NEWS
CHRISTMASTIME
MICHAEL W. SMITH'S LIVE
THE LIFE NOMINATED FOR 1999 GRAMMY AWARD
NASHVILLE, TN-The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences announced today that Reunion Records artist Michael W. Smith has been nominated for a 1999 Grammy Award in the category of Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Record for his 1998 project, Live the Life. Live the Life was released on April 28, 1998, and debuted at #1 on the Christian Sound Scan sales chart as well as #23 on Billboard's Top 200 chart with sales ofover 49,000 units in the first week, and has currently sold over 500,000 units. The first four radio singles including "Live the Life", "Love Me Good", "Never Been Unloved" and "Missing Person" have all reached #1 on the Christian radio charts. In addition, Smith was recently featured as the musical guest on the 1998 Miss America Pageant.
On October 13th, 1998, Michael released Christmastime, his second Christmas project, which quickly became on of the fastest selling Christmas records of 1998. Smith also headlined the 45-city "Life the Life" tour in the fall of 1998, as well as performing on the sold out 21-city 1998 Amy Grant Christmas
Tour along with CeCe Winans and the Nashville Symphony.
"1998 was definitely a crazy year for me. Releasing Live the Life and Christmastime, producing the Exodus project and performing on two tours kept me pretty busy, but I have enjoyed all of it. It's always a big honor to be nominated for a Grammy Award and it's great to be recognized by your peers for a
project like Live the Life. "Reunion Records co-vp and general manager George King states, "Michael is such a talented artist in so many ways. All of us at Reunion are proud to be a part of
Michael's career and records like Live the Life." Michael W. Smith is a two time Grammy Award winning artist who has recorded
twelve albums, including five gold and one platinum record over his sixteen year career. Smith has sold over 7 million records, and is well known for his pop hits "Place In This World" and "I Will Be Here For You". Michael has performed to millions of fans around the world including two Presidents, Pope John Paul II
and the Rev. Billy Graham. The 41st annual Grammy Awards will take place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA on February 24, 1999. The show will be telecast live on CBS from 8
p.m. to 11 p.m. ET..