Laura Mixon Story Elvington is an American contemporary Christian music singer-songwriter. Billboard ranked her as the 40th Top Christian Artist of the 2010s.[1] She has won a Grammy and six GMA Dove Awards. Her second studio album, Blessings, reached No. 1 on Top Christian Albums & Americana/Folk Albums (where it spent three weeks atop the charts), and peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard 200.[2] It also achieved RIAA Gold status.[3]
Laura Story | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Laura Mixon Story |
| Genres | Contemporary Christian music |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Website | laurastorymusic |
The title track off the album Blessings became her first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Christian Songs chart. The single eventually went on to win the 2012 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Song and achieved Platinum status in the United States.[3]
Education
editStory originally attended the University of South Carolina, majoring in music, before transferring to Columbia International University.[4] Story received a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Columbia International University in 2003.[5][6] She received a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Covenant Theological Seminary.[7] She earned a Doctor of Worship Studies from The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies in 2019, with a thesis titled "Developing Worship Leaders On Approaching God With Reverence, Johns Creek, Georgia."[8][9]
Career
editStory began her career in 1996 when she met Shane Williams, from the band Silers Bald, at Columbia International University. Williams asked Story to join the band and she became their bass player. Story released four independent albums with the band.[10]
When the band was about to sign a deal with Essential Records, Story's manager suggested she record a solo album. In 2002, Story left Silers Bald and began working on her first album, Indescribable, released independently that same year. In 2004, the title track of her album was recorded by Chris Tomlin on his album Arriving. Tomlin's version peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's Hot Christian Songs and was included in the compilation album Passion: How Great Is Our God. The band Avalon also recorded a version of the song for the WOW Worship 2006 album.[11]
Story released her second independent album in 2005, titled There Is Nothing. The album was produced by Ed Cash and Mitch Dane. During that year, she also married Martin Elvington, and moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to become an associate worship leader at Perimeter Church.[12]
In 2006, Story signed a recording contract with INO Records and two years later released her third album, Great God Who Saves. The album also was produced by Ed Cash.[13] In 2010, she was nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year at the 41st GMA Dove Awards.[14] Story released the album Blessings, in 2011,[15] and another album, God of Every Story, on September 30, 2013.[16]
Blessings
editIn May 2011 Story released her fourth album, Blessings. To date, the album ranks as her biggest commercial success, having debuted at No. 2 on Billboard Christian Albums, giving Story her highest placement ever on the album chart. In June 2011, the first single off the album, also titled "Blessings", reached No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart, giving Story her first number one hit. In an interview, Story explains, "Blessings is just a bunch of songs about worshiping when life is hard". After her husband Martin Elvington was diagnosed with a brain tumor, she asked, "Why didn't you just fix it, God? You're all powerful and all loving… just fix it." Later, after Story mentioned her desire to return to a normal life, her sister responded, "You know, I think the detour is actually the road." Story realized, "Spending time with Martin obviously makes me happy, but it makes me a better person. That's the blessing of it."[17]
After the success of Story's Grammy-winning song "Blessings", a 30-day devotional book was released entitled What If Your Blessings Come Through Raindrops? (Worthy Publishing, 2012 ISBN 978-1-60587-322-0). Each chapter contains thoughts, prayers and quotes along with a journaling page for readers to recall blessings they have seen in their own lives.[18]
Discography
editSolo albums
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [19] |
US Christ. [20] |
US Folk [21] | |||
| Indescribable |
|
— | — | — | |
| There is Nothing |
|
— | — | — | |
| Great God Who Saves |
|
—[A] | 25 | — | |
| Blessings |
|
30 | 1 | 1 | |
| God of Every Story |
|
103 | 7 | 6 | |
| God with Us |
|
— | 13 | 8 | |
| Open Hands |
|
— | 28 | 25 | |
| I Give Up - EP |
|
— | — | — | |
| "—" denotes release that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||
With Silers Bald
edit| Release date | Title |
|---|---|
| 1997 | Climbing |
| 1998 | Live at Town Theater |
| 1999 | Nothing Else Beside |
| 2000 | Silers Bald |
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
Certifications[23] | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Bub. [24] |
US Christ. [25] |
US Christ. Airplay [26] |
US Christ. AC [27] | ||||
| 2008 | "Mighty to Save" | — | 9 | 9 | 7 | Great God Who Saves | |
| 2011 | "Blessings" | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Blessings |
| "What a Savior" | – | 5 | 5 | 8 | |||
| 2013 | "I Can Just Be Me" | — | 16 | 12 | 12 | God of Every Story | |
| "Grace" | – | – | — | — | |||
| 2014 | "O Love of God" | — | — | 44 | — | ||
| 2017 | "Open Hands" (featuring Mac Powell) |
— | 30 | 22 | 21 | Open Hands | |
| "Extraordinary" | — | — | 39 | — | |||
| "—" denotes release that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||
- "Blessings" also charted on the Billboard Heatseekers Song chart peaking at No. 18.
Awards and nominations
editGrammy Awards
edit| Year | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Best Contemporary Christian Music Song ("Blessings") | Won |
GMA Dove Awards
edit| Year | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Song of the Year ("Indescribable") | Nominated |
| Worship Song of the Year ("Indescribable") | Nominated | |
| 2009 | Female Vocalist of the Year | Nominated |
| Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year ("Bless the Lord") | Nominated | |
| Inspirational Album of the Year (Great God Who Saves) | Won | |
| Praise & Worship Album of the Year (Great God Who Saves) | Nominated | |
| 2010 | Female Vocalist of the Year | Nominated |
| 2011 | Female Vocalist of the Year | Nominated |
| 2012 | Artist of the Year | Nominated |
| Female Vocalist of the Year | Nominated | |
| Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("Blessings") | Won | |
| Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year (Blessings) | Won | |
| Song of the Year ("Blessings") | Won | |
| 2015 | Inspiration Recorded Song of the Year ("O Love of God") | Won |
| 2016 | Inspiration Recorded Song of the Year ("Till I Met You") | Won |
| Christmas Album of the Year (God With Us) | Nominated |
Bibliography
edit- What If Your Blessings Come Through Raindrops?, Worthy Publishing, 2012
- When God Doesn't Fix It, Worthy Publishing, 2015
Notes
edit- ^ Great God Who Saves did not enter the Billboard 200, but did peak at No. 25 on the Heatseekers Albums.[22]
References
edit- ^ "Top Christian Artists". Billboard. October 31, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ "Laura Story". Billboard. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ a b "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ "Telling God's Story through her own [Covenant Magazine Fall 2010 - Winter 2011 by Covenant Theological Seminary - Issuu]". Issuu. December 1, 2010. p. 23. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ "Laura Story". Columbia International University. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ "Catching up with CIU Alumna Laura Story". Columbia International University. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ "Dr. Laura Story Elvington". The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ Elvington, Laura Story (2019). "Developing Worship Leaders On Approaching God With Reverence, Johns Creek, Georgia". Theological Research Exchange Network. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ "Artist Interviews - Congrats Dr. Story! A Surprise Graduation Party for Laura Story | HIS Radio Videos". www.hisradio.com. July 25, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ "Silers Bald". Jesusfreakhideout.com. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
- ^ "Biography". Newreleasetuesday.com. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
- ^ "Perimeter Church – Staff Listing". Perimeter.org. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
- ^ "Amazon.com: Laura Story: Songs, Albums, Pictures, Bios". Amazon.
- ^ "41st Annual GMA Dove Awards nominees announced | Tune in Music City | The Tennessean". Blogs.tennessean.com. February 18, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
- ^ Blessings by Laura Story on Apple Music, April 12, 2011, retrieved March 4, 2024
- ^ "Jesusfreakhideout.com: Laura Story, "God of Every Story" Review". www.jesusfreakhideout.com. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ Caroline Lusk (May 7, 2011). "Storytelling: Laura Story finds blessing in the story gone different Laura; by Caroline Lusk; Today's Christian Music; May 07, 2011". Todayschristianmusic.com. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
- ^ "Christian Books – Worthy Publishing".
- ^ "Laura Story Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- ^ "Laura Story Chart History (Top Christian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- ^ "Laura Story Chart History (Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- ^ "Laura Story Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
- ^ a b c "American album certifications – Laura Story". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
- ^ "Laura Story Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
- ^ "Laura Story Chart History (Christian Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
- ^ "Laura Story Chart History (Christian Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
- ^ "Laura Story Chart History (Christian AC Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved May 26, 2018.