Friday 30 May 2014

Left Behind Official Teaser Trailer #1 (2014) - Nicolas Cage, Chad Michael Murray Movie HD

Left Behind Official Teaser Trailer #1 (2014) - Nicolas Cage, Chad Michael Murray Movie HD



Left Behind Official Teaser Trailer #1 (2014) - Nicolas Cage, Chad Michael Murray Movie HD by Movie Trailers


Left Behind Official Teaser Trailer #1 (2014) - Nicolas Cage, Chad Michael Murray Movie HD 

Left Behind Official Teaser Trailer #1 (2014) - Nicolas Cage, Chad Michael Murray Movie HD

 

Early life

Cage was born in Long Beach, California, to parents August Floyd Coppola, a professor of literature, and Joy (Vogelsang), a dancer and choreographer. He was raised in a Catholic family.[7][8] His father was of Italian descent and his mother is of German and Polish descent.[9] His paternal grandparents were composer Carmine Coppola and actress Italia Pennino, and his paternal great-grandparents were immigrants from Bernalda, Basilicata, Italy.[10]
Through his father, Cage is the nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola and of actress Talia Shire, and the cousin of directors Roman Coppola and Sofia Coppola, film producer Gian-Carlo Coppola, and actors Robert Carmine and Jason Schwartzman. Cage's two brothers are New York radio personality Marc "The Cope" Coppola and director Christopher Coppola. He attended Beverly Hills High School, which is known for its many alumni who became entertainers. He aspired to act from an early age and also attended UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. His first non-cinematic acting experience was in a school production of Golden Boy. He cites James Dean as the key inspiration for his career, saying: "I started acting because I wanted to be James Dean. I saw him in Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden. Nothing affected me - no rock song, no classical music - the way Dean affected me in Eden. It blew my mind. I was like, 'That's what I want to do'."[11]

Career

Acting career

To avoid the appearance of nepotism as the nephew of Francis Ford Coppola, he changed his name early in his career to Nicolas Cage, inspired in part by the Marvel Comics superhero Luke Cage. Since his minor role in the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High, with Sean Penn, Cage has appeared in a wide range of films, both mainstream and offbeat. He tried out for the role of Dallas Winston in his uncle's film The Outsiders, based on S.E. Hinton's novel, but lost to Matt Dillon. He was also in Coppola's films Rumble Fish and Peggy Sue Got Married.
Other Cage roles included appearances in the acclaimed 1987 romantic-comedy film Moonstruck, also starring Cher; The Coen Brothers cult-classic comedy Raising Arizona; David Lynch's 1990 film Wild at Heart; a lead role in Martin Scorsese's 1999 New York City paramedic drama Bringing Out the Dead; and Ridley Scott's 2003 drama film Matchstick Men, in which he played an agoraphobic, mysophobic, obsessive-compulsive con artist with a tic disorder.
Cage has been nominated twice for an Academy Award, winning once for his performance as a suicidal alcoholic in Leaving Las Vegas. His other nomination was for his portrayal of real-life screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and Kaufman's fictional twin Donald in Adaptation. Despite these successes, most of his lower-profile films have performed poorly at the box office compared to his mainstream action/adventure roles. The suspense thriller 8mm (1999) is considered a cult film. He took the lead role in the 2001 film Captain Corelli's Mandolin and learned to play the mandolin from scratch for the part. He made his directorial debut with 2002's Sonny. In 2005, two films he headlined, Lord of War and The Weather Man, failed to find a significant audience despite nationwide releases and good reviews for his acting in those roles. Poor reviews for The Wicker Man resulted in low box office sales. The much criticized Ghost Rider (2007), based on the Marvel Comics character, fared better, earning more than $45 million (the top earner) during its opening weekend and over $208 million worldwide through the weekend ending on March 25, 2007. Also in 2007, he starred in Next, which shared the concept of a glimpse into an alternate timeline with Cage's film, The Family Man (2000).
Most of Cage's movies that have achieved financial success were in the action/adventure genre. In his second-highest grossing film to date, National Treasure, he plays an eccentric historian who goes on a dangerous adventure to find treasure hidden by the Founding Fathers of the United States. Other action hits include The Rock, in which Cage plays a young FBI chemical weapons expert who infiltrates Alcatraz Island in hopes of neutralizing a terrorist threat, Face/Off, a John Woo film where he plays both a hero and a villain, and World Trade Center, director Oliver Stone's film regarding the September 11, 2001 attacks. He had a small but notable role as the Chinese criminal mastermind Dr. Fu Manchu in Rob Zombie's fake trailer Werewolf Women of the S.S. from the B-movie double feature Grindhouse.
Cage made his directorial debut with Sonny, a low-budget drama starring James Franco as a male prostitute whose mother (Brenda Blethyn) serves as his pimp. Cage had a small role in the film, which received poor reviews and a short run in a limited number of theatres. Cage's producing career includes Shadow of the Vampire, the first effort from Saturn Films.
In early December 2006, Cage announced at the Bahamas International Film Festival that he planned to curtail his future acting endeavors to pursue other interests. On The Dresden Files for the Sci-Fi Channel, Cage is listed as the executive producer.
In November 2007, Cage was spotted backstage at a Ring of Honor wrestling show in New York City researching his role for The Wrestler. The role was ultimately played by Mickey Rourke, who received an Academy Award nomination for his performance.[12] Wrestler Director Darren Aronofsky, in an interview with slashfilm.com, said of Cage's decision to leave the film that: "Nic was a complete gentleman, and he understood that my heart was with Mickey and he stepped aside. I have so much respect for Nic Cage as an actor and I think it really could have worked with Nic but ... you know, Nic was incredibly supportive of Mickey and he is old friends with Mickey and really wanted to help with this opportunity, so he pulled himself out of the race.[13] "
Cage at the 66th Venice Film Festival in September 2009
In 2008, Cage appeared as Joe, a contract killer who undergoes a change of heart while on a work outing in Bangkok, in the film Bangkok Dangerous. The film is shot by the Pang Brothers and has a distinct South-East Asian flavor. In 2009, Cage starred in science fiction thriller Knowing, directed by Alex Proyas. In the film, he plays an MIT professor who examines the contents of a time capsule unearthed at his son's elementary school. Startling predictions found inside the capsule that have already come true lead him to believe the world is going to end at the close of the week, and that he and his son are somehow involved in the destruction. The film received mainly negative reviews but was the box office winner on its opening weekend. Also in 2009, Cage starred in the film The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, directed by acclaimed German director Werner Herzog. He portrayed a corrupt police officer with gambling, drug and alcohol addictions. The film was very well received by critics, holding a rating of 87% positive reviews on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.[14] Cage received lauds for his performance, with Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune writing "Herzog has found his ideal interpreter, a performer whose truth lies deep in the artifice of performance: ladies and gentlemen, Nicolas Cage, at his finest."[15] This film reunited Cage with Eva Mendes, who played his love interest in Ghost Rider. In 2010, Cage starred in the period piece Season of the Witch, playing a 14th-century knight transporting a girl accused of causing the Black Plague to a monastery, and The Sorcerer's Apprentice, in which he played the sorcerer.[16]
In 2012, Cage reprised his role in Ghost Rider's sequel Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. He voiced the character Grug Crood in the animated film The Croods, which was released in 2013. The Croods received positive reviews from critics and was a box office success grossing $585 million against a budget of $135 million.[17]

Other works

Cage, an avid comic book fan, auctioned a collection of 400 vintage comics through Heritage Auctions for over $1.6 million in 2002.[18]
In 2007, he created a comic book with his son Weston, called Voodoo Child, which was published by Virgin Comics.
Cage is a fan and collector of painter and underground comic artist Robert Williams. He has written introductions for Juxtapoz magazine and purchased the painting Death On The Boards.[19]

Acting style

In February 2011, Cage said that, at a certain point in his career, he realized that he had developed his own method of acting, which he described as "Nouveau Shamanic." He noted, "at some point I'll have to write a book" about it.[20]

Praise

Cage's acting has been praised by influential film critic Roger Ebert, who wrote in his "Great Movies" essay, about the film Adaptation, that: "There are often lists of the great living male movie stars: De Niro, Nicholson and Pacino, usually. How often do you see the name of Nicolas Cage? He should always be up there. He's daring and fearless in his choice of roles, and unafraid to crawl out on a limb, saw it off and remain suspended in air. No one else can project inner trembling so effectively... he always seems so earnest. However, improbable his character, he never winks at the audience. He is committed to the character with every atom and plays him as if he were him."[21] In response to mixed reviews of Knowing and their focus on criticizing Cage, Ebert defended both Cage as an actor and the movie to which, in contrast to other critics, Ebert gave four out of four stars.[22]
Lord of War co-star Ethan Hawke said of Cage: "He's the only actor since Marlon Brando that's actually done anything new with the art of acting; he's successfully taken us away from an obsession with naturalism into a kind of presentation style of acting that I imagine was popular with the old troubadours." While stating that Cage had hurt his career by working on too many poor projects ("He's put a little too much water in his beer"), Hawke added: "If I could erase his bottom half bad movies, and only keep his top half movies, he would blow everyone else out of the water."[23]
In the 1996 Academy Awards, Cage was awarded the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Leaving Las Vegas.[24] After receiving the award, Cage went on to star in some high budget action movies which received criticism by actors such Stephen Baldwin, Nick Nolte and Sean Penn, who, referring to his latest movie choices, including Snake Eyes, said to the New York Times that Cage is "no longer an actor. Now he's more like a performer."[25] However, in his Oscar acceptance speech for Mystic River, Penn referring to Cage's performance in critically acclaimed Matchstick Men mentioned it among the best performances of the year.[26]
In May 2001, Cage was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts by California State University, Fullerton. He spoke at the commencement ceremony.[27]

Personal life

Relationships and family

In 1988, Cage began dating actress Christina Fulton, who later bore their son, Weston Coppola Cage (born December 26, 1990). Weston was the lead singer of the black metal band Eyes of Noctum, but broke up in 2012; Arsh Anubis, his new band of the same genre, was formed in 2011. Weston also appeared in Cage's film Lord of War as Vladimir, a young Ukrainian mechanic who quickly disarms a Mil Mi-24 helicopter.
Cage has been married three times. His first wife was actress Patricia Arquette (married on April 8, 1995, divorce finalized on May 18, 2001).
Cage's second marriage was to singer/songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley. Cage is an Elvis fan and used the star as the base of his performance in Wild at Heart. Presley and Cage married on August 10, 2002 and filed for divorce on November 25, 2002 which was finalized on May 16, 2004. The divorce proceeding was longer than the marriage.[28]
Cage met his third and current wife Alice Kim, a former waitress who previously worked at the Los Angeles restaurant Kabuki and at the Los Angeles-based Korean nightclub, Le Privé. She bore their son, Kal-El, (after Superman's birth name[29]) on October 3, 2005. Cage was once considered for the role of Superman in a film to be directed by Tim Burton. Alice had a minor role in the 2007 film Next, which Cage produced. They were married at a private ranch in Northern California on July 30, 2004.[30]

Political and religious views

Cage grew up in a family of Catholic background but he does not talk about religion publicly and refuses to answer on religion-connected questions in his interviews.[31] When he asked about the movie Knowing being a religion-themed film or not, Cage replied: "Any of my personal beliefs or opinions runs the risk of impinging on your own relationship with the movie. I feel movies are best left enigmatic, left raising more questions than answers. I don't want to ever preach. So [whatever you get] from the movie [is] far more interesting than I could ever offer."[32]
During his visit to University of California, Santa Cruz he stated he is not a politically active actor and that he can do it in his work as he learned more about nuclear power from the movie The China Syndrome.[33] Cage has donated about $5,000 to the Democratic Party since 1994.[34]

Charity activities

He's considered as one of the most generous stars of Hollywood[35] as he donated $2 million to Amnesty International for to use to offer rehabilitation shelters, medical services and psychological and reintegration services to some of the 300,000 youngsters forced to fight in conflicts across the world.[36] He has also donated one million dollars to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.[37] He became the first artist to support ArtWorks, an artist engagement program to raise awareness of fundamental rights at work, including freedom from slavery and from child labor.[38] Cage has also honored with Humanitarian award from United Nations for his works and appointed as an UN ambassador for Global Justice.[39] He led a campaign around the film Lord of War to raise awareness about international Arms Control, supported "Heal the Bay", the United Negro College Fund efforts, and the Royal United Hospital's Forever Friends Appeal to build intensive care units for babies.[40]


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage 2011 CC.jpg
Born Nicolas Kim Coppola
January 7, 1964 (age 50)
Long Beach, California, U.S.
Occupation Actor, producer, director
Years active 1980–present
Spouse(s)
Children 2
Parents August Coppola
Family
Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964),[1][2][3][4] known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor, director, and producer. He has performed in leading roles in a variety of films, ranging from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films. Cage is known for his prolificacy, appearing in at least one film per year nearly every year since 1980, with the exception of 1985 and 1991.
In the early years of his career, Cage starred in films such as Valley Girl (1983), Racing with the Moon (1984), Birdy (1984), Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), Raising Arizona (1987), Moonstruck (1987), Vampire's Kiss (1989), Wild at Heart (1990), Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), and Red Rock West (1993).
Cage received an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance as an alcoholic Hollywood writer in Leaving Las Vegas (1995) before coming to the attention of wider audiences with mainstream films such as The Rock (1996), Face/Off (1997), Con Air (1997), City of Angels (1998), and National Treasure (2004). He earned his second Academy Award nomination for his performance as Charlie and Donald Kaufman in Adaptation (2002). In 2002, he directed the film Sonny, for which he was nominated for Grand Special Prize at Deauville Film Festival. Cage owns the production company Saturn Films and has produced films such as Shadow of the Vampire (2000) and The Life of David Gale (2003).
Though his performances in The Weather Man (2005), Lord of War (2005), The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009), and Kick-Ass (2010) earned critical acclaim, and films such as Ghost Rider (2007) and Knowing (2009) were box office successes, Cage has been strongly criticized in recent years for his choice of roles, some of which have been universally panned.[5][6] He starred in The Croods, The Frozen Ground, and Joe, which all received acclaim.

Taizé : Bibles for China

 Taizé : Bibles for China



Taizé : Bibles for China by taize-echoes


 Taizé : Bibles for China

 

 Taizé : Bibles for China

 

Early years

The Taizé Community was founded by Frère Roger in 1940.[2]
Brother Roger, founder of the Taizé Community, shown at prayer in 2003
He pondered what it really meant to live a life according to the Scriptures and began a quest for a different expression of the Christian life. A year after this decision Roger reflected, “‘The defeat of France awoke powerful sympathy. If a house could be found there, of the kind I had dreamed of, it would offer a possible way of assisting some of those most discouraged, those deprived of a livelihood; and it could become a place of silence and work.’ Because his Swiss homeland was neutral and thus less affected by the war, he felt as if France would be ideal for his vision. For Roger, France was a “land of poverty, a land of wartime suffering, but a land of inner freedom.” He eventually settled in Taizé, which was a small desolate village just north of Cluny, the site of a historically influential Christian monastic foundation.
In September 1940, Roger purchased a small house that would eventually become the home of the Taizé community. Only miles south of the separation line that divided a war-torn country in half, Roger’s home became a sanctuary to countless war refugees seeking shelter. On November 11, 1942, the Gestapo occupied Roger’s house while he was in Switzerland collecting funds to aid in his refuge ministry. Roger was not able to return to his home in Taizé until the autumn of 1944, when France was liberated.
In 1941, Roger had published a few small brochures outlining several facets of a Christ-centred communal life together. These brochures prompted two young men to apply, soon followed by a third. They all lived in Switzerland in a flat owned by Roger’s family until after the war when they began a new life together in the French countryside. Over the next few years several other men would join the community. On Easter day 1949, seven brothers committed themselves[3] to a life following Christ in simplicity, celibacy and community.[4]

Growth of the community and current situation

Prayer in the Church of Reconciliation at Taizé.
In the years that followed, others joined. In 1969 a young Belgian doctor became the first Catholic brother to pledge his life to the community in Taizé. More brothers from Reformed, Anglican and Roman Catholic backgrounds joined the community. Soon the Brothers of Taizé were making trips to take aid to people in both rural and urban areas.[5] They began forming “fraternities” of brothers in other cities that sought to be “signs of the presence of Christ among men, and bearers of joy”. Since 1951, the brothers have lived, for longer or shorter periods, in small fraternities among the poor in India (chiefly Calcutta), Bangladesh, the Philippines, Algeria, Brazil, Kenya, Senegal, and the USA (Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan, New York City).
At the age of 90, Brother Roger was killed in August 2005 in a knife attack by a mentally ill woman.[6] Brother Roger's funeral was attended by several dignitaries including the president of Germany and numerous religious leaders. The presider at his funeral was a Catholic cardinal, Walter Kasper. The funeral was attended by approximately 10,000 people.[7][8]
At the end of 2010, the community was composed of about one hundred brothers, from Protestant and Catholic traditions,[9] who originate from about thirty countries across the world.[10] The community is currently led by Brother Alois, a German-born Catholic, who had been appointed by Brother Roger before his death.

Engagement with youth culture

In the 1960s young people began to visit the Taizé community. The first international young adults meeting was organized in Taizé in 1966 with 1400 participants from 30 countries.[citation needed]
The village church of Taizé, which had been used for the community's prayers, became too small to accommodate the pilgrims.[citation needed] A new church, the Church of Reconciliation, was built in the early 1960s with the help of volunteers, and expanded several times in the subsequent decades, first with tents, and then with simple wooden annexes.
In 1970, in response to student protests taking place all over Europe and the world, as well as the Second Vatican Council, Brother Roger announced a "Council of Youth",[11] whose main meeting took place in 1974.
At the end of the 1970s, the meetings and surrounding activities began to be referred to[who?] as a "Pilgrimage of Trust on Earth". The community decided to focus on youth.[citation needed]

Music and worship

The community, though Western European in origin, has sought to include people and traditions worldwide. They have sought to demonstrate this in the music and prayers where songs are sung in many languages, and have included chants and icons from the Eastern Orthodox tradition. The music emphasizes simple phrases, usually lines from Psalms or other pieces of Scripture, repeated and sometimes also sung in canon.[12] Earlier Taizé community music was conceived and composed by Jacques Berthier.[13] Later Joseph Gelineau became a major contributor to the music.[13]
Ecumenical services based on this model and music are held in many churches throughout the world.[14]

Young adult meetings in Taizé

Small discussion groups.
Throughout the year, meetings for young adults between 17 and 30 years old (and, within certain limits, for adults and families with children) take place in Taizé. The number of visitors reaches more than 5000 during the summer and on Easter.[citation needed] Meetings usually last from Sunday to Sunday, though it is also possible to just come for a few days, or, for young volunteers, to stay for a longer time.
Several sisters also help with running the meetings. However, they are not "Taizé Sisters". These sisters come from various orders, most notably the Catholic order of St. Andrew from Belgium. The Sisters of St. Andrew live in the neighboring village Ameugny.
The schedule of a typical day in the youth meetings:[15]
  • Morning prayer
  • Breakfast
  • Introduction to the day with a brother of the community followed by quiet reflection or small group discussion
  • Midday prayer
  • Lunch
  • Song practice [optional]
  • Meetings
  • Tea time
  • Workshops [optional]
  • Supper
  • Evening prayer
  • Informal gathering at Oyak (a common area at Taizé)
The evening prayer is broadcast every Saturday at 22h (Central European time) by the German radio station Domradio and provided online as a podcast.[16]

Young adult meetings worldwide: Pilgrimage of Trust on Earth

Regular European meetings

European Meeting 2007 in Geneva.
European Meeting 2007 in Geneva.
The Taizé Community attempts to send pilgrims back from youth meetings to their local churches, to their parishes, groups or communities, to undertake, with many others, a “Pilgrimage of Trust on Earth.”[17] Every year around New Year (usually from 28 December to 1 January), a meeting in a large European city attracts several tens of thousands of young adults.[18][19] It is organized by brothers of the Taizé Community, sisters of St. Andrew, and young volunteers from all over Europe, and from the host city.
The participants stay with local families or in very simple group accommodations. In the morning, they take part in a program organized by the parish closest to their accommodation. For their midday meal, all participants travel to a central location, usually the local exhibition halls. The meal is followed by a common prayer, and the afternoon is spent in workshops covering faith, art, politics and social topics. In the evening, everyone meets again for the evening meal and an evening prayer.

Regular international meetings

In his "Unfinished Letter",[20] published after his death, Brother Roger is quoted to have proposed to "widen" the "Pilgrimage of Trust" originating from the Taizé community. As a result, international meetings for young adults have begun to take place, beginning with Kolkata in 2006. The program closely resembles the European meetings, though some aspects, such as the songs, are often adapted to the local culture.


This article is about the monastic order. For the towns in France, see Taizé (disambiguation).
Taizé cross
The Taizé Community is an ecumenical monastic order in Taizé, Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy, France. It is composed of more than one hundred brothers, from Protestant and Catholic traditions, who originate from about thirty countries across the world. It was founded in 1940 by Brother Roger Schutz, a Protestant. Guidelines for the community’s life are contained in The Rule of Taizé[1] written by Brother Roger and first published in French in 1954.
The community has become one of the world's most important sites of Christian pilgrimage. Over 100,000 young people from around the world make pilgrimages to Taizé each year for prayer, Bible study, sharing, and communal work. Through the community's ecumenical outlook, they are encouraged to live in the spirit of kindness, simplicity and reconciliation.

Wednesday 28 May 2014

Rebecca St. James - I Thank You (Remix) For All Our Troops Overseas

 Rebecca St. James - I Thank You (Remix) For All Our Troops Overseas



Rebecca St. James - I Thank You (Remix) by wanzea


 Rebecca St. James - I Thank You (Remix) For All Our Troops Overseas


 

Rebecca St. James - I Thank You (Remix) For All Our Troops Overseas

 

Early life

Rebecca St. James was born Rebecca Jean Smallbone on 26 July 1977 in Sydney, Australia to parents David and Helen Smallbone.[1]

Career

Musical beginnings (1990–1995)

In 1990, at twelve years of age, she opened shows for CCM artist Carman during his Australian tour. The following year she released an independent album titled Refresh My Heart in Australia, under the stage name of "Rebecca Jean".[6][7] Soon after its release, her family moved to the United States where her father received a job offer.[6] She signed with ForeFront Records, and took her stage name at the label's request. In 1994 she released her major label debut titled Rebecca St. James.[8] She also released an EP titled Rebecca St. James: Extended Play Remixes in 1995.[9]

God and Pray (1996–1999)

On 25 June 1996, Rebecca St. James released her second major album God, led by the title track. The album took St. James' music in a new direction, focusing more on rock. It opened to positive reviews [10] and debuted at 200, and peaked at 168 on the Billboard 200.[11] It also charted at No. 10 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and No. 6 on Billboard's Contemporary Christian chart.[10] In 1997, she was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album for God and in 2005 the album was RIAA certified gold for selling over 500,000 copies.[12] To promote the album, St. James released a devotion book titled 40 Days with God: A Devotional Journey in 1996.[13]
In 1997, St. James released the sequel to her devotional book, titled You're the Voice: 40 More Days with God.[14] On 7 October of the same year, she released her first holiday album, simply titled Christmas. The album charted at No. 12 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart and No. 14 on the Top Contemporary Christian chart.[15]
On 20 October 1998, St. James released her third studio album, Pray, which opened to mixed reviews.[16][17] The album managed to chart at No. 168 on the Billboard 200, and No. 5 on both the Heatseekers Chart and the Contemporary Christian Chart.[16] The album won a Grammy in 1999 for Best Rock/Gospel Album,[16] and in 2006 it was RIAA certified gold for selling over 500,000 copies.[12]
In 1999, St. James released a song titled "Yes, I Believe In God" to radio only, in memory of the lives lost at the Columbine shooting. The song was later released on the album Wait for Me: The Best from Rebecca St. James.[18] Also in 1999, Rebecca released a VHS titled No Secrets featuring interviews of her and her family, behind-the-scenes footage and the music video for the song "Pray".[19] In addition to her own projects, St. James took part in a CD release titled Heaven & Earth: A Tapestry of Worship, which featured female Christian artists such as Nichole Nordeman, Jennifer Knapp, herself and others. The album was released in November 1999 and features two songs by St. James; "As We Wait" and "River of Life".[20]

Transform, Worship God and Wait for Me: The Best from Rebecca St. James (2000–2004)

On 24 October 2000, St. James released a brand new album titled Transform. The album charted at No. 166 on the Billboard 200, No. 7 on the Heatseekers Chart and No. 14 on the Contemporary Christian Chart.[21] The album garnered positive reviews [21][22] and featured the songs "Wait for Me" and "Reborn". Also in 2000, St. James made a cameo in the film Left Behind: The Movie. A year later, the devotional book, 40 Days with God was re-released with a new layout and five new devotions.[23]
In 2002, to promote the single "Wait For Me" from Transform, St. James released the book Wait for Me: Rediscovering the Joy of Purity in Romance,[24] which went on to sell over 100,000 copies and spawn a journal [25] and study guide.[26] The song and book promotes sexual abstinence before marriage, and St. James has since become a major spokesperson for the subject.
On 26 February 2002, St. James released the album Worship God. The album opened to extremely positive reviews [27][28] and charted at No. 94 on the Billboard 200, marking St. James' first Top 100 album, and No. 5 on the Contemporary Christian chart.[28] She released a DVD to promote the album 19 November 2002 that featured music videos, interviews, etc.[29]
On 25 March 2003, celebrating 10 years signed to ForeFront Records, St. James released her first compilation project titled Wait for Me: The Best from Rebecca St. James which features 16 of her most popular songs and two new ones,[30] including "I Thank You" which managed to peak at No. 2 on Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart.[31] The album failed to make the Billboard 200, but charted at No. 16 on the Contemporary Christian chart.[30]
On 24 February 2004, St. James released her very first live album titled Live Worship: Blessed Be Your Name which features 7 new songs and 2 studio recorded songs. The album charted at No. 187 on the Billboard 200 and No. 12 on the Top Christian Albums chart.[32] Later that year, St. James released a compilation album titled The Best of Rebecca St. James, and her book SHE: Safe, Healthy, Empowered: The Woman You're Made to Be.[33] Also in 2004, St. James starred in the stage musical !Hero as a modern day Mary Magdalene aka "Maggie".[34] St. James later lent her voice to the VeggieTales episode An Easter Carol as Hope the Music Box Angel.[19] She also took part in a pop/rock VeggieTales album titled Veggie Rocks!. She covered "The VeggieTales Theme Song" for the album.[35]

If I Had One Chance to Tell You Something, film debut, and aLIVE in Florida (2005–2007)


Rebecca St. James performing at the Higher Ground Music Festival in August 2005
After taking a hiatus from recording music, St. James returned to the studio in early 2005 to record new songs. On 24 October 2005, the first single from the album, "Alive", was released.[36] The song managed to chart at No. 3 on R&R's CHR Chart [3] and No. 13 on Billboards Hot Christian Songs Chart.[37] The new album, titled If I Had One Chance To Tell You Something was released on 22 November 2005. The album opened to fairly positive reviews.[38][39] It charted at No. 14 on Billboard's Top Christian Albums Chart, but failed to make the Billboard 200.[39]
On 1 July 2005 St. James released a Teen Edition of her book, SHE [40] and on 1 October 2005, she released another book titled Sister Freaks: Stories of Women Who Gave Up Everything For God.[41]
In early 2006, St. James embarked on her If I Had One Chance To Tell You Something Tour with fellow Christian group BarlowGirl.[42] She also recorded the theme song for the National Day of Prayer. The song was titled "America" and was released to iTunes on 2 May 2006.[43] She also recorded a cover of Chris Tomlin's song "Forever" for the album WOW Worship: Aqua.[44] The same year, ForeFront Records put together a compilation album titled The Early Years, that covered ten songs from her earliest releases: Rebecca St. James, GOD and Pray.[45] Aside from music, St. James made her major character film debut in Unidentified as Colleen in 2006.[46]
In 2007, ForeFront Records took live footage and recordings from the If I Had One Chance... Tour and released a CD/DVD collection on 20 March titled aLIVE in Florida. The album features 14 live songs and an exclusive remix of "You Are Loved".[47] The album charted at No. 43 on Billboard's Top Christian Albums Chart.[47] At the time of the album's release, it was announced that St. James has sold over 1.8 million albums to date.[3]

Musical hiatus and film career launch (2008–2010)

In the midst of a musical hiatus, ForeFront Records put together a two-disc compilation album titled The Ultimate Collection which was released 11 March 2008.[48] Another compilation titled Greatest Hits was released later that year on 28 October 2008.[49] On 3 September 2008 Rebecca released another book titled Pure: A 90-Day Devotional for the Mind, Body, & Spirit.[50] Also in 2008, St. James announced she was filming a new movie with Stephen Baldwin and Candace Cameron, titled Faith of Our Fathers (previously To the Wall), which has not yet been released.[dated info][51]
In late 2008, St. James announced she would star as the lead role in a new film titled Sarah's Choice, which was released 17 November 2009 to DVD.[52] The film also features a song by St. James titled "Little One".[53] The song was released almost two years later on 2 September 2011.[54] The film received good reviews from Christian movie critics.[55][56]
Although on musical hiatus, on 16 April 2009 St. James released a new song titled "You're Alive" to iTunes[57] as part of an album titled Resurrection Worship: Songs of Hope. Then, in June 2009, she released another new song titled "Wish" to her MySpace page.[58] Aside from these brief musical endeavors, St. James' book Loved: Stories of Forgiveness was released on 1 September 2009.[59]
On 19 August 2009, Christian Cinema reported that St. James had wrapped up filming a new movie titled Rising Stars, which was released on 22 October 2010.[60] On 28 April 2010, it was announced that St. James is working on another film titled Frontier Boys,[61] and a book titled What Is He Thinking?, both to be released in 2011.[dated info][62] It was also later announced that she will star in a film titled Suing the Devil,[63] which was released in August 2011.[dated info]

I Will Praise You, film career, and first novel (2011–present)

On 19 October 2010 St. James released her version of "O Little Town of Bethlehem" on the album The Essential Christmas Collection.[64] On 18 November 2010, St. James announced that she had parted ways with ForeFront Records and would be releasing a new worship album in April 2011 via Beach Street/Reunion Records. Her ninth studio album, I Will Praise You, was released on 5 April 2011. It was preceded by the single "Shine Your Glory Down", which was released to Christian radio on 11 February. The album was met with positive reviews from Christian music critics and was highly successful, debuting at No. 18 on Billboard's Hot Christian Albums chart and later peaking at No. 9. It also peaked at No. 153 on the Billboard 200, her highest charting effort after Worship God.[65] Her ninth book, What Is He Thinking?, hit shelves on 26 September 2011.[66][67]
On 16 June 2011 it was announced that St. James will be starring in a new romantic comedy film titled A Strange Brand of Happy, which will be released on 13 September 2013. The film revolves around a single Christian life coach Joyce who falls for an agnostic client. The movie began filming on 15 August 2011 in Cincinnati.[68]
On 12 March 2013 Rebecca announced via her Facebook page that she is currently publishing her first Christian novel titled The Merciful Scar, co-authored with Nancy Rue.[69] It will be released on 10 September 2013. She also narrated the documentary Mother India: Life Through the Eyes of the Orphan, which was released on 23 April 2013.[70]
ForeFront Records released a new compilation album on 7 January 2014 titled Icon (titled Best of Rebecca St. James in the iTunes store).[71] Her second novel, Sarah's Choice, an adaptation of the 2009 film of the same name in which Rebecca starred, will be released on 27 May 2014 and will be co-authored by Nancy Rue.[72]

Personal life

Originally from Australia, St. James moved with her family to the United States at the age of 14. She currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee.[73] Her brothers, Joel and Luke Smallbone, form the band for King & Country.[74]
On 3 January 2011 she announced her engagement to Foster the People bassist Jacob "Cubbie" Fink, a Colorado native and a missionary to South Africa.[75] Fink proposed on Christmas Day 2010 at St. James' family farm in Franklin.[66][76][77] The couple were married on 23 April 2011 at the Junípero Serra Museum in San Diego, California[78] and on 4 October 2013 announced that they were expecting their first child.[79] On 18 February 2014, the couple welcomed a baby girl named Gemma Elena.[80][81]


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rebecca St. James
RebeccaStJamesApril2007.jpg
St. James in 2007
Background information
Birth name Rebecca Jean Smallbone
Also known as Rebecca Jean
Born 26 July 1977 (age 36) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres Christian pop, Christian rock
Occupations Singer, songwriter, author, actress
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1987–present[1]
Labels DTS, ForeFront, Beach Street/Reunion[2]
Associated acts For King & Country
Website www.rsjames.com
Rebecca St. James (born Rebecca Jean Smallbone; 26 July 1977) is a Christian pop rock singer, songwriter, musician, author, and actress. She began performing in Australia in the late 1980s and released her first full-length studio album in 1991. In 1993, she was signed to the record label ForeFront Records and released her major label debut a year later.
St. James rose to fame in the late 1990s with her RIAA certified Gold albums God and Pray, the latter of which won a Grammy Award in 2000 for Best Rock Gospel Album. The albums spawned multiple singles, including "God", "Pray", and "Yes, I Believe in God". Since then she has established herself as one of the most prominent musical artists in Contemporary Christian music (CCM), with four additional full-length studio albums; Transform, Worship God, If I Had One Chance to Tell You Something, and I Will Praise You. Staple songs such as "Wait for Me", "Reborn", "Song of Love", "I Thank You", "Alive", and "Shine Your Glory Down", have all been derived from these releases. Since the beginning of her career, St. James has sold a total of two million albums.[3]
Outside of her musical career, St. James is an accomplished author and actress. To date, she has released nine published books and starred in five films, a musical stage show, and a VeggieTales episode ("An Easter Carol"). Her ninth book, What Is He Thinking?, was released on 26 September 2011. She has starred in the films Unidentified, Sarah's Choice, Rising Stars, The Frontier Boys, and Suing the Devil. St. James is also an outspoken sexual abstinence and pro-life advocate, as well as a spokesperson for Compassion International. She is also the sister of Joel and Luke Smallbone, who comprise the band for King & Country, and the wife of Foster the People's bassist Jacob "Cubbie" Fink.[4][5]