country singer Mark Miller, who helped them sign with Beach Street Records, a division of Reunion Records.
Their debut album, Casting Crowns, came out in 2003 and pushed the band into the spotlight of American Christian music with songs like Who Am I and Voice of Truth, which spent fourteen weeks at number one on Christian radio. Lifesong (2005) followed, winning a Grammy Award in 2006, then about ten more albums that established Casting Crowns among the most listened-to worship bands in the United States, with more than ten million albums sold and a Dove Award for Artist of the Year in 2010. The band announced a pause in its activities in November 2024.
- Origin
- McDonough, Georgia, USA (band founded in Daytona Beach, Florida)
- Style
- Worship pop-rock
- Active since
- 1999
- Good to know
- The song Voice of Truth spent fourteen consecutive weeks at number one on American Christian radio
- Discography
- Eight studio albums between 2003 and 2018, plus the album Healer (2022) and two Christmas albums
How did Casting Crowns get started?
Mark Hall was leading the youth ministry at First Baptist Church in Daytona Beach when he began, in 1999, writing songs to extend his messages to teenagers. The band that formed around him, Casting Crowns, took shape around this almost pastoral practice: each song grew first out of a concrete need in reaching young people, before ever becoming a track on an album.
The move to McDonough, Georgia, in 2001 marked a turning point. Two independent albums circulated in churches and eventually caught the ear of country singer Mark Miller, who opened the doors of Beach Street Records to the band. Their debut studio album, Casting Crowns, came out in 2003.
What makes Casting Crowns distinctive?
Casting Crowns remains led by an active pastor: Mark Hall continues teaching young believers while the band tours and records. That dual role shapes the songwriting, often built like a direct exhortation, more a dialogue with the listener than a simple song. Songs like Who Am I or Voice of Truth follow the structure of a message: an observation, a question, an answer turned toward faith.
Where should you start with Casting Crowns?
East to West, with its promise that God removes our sin "as far as the east is from the west," is probably the most natural way in. You can then listen to Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me), a modern take on the hymn One Day (1910) that has become an Easter service classic, then Until the Whole World Hears, the title track of the 2009 album that sums up the band's missionary drive.
songs
East To West
A song about God's forgiveness, which removes our sin as far as the east is from the west.
Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)
A take on the hymn One Day by John Wilbur Chapman (1910), now an Easter service classic.
Until The Whole World Hears
The title track of the 2009 album, carried by an unapologetic missionary drive.
Discography
- 2022Healer
- 2018Only Jesus
- 2016The Very Next Thing
- 2014Thrive
- 2011Come to the Well
- 2009Until the Whole World Hears
- 2008Peace on Earth· Christmas album
- 2007The Altar and the Door
- 2005Lifesong· winner of a Grammy Award in 2006
- 2003Casting Crowns
Read also
Frequently asked questions
Who is Casting Crowns?
Casting Crowns is an American Christian worship band founded in 1999 by Mark Hall, a youth pastor in Daytona Beach, Florida. Based in Georgia since 2001, the band has sold more than ten million albums and won a Grammy Award in 2006.
Is Casting Crowns still active?
The band announced a pause in its activities in November 2024, after twenty five years together. No official breakup has ever been announced.
What is Casting Crowns' best known song?
Voice of Truth and East to West are among their most listened-to songs, along with Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me), which spent nine non-consecutive weeks at number one on American Christian radio.
Who is the singer of Casting Crowns?
Mark Hall, born in 1969, is the band's singer and main songwriter. He remains actively involved in the youth ministry that gave rise to Casting Crowns.
Has Casting Crowns won a Grammy?
Yes, the band won a Grammy Award in 2006 for the album Lifesong (2005), as well as a Dove Award for Artist of the Year in 2010.
Where can you listen to Casting Crowns?
Casting Crowns' songs are available on their official YouTube channel as well as on the usual streaming platforms. Their official website castingcrowns.com brings together their news and discography.