by: JENNIFER CHANCELLOR World Scene Writer
9/27/2007
Steven Curtis Chapman brings charitable campaign and new music to Tulsa
He's one of the most celebrated and award-winning artists in music today, and he's performing in Tulsa on Thursday.Steven Curtis Chapman has won nine Songwriter of the Year awards, five Grammys and a stunning 51 Gospel Music Association Dove awards -- more than anyone else in history.
He adopted three children from China, in addition to raising his three biological children with his wife, Mary Beth. They started Shaohannah's Hope, a charity to help fund adoptions and care for orphans.
His newest album, "This Moment" is all about how he lives his life, as well as a message to everyone everywhere that hope is a means to an end, and that end is action.
After recently embarking on a 50-city tour, Chapman is seizing moments across the country to spread the word of God and his message of hope and of redemption, the Kentucky-born musician said.
"If you asked me 10 years ago if I could even imagine all the things I'd be doing now, I would have said, 'Wow, that's just crazy.'
"But one thing I noticed while touring and adopting my children, was the incredible privileges we have as Americans," he said in a recent telephone interview.
"I used the opportunity to reach out to my children's homeland, and I've fallen in love with the people of Asia."
So he and his wife started the adoption agency to help provide grants to families.
He also claims that a concert he performed for U.S. troops in 2006 in South Korea was the first-ever Christian-music concert for troops stationed in that country.
"We cannot miss the moments that we are offered," he said. "Which is a huge, huge thing. People have and continue to pay a huge price for freedom, regardless of how you feel about the state of affairs.
"I wanted to give them a heartfelt 'Thank you,' and hope to do it again on my next trip," he said.
There might be a collection plate of sorts passed, in the spirit of his "This Moment" CD, when fans can bring in collections of spare change to "give change for change," he said.
The program is called the "Change for Orphans" campaign, and money collected will help a family give hope to an orphan, he said.
Chapman encourages fans to collect loose change and bring it to the concert, ideally in check form or converted to bills, he said. Donations will go to Shaohannah's Hope grants.
Auctions for tickets and meet-and-greet passes are available on his Web site, with proceeds going to charity, he said. Visit his site at www.tulsaworld.com/StevenCurtisChapman.
His album will be released Oct. 23, but that isn't stopping him from allowing fans to listen to and buy his album online, he said. It's his first studio recording in three years, and he's eager to share it.
He doesn't mind touring to support an album that hasn't yet been released, he said.
"This isn't the way it's supposed to happen," he joked about studio album No. 16. "It sounds backwards, but it's a creative and fun way to make things work."
Jennifer Chancellor 581-8346
jennifer.chancellor@tulsaworld.com
STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN
with Sanctus Real and Bethany Dillon
When:
Doors open 7 p.m. Thursday
Where:
Victory Christian Center, 7700 S. Lewis Ave.
Tickets:
$17-$27, available by calling call (877) 840-0457, or online at www.tulsaworld.com/ChapmanTickets
Associate Images: “If you asked me 10 years ago if I could even imagine all the things I’d be doing now, I would have said, ‘Wow, that’s just crazy,’ ” Christian music superstar Steven Curtis Chapman said in a recent telephone interview.  “If you asked me 10 years ago if I could even imagine all the things I’d be doing now, I would have said, ‘Wow, that’s just crazy,’ ” Christian music superstar Steven Curtis Chapman said in a recent telephone interview. |
Copyright © 2007, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved
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