You know the name Steven Curtis Chapman. A 5x Grammy winner, 59x Dove winner, 7x CMA Artist of the Year, he has had one of the most prolific careers in the history of contemporary Christian music. Songs like “The Great Adventure,” “Dive,” and “For the Sake of the Call” helped define a generation of Christians searching for purpose, believing that their journey with God would be anything but boring.
Steven’s life has been a great adventure of its own. However, that was never his intention. In fact, he thought he was planning on taking a much safer path than that of a professional musician. Though he came from a deeply musical family, a career in the music business never seemed like a feasible option. Raised in Paducah, Kentucky, Steven had seen his father Herb make the two-hour drive to Nashville many times, trying to pitch songs and break into the industry. Knowing the struggles of an aspiring musician, Herb advised his son to find a stable job and play music on the side. Steven tried to follow that advice, entering into a pre-med program in college. However, God had a different adventure waiting.
Through a series of coincidences for which only God could be responsible, Steven’s music wound up in the hands of Bill Gaither, one of the most influential figures in all of Christian music. And this was just the start of a journey Steven never could have imagined.
In fact, as his career progressed and he went to make his fist album, he had pretty low expectations. He says, “I told my wife, ‘I’m not a great singer.’ At the time it was Russ Taff and Larnelle Harris and Steve Green, these big voices who could the high notes and give you chill bumps on your arms. I was not that kind of singer. I was a singer-songwriter who told stories.”
But he quickly found that these stories were resonating with people—lots of them. “People would say, ‘I feel like you jumped into the passenger seat of my car, just like a friend, riding along with me, talking about life. I don’t feel as alone when I listen to your music. It encourages me in a very common, everyday way.’”
In every stage of his career, from humble beginnings to the highest peaks of fame to dealing with unimaginable tragedy, Steven Curtis Chapman’s motivation has always been the same: “It’s a heart to encourage others that is ultimately rooted in the timeless truth of God’s Word.”
Listen to our full conversation with Steven Curtis Chapman on this episode of STEP INTO THE STORY!
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