Greg Walton

Artist Information

Biography

When Greg Walton was in 5th grade he begged his parents to buy him a guitar so he could imitate the art of such musical influences as The Beatles, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac and others. He was a quick study, but soon found that his real passion for music came from the progressive ministry that was coming from his church. His participation in the junior youth choir and his deep reflection on the Bible prompted his interest in music evangelization and a stronger commitment to his Catholic beliefs. After his attendance at a weekend retreat he wrote his first song, "New Day's Gonna Shine" (when he was just 15 years old) and realized he was being called for a commissioning in his life: a life that would be devoted to service to others and a servant to God.

Although Greg Walton remains steadfast in his dedication to ministry, he has never given up on his pursuit of excellence in his music. Performance opportunities throughout his career have taken him all over the United States, Canada and Europe. He has performed at hundreds of youth rallies, LIFETEEN events, dozens of festivals and evangelical events, and some of the worlds largest gatherings including World Youth Day, Creation Festival, NCYC, Kingdom Bound and others. Greg has shared the stage with celebrated artists including PolarBoy, Ceili Rain, DC Talk, Newsboys and others. His music has been distributed by Spring Arbor Music, HeartBeat Distribution, Troubadour for the Lord and most recently, SpiritandSong Records/OCP.

In the midst of a hectic touring schedule, the constant changes in the music industry and the events following the terrorist attacks on September 11th, Greg Walton bonded to the message of a Tom Petty tune called "I Wont Back Down". Greg did a cover version of this song on his third (and most recent album) which also became the name for the CD. He initially released it as an independent project and achieved significant sales success, national airplay and prestigious reviews. The CD went on to win 3 Unity Awards presented by the UCMVA including Modern Rock Alternative Album of The Year and Rock Album of The Year. The song "Despite" also received the award for Modern Rock/Alternative Song of The Year. I WONT BACK DOWN also includes a catchy pop rock tune called "Dear Dorothy" focusing around the character from the popular book/film-The Wizard of Oz. This song has now become a platform for a workshop presentation/program he designed called-FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD-which is just one of the workshop programs he presents to middle school and high school students across the US where he is the keynote speaker.

Greg Walton has an impressive track record for an independent artist, but first and foremost he is a dedicated husband, father and music minister. He and his wife accepted a vocation with The Brothers & Sisters of Charity (founded by John Michael Talbot) because they wanted to have a deeper expression of faith in their lives. This led to vows focusing on Simplicity of Life, Marital Chastity and Obedience to Catholic Teachings.

In addition to his commitment to serving as a full-time music minister, Greg also believes deeply that Christian faith acts itself out in charity and partners often with the relief and development efforts of organizations such as Mercy Corps, World Vision and Catholic Charities.

In 2008, Greg Walton transitioned back into full-time music ministry after many years as a full time teacher at Father Ryan High School in Nashville, TN where his focus was on Theology and Apologetics. He looks forward to sharing his experiences and stories; from the stage, in his role as a keynote speaker and in his workshops. Greg continues to write music that can be used in a liturgical setting and is a composer for OCP/Spirit&Song. He is also preparing music for his next full-length CD project.

In August, 2008 Greg Walton released his first radio single as a digital download through ITunes, and other digital download channels. The song titled-TUNE OF IGNORANCE (produced by Jeff Thomas who has worked with Matt Maher, Sarah Hart and others) was introduced to Christian radio through CRW (Christian Radio Weekly) and spent over 25 weeks on the Global CHR/AC charts. In addition, the song was recognized as the ALTERNATIVE category winner in the 2008 SONGDOOR International Songwriting Competition. GREG also introduced a coordinating impact project to benefit Mercy Corps and other charitable organizations called the "Buck In The Bucket Program" where donations are collected at his LIVE concert events and distributed to those in need.

With the popularity of TUNE OF IGNORANCE gaining momentum, Greg was also inspired to create yet another new workshop titled IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS that he will start presenting in Fall 2009 as a school assembly, and service project/work camp program.

Greg lives in the Nashville area with his wife and 5 children.

Instrumentation

Greg-solo (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano)

Greg-with his band (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass and drums)

Discography

2008 Radio Single-TUNE OF IGNORANCE
cd-I Won't Back Down
cd-Spirit Of Fire
cd-Stealing Moment

Links

• MYSPACE
• Facebook
• SHOUTLIFE
• 4 Marks

Audio

• Tune of Ignorance
  Listen  
• I Won't Back Down
  Listen  
• Dear Dorothy
  Listen  
• Despite
  Listen  
• I AM
  Listen  
• Lamb of God
  Listen  
• Blinded
  Listen  
• King Of My Heart
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Tune of Ignorance
• I Won't Back Down
• Dear Dorothy
• Despite
• I AM
• Lamb of God
• Blinded

Video

Blinded-LIVE in Poland

Photo Gallery

Press

• SONGDOOR 2008 [+ Show ]
  

  ALBIE Entertainment and JesusGlue Ministries is pleased to announce that TUNE OF IGNORANCE by GREG W...ALBIE Entertainment and JesusGlue Ministries is pleased to announce that TUNE OF IGNORANCE by GREG WALTON is the winner in the ALTERNATIVE Category for the 2008 SONGDOOR INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION. The focus of TUNE OF IGNORANCE rotates around the idea of social justice and community action. The song has received significant radio airplay and has charted for several weeks on the CRW Global AC and CHR charts.

• Regarding Greg Walton [+ Show ]
  

  With all the terms that critics keep inventing to categorize music and the many musicians who jump o...With all the terms that critics keep inventing to categorize music and the many musicians who jump on those bandwagons, it is refreshing to find artists who stick to their roots and remain true to who they are musically as well as personally. Greg Walton is just such an artist. Greg makes good old American heartland rock music. He really can't help it. Greg is a product of that heartland and his styles and lyrics reflect those roots.

• Regarding DEAR DOROTHY [+ Show ]
  

  Take the song “Dear Dorothy” as an example. It’s a fantastic marriage of vocals and music in a song ...Take the song “Dear Dorothy” as an example. It’s a fantastic marriage of vocals and music in a song about our favorite Oz temporary resident. “...We’re not in Kansas anymore, clickin’ your heels won’t fix the deal, get with the Word of Life.” It’s a great song for letting us know that Jesus has to be our yellow brick road.

• Regarding WORLD VISION sponsorship [+ Show ]
  

  Bring hope to the poor! Greg will give your community a unique opportunity to assist in ending world...Bring hope to the poor! Greg will give your community a unique opportunity to assist in ending world hunger one child at a time through the Christian relief and development organization World Vision.
  
  Give your community something they may have never seen before! Greg has a unique spiritual perspective as a balanced Roman Catholic Christian artist that can bridge the gaps in the broken body of Christ. Stretch your community’s idea of what it means to be a Christian and further unite the body of Christ in bringing the love of God to the world!
  
  

• Regarding a Youth Concert [+ Show ]
  

  Greg Walton’s message touched all of the youth, from sixth graders to high school seniors, at our Yo...Greg Walton’s message touched all of the youth, from sixth graders to high school seniors, at our Youth Ministry Kick-Off event! The way that he tied the spoken message in with his music truly struck a chord with not only the students, but the adult leadership as well.
  
  He shared his message with the students through songs like Dear Dorothy, Jesus Loves You, I Will Be Your Strength and I Won’t Back Down. There was no doubt that his message was received at the end of the day. For a closing song, the youth resoundingly requested We Are One Body. What a testament to the community that came together with the help of Greg Walton, his music, musicians and message.
  
  Kim/Director of Religious Education
  St Philip Catholic Church
  Franklin, TN
  
  

• Regarding a Youth Concert [+ Show ]
  

  "Thank you so much for performing for our school day. What an uplifting and inspiring concert! It ap..."Thank you so much for performing for our school day. What an uplifting and inspiring concert! It appealed to all of my students from k-8. We loved the Catholic messages!!!
  
  J Heltzel/Principal
  Holy Family School
  Jasper, IN

• I WON'T BACK DOWN cd review [+ Show ]
  

  “I Won’t Back Down” is an eleven-song modern rock project aimed at encouraging youth to stand strong...“I Won’t Back Down” is an eleven-song modern rock project aimed at encouraging youth to stand strong in the Christian life. The title track is Greg’s heartfelt cover of the Tom Petty hit. In addition to the Petty cover, “I Won’t Back Down” features nine new Walton originals. Although he’s a solo artist, Greg wasn’t alone on this album. “One of the things I’ve learned is that you can’t build something great without a lot of help. A songwriter’s journey never ends and there was a lot of distance I wanted to cover for this project, but I knew I couldn’t do it alone.” Greg sought the coaching of his long-time manager Greg Menza, Polarboy’s band leader, Pol Buckingham, producer John Pisciotta and master songwriter Bob Halligan Jr. The end result is edgy rock ‘n roll based on great melodies making it “John Boy’s” strongest work to date.

Setlist

Typically Greg Walton performs a 75 minute concert (solo or with his full band) including original material, praise & worship, popular cover tunes and lots of audience participation!

I. GREG WALTON IN CONCERT (75 minutes)

A. Solo (including house concerts, school assemblies)
B. Unplugged (guitar, and percussion) (including house concerts and school assemblies)
C. Rockin' Out (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, drums) (includes diocesan events, school assemblies, youth rallies, college events, community festivals, fundraisers, etc.)

II. YOUTH WORKSHOP:FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD (Time varies based on need) (utilizes active learning, which includes music and multi-media)

Follow the Yellow Brick Road uses the Wizard of Oz as an allegory to aid the understanding of our journey as the Pilgrim Church on earth, and to emphasize the significance of living a Catholic sacramental life. Extremely flexible, this program is easily tailored as a confirmation retreat, a stand-alone assembly program, or a series of keynotes for a conference.

Central Scripture: "Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."Psalm 119:105

Somewhere Over the Rainbow God Exists:
Topics include recognizing our personal identity, discerning our Christian mission and the Christian understanding of God according to Catholic teaching. Greg can also integrate proofs for God’s existence.

Flying Monkeys:
Greg tackles the tough question, “How can a loving God allow bad stuff to happen?” through the lens of Catholic teaching. Topics include free will, the human condition, sin and reconciliation. This program is an ideal pairing with a penance service.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road:
This concluding session summarizes the first two topics and prepares the participants to “Go forth to love and to serve the Lord.” Topics include the significance of prayer, living a Catholic sacramental life, the Eucharist as source and summit of our worship and the Corporal Works of Mercy. If a concluding Mass is paired with the program, Greg can also emphasize the development and form of the Sacred Liturgy and relate it to our Christian journey.

III. YOUTH WORKSHOP: IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS
(Time varies based on need) (utilizes active learning, which includes music and multi-media)

Ignorance is Not Bliss is based on Greg’s top 20 Christian Hit Radio single, Tune of Ignorance. This program highlights Catholic social teaching, Church teaching on the existence of evil and the Corporal Works of Mercy. Greg will empower and encourage the participants to fully embrace Jesus’ greatest commandment, “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.” This program is the perfect complement for a Catholic school service day, famine retreat or work camp keynote.

Central Scripture: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” Ephesians 5:14b

Ignorance of Ignorance
Ignorance of our self, God and neighbor
Paul writes, “Therefore, do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord” Ephesians 5:17. This topic exposes the three forms ignorance can take in our lives: ignorance of our self, God and neighbor. Participants will reflect on their personal missions and their God given talents that fulfill their roles in the Body of Christ. Greg will also teach about the Christian understanding of God, “God is love,” and it’s significance to Jesus’ understanding of the Kingdom and our relationship with God and neighbor.

Wake up!
Say not that you are too young
This topic reviews and reinforces the previous talk and prepares the participants to “Go forth to love and to serve the Lord.” Topics include the significance of prayer, living a Catholic sacramental life, the Eucharist as source and summit of our worship and the Corporal Works of Mercy. If a concluding Mass is paired with the program, Greg can also emphasize the development and form of the Catholic Liturgy and relate it to our Christian journey.

IV. LENTEN and ADVENT MISSIONS
Got a specific theme you want to address?...let Greg help you put together a memorable event for any specific age group...or ALL ages!

V. MASS
Adoration, Holy Hour/Prayer Service, XLT, Penance and Reconciliation, Benedictions, Wedding Ceremonies or Vow Renewals, Parish Anniversaries or Jubilees

Basic Requirements

Calendar