"Chris Rice's gospel roots can be traced back to his childhood. His parents owned a Christian bookstore and religion played a prominent role in his early years. Rice would spend more than a decade writing music before he gained significant recognition for his efforts. After Kim Boyce's ""By Faith,"" a single penned by Rice, was named song of the year by American Songwriter Magazine, Rice was named Christian songwriter of the year by the same publication in 1995.His recording debut came in the form of 1996's Deep Enough to Dream. The album featured 10 tracks, most of which were written by Rice himself. The record did well and was a hit in contemporary Christian circles. He followed up with Past the Edges a year later. Edges gained Rice more fans and resonated with fans of Christian and inspirational themes. 2000's Smell the Color 9 sported more reflective lyrical stylings and Rice's folk influences came through more clearly than the hints of albums past.The following year Rice changed gears, releasing his first instrumental album, the piano-driven The Living Room Sessions. The record was literally recorded on the grand piano in Rice's living room, thus the title. The peaceful hymns make for a beautiful compilation of melodious grace.On 2005's Amusing, Rice created a blend of powerful, catchy hooks with exceptionally devout lyrics. Amusing fortifies the notion that Rice is as much about the music as he is about the message, something that has been traditionally secondary for the bulk of the genre's artists of the past. His most recent release, 2008's What a Heart is Beating For, sports a toned-down style of lyrics, creating a more subtle faith-based message set to the familiar melodic sound that has made Rice the envy of many a songwriter for more than a decade."
