BIGSONG:
A contemporary singer/songwriter who makes passionate, faith-based rock music, Phil Wickham’s name was already well known in Christian music circles by the time his fourth album, 2009’s Heaven & Earth, found crossover success on Billboard’s pop charts. A string of successful albums followed before Wickham’s career was sidelined by a vocal injury in 2014. Overcoming his ailment, he achieved both a spiritual and commercial resurgence with his 2016 album Children of God. He scored two consecutive Billboard Top Christian Albums with 2018’s Living Hope and 2021’s Hymn of Heaven, as well as a Top 30 Christian single with 2022’s “Worthy of My Song (Worthy of It All).”
Cannons
Born in San Diego, California, Wickham was raised in a religious household along with his brother and sister. His parents, both musicians and former members of the band Parable, encouraged his musical interests growing up. In 2003, Wickham toured and released his self-produced debut album, Give You My World. In 2006, he signed with Simple/INO Records and released his sophomore self-titled album. A year later, he returned with Cannons, which was inspired by C.S. Lewis’ The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and featured the song “Jesus Lord of Heaven.” In 2009, Wickham’s fourth album, Heaven & Earth, debuted at number four on Billboard’s Hot 100 Christian Albums chart and marked a significant entry onto the pop charts as well. In 2011, he released the album Response on Fair Trade Services, and in 2013, Wickham delivered his fifth studio LP, Ascension, a concept album inspired by Psalms 120 to 134, the so-called Psalms of Ascent.
The following year, Wickham was forced to cancel a string of shows after experiencing pain and hoarseness in this throat. It was revealed he had developed a vocal polyp requiring surgery and a period of total silence. Wickham’s medical scare and subsequent recovery inspired a musical and spiritual reawakening for the veteran singer, which could be heard on his uplifting sixth album, Children of God. The record arrived via Fair Trade Services in early 2016. Beginning with the single “Living Hope,” Wickham began releasing a string of tracks in advance of his 2018 album Living Hope. An intimate reworking of that effort arrived the next year. Living Hope (The House Sessions) was later joined by Singalong, Vol. 4: Live, which featured guests Brian and Jenn Johnson and Matt Redman, and a set of his versions of seasonal classics, Christmas.
Wickham’s eighth album, Hymn of Heaven, arrived in June 2021 and featured production by Jonathan Smith, Kyle Lee, Jason Ingram, and others, as well as a guest appearance by Brandon Lake. Buoyed by the singles “Battle Belongs” and “House of the Lord,” the set reached number one on Billboard’s Top Christian Albums Chart. In 2022, he was back on the Christian pop charts with the song “Worthy of My Song (Worthy of It All),” which also included Maverick City Music and Chandler Moore featuring Mav City Gospel Choir.
