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Chris Rice music biography continued...

Rice's parents owned a Christian bookstore and he developed an appreciation for authors and songwriters. He spent most of his youth and time in college performing music for church groups and began his career as a songwriter in the 1980s, when he moved to Nashville and started penning tunes for the likes of Kathy Troccoli and Terri Gibbs. Rice's "Welcome To Our World," an original Christmas song since recorded by Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant and John Tesh, moved Smith to urge his new label, Rocketown Records, to sign Rice as its first artist in 1996. Chris Rice recorded Deep Enough to Dream for a September 1997 release. Past the Edges followed a year later and resulted in nominations for six Dove Awards, including New Artist of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year. In 1999, he won a Dove for Male Vocalist of the Year. Rice's third album, Smell the Color 9 was issued in late 2000. This album was one of his most successful. It stretched his musical boundaries, by taking him from a folk-leaning songwriter into a pop-driven artist who had the potential to crossover from the Christian market, but still sang songs of faith that inspired his loyal following.



Rice went on to record five for albums for Rocketown records, each showcasing his growth as a Christian songwriter and performer. 2005 marked a major turning point for Rice. Leaving Rocketown Records at the end of his contractual agreement, Rice signed with independent label Eb+Flo Records, which had distribution through Sony/Columbia and afforded Rice the opportunity to crossover into secular radio. His fifth studio release, Amusing, dropped in August 2005, included love songs and other life topics, as well as some songs about his faith. For the first time in his career, Rice released radio singles to AC and Light Rock stations around the country, the first single being a breezy romantic tune entitled "When Did You Fall (In Love With Me?)" which reached #8 on the Pop AC radio format and enjoyed Top Ten status throughout the summer months of 2006. The talent that contemporary Christian music lovers had already discovered was now unveiled to all, and deservedly so.