Editing Sparrow Records

{{short description|American record label}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox record label <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Music -->
| name        = Sparrow Records
| image       = Sparrow Records Logo.png
| parent      = {{ubl|[[Universal Music Group|UMG]] (2012–present)|[[EMI]] (1996–2012)|[[Thorn EMI]] (1992–1996)}}
| founded     = {{start date and age|1976|2}}
| founder     = [[Billy Ray Hearn]]
| distributor = [[Capitol Christian Music Group|Capitol CMG]]
| genre       = [[Contemporary Christian music|CCM]], [[gospel music|gospel]]
| country     = United States
| location    = [[Brentwood, Tennessee|Brentwood, TN]], U.S.
| url         = {{URL|sparrowrecords.com}}
}}

'''Sparrow Records''' is a [[Christian music]] record label and a division of [[Universal Music Group]].

== History ==
Sparrow Records was founded in 1976 by [[Billy Ray Hearn]], then [[artists and repertoire]] (A&R) director at [[Myrrh Records]].<ref name="Mount_Web">{{cite book |last=Mount |first=Daniel J. |title=A City on a Hilltop? The History of Contemporary Christian Music |year=2005 |url=http://www.danielmount.net/ccm.html |access-date=February 12, 2007 |pages=48–50, 53 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070203163712/http://www.danielmount.net/ccm.html |archive-date=February 3, 2007 }}</ref> [[Barry McGuire]] was the first artist signed to the label, followed quickly by [[John Michael Talbot]] and his brother Terry, Janny Grein, and [[Annie Herring]] of [[2nd Chapter of Acts]]; all of whom released albums with Sparrow in May of that year.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cusic |first1=Don |title=The Sound of Light: A History of Gospel Music |date=1990 |publisher=Bowling Green State University Popular Press |location=Bowling Green, Ohio |isbn=978-0-87972-497-9 |page=159 |url=https://archive.org/details/soundoflighthi00cusi/page/158/mode/2up}}</ref>

Purchased by [[Thorn EMI]] in 1992, Sparrow's parent underwent a [[demerger]] four years later to become the EMI Group,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/thorn-emi-moves-into-gospel-music-with-us-purchase-1554773.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/thorn-emi-moves-into-gospel-music-with-us-purchase-1554773.html |archive-date=May 24, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Thorn EMI moves into gospel music with US purchase |work=Independent |date=September 30, 1992}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/vote-solid-for-thorn-demerger-1310081.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/vote-solid-for-thorn-demerger-1310081.html |archive-date=May 24, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Vote solid for Thorn demerger|website=Independent|date=August 17, 1996}}</ref> and the label is now part of the [[Capitol Christian Music Group]].<ref name="Hendershot_04">{{cite book |last=Hendershot |first=Heather |title=Shaking the World for Jesus: Media and Conservative Evangelical Culture |year=2004 |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |location=[[Chicago]], [[Illinois]] |isbn=0-226-32679-9 |chapter=Why Should the Devil Have all the Good Music? Christian Music and the Secular Marketplace |pages=56 |url=https://archive.org/details/shakingworldforj0000hend}}</ref>

As of 2009, Sparrow's artists include [[Britt Nicole]], [[Chris Tomlin]], [[Mandisa]], [[Matt Redman]], [[Matthew West]], [[Steven Curtis Chapman]] and [[Switchfoot]]. Since 1996, a popular production of Sparrow Records has been the annual ''[[WOW series#WOW Hits|WOW Hits]]'' [[contemporary Christian music]] series. In 1998, the WOW franchise then added the annual ''[[WOW series#WOW Gospel|WOW Gospel]]'' series of albums. The ''[[WOW series#WOW Worship|WOW Worship]]'' series was introduced in 1999.

== Notable artists ==
:''Source:'' [https://www.capitolcmglabelgroup.com/artist-ccmg/ Artist List]
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Amy Grant]]
* [[Anne Wilson (musician)|Anne Wilson]]
* [[Bethel Music]]
* [[Blessing Offor]]
* [[Brian Courtney Wilson]]
* [[Brandon Lake]]
* [[Brooke Ligertwood]]
* [[Bryan & Katie Torwalt]]
* [[Chris McClarney]]
* [[Chris Quilala]]
* [[Chris Tomlin]]
* [[Christine D'Clario]]
* [[Cody Carnes]]
* [[Crowder (musician)|Crowder]]
* [[Dante Bowe]]
* [[Danny Gokey]]
* [[Ellie Holcomb]]
* [[Evvie McKinney]]
* [[Hillsong United (band)|Hillsong United]]
* [[Hillsong Worship]]
* [[Hillsong Young & Free]]
* [[HLE (singer)|HLE]]
* [[Housefires]]
* [[Jeremy Camp]]
* [[Jeremy Rosado]]
* [[Jesus Culture]]
* [[Jon Foreman]]
* [[Karen Clark Sheard]]
* [[Kari Jobe]]
* Kevin Curiel
* [[Kevin Quinn (actor)|Kevin Quinn]]
* [[Kim Walker-Smith]]
* [[Mac Powell]]
* [[Mosaic MSC]]
* [[Newsboys]]
* [[Passion Conferences|Passion]]
* [[Pat Barrett (musician)|Pat Barrett]]
* [[Rend Collective]] (with Rend Family Records)
* [[Ricky Dillard]]
* [[Riley Clemmons]]
* [[Social Club Misfits]]
* [[Stephen Stanley (musician)|Stephen Stanley]]
* [[Tasha Cobbs Leonard]]
* [[Tauren Wells]]
* [[The Baylor Project]]
* [[TobyMac]] (also with [[ForeFront Records]])
* [[Twinkie Clark]]
* [[Tye Tribbett]]
* [[We the Kingdom]]
{{div col end}}

== Former ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2023}}
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[2nd Chapter of Acts]] (disbanded)
* [[Above the Golden State]]
* [[Susan Ashton]] (active, unsigned)
* [[Audrey Assad]] (active, independent)
* [[Avalon (American group)|Avalon]] (active, with Red Street Records)
* [[Margaret Becker]] (active, with [[Kingsway Music]])
* [[Bellarive]]
* [[Dan Bremnes]]
* [[Steve Camp]] (active, unsigned)
* [[Michael Card]] (active, unsigned)
* [[Marcos Vidal]] (active, unsigned)
* [[Carman (singer)|Carman]] (deceased)
* [[Steven Curtis Chapman]] (active, with [[Reunion Records]])
* [[City Harbor]]
* [[Daryl Coley]] (deceased)
* [[David Crowder*Band]] (disbanded, had moved to [[sixstepsrecords]])
* [[Danyew]]
* [[DC Talk]] (hiatus)
* [[Delirious?]] (disbanded)
* [[Bethany Dillon]] (active)
* [[Dogs of Peace]] (active)
* [[Earthsuit]] (disbanded)
* [[The Elms (band)|The Elms]] (disbanded)
* [[Kirk Franklin]] (active, with [[GospoCentric Records]])
* [[Peter Furler]] (active, independent)
* [[Keith Green]] (deceased)
* [[Steve Green (singer)|Steve Green]] (active, unsigned)
* [[Rickey Grundy]], (active, independent)
* [[Charlie Hall (musician)|Charlie Hall]] (active, with [[sixstepsrecords]])
* [[Matt Hammitt]]
* [[Tramaine Hawkins]]
* [[Tim Hughes]] (active, with [[Survivor Records]])
* [[Kari Jobe]] (active, with [[Capitol Christian Music Group]])
* [[Jump5]] (disbanded)
* [[Phil Keaggy]] (active)
* [[Donald Lawrence]]
* [[Luminate (band)|Luminate]]
* [[Mandisa]] (deceased)
* [[Barry McGuire]] (active, unsigned)
* [[Geoff Moore#Geoff Moore and the Distance|Geoff Moore and the Distance]] (disbanded)
* [[Michael W. Smith]] (active, with [[Rocketown Records]])
* [[Needtobreathe]] (active, with [[Atlantic Records]])
* [[Newsboys]] (active, with [[Fair Trade Services]])
* [[Christy Nockels]] (active, with [[sixstepsrecords]])
* [[Out of the Grey]] (on hiatus)
* [[Twila Paris]] (active, with [[Koch Records]])
* [[Charlie Peacock]] (active, independent)
* [[Marty Raybon]]
* [[Matt Redman]] (active, with [[Integrity Music]])
* [[Resurrection Band]]
* [[Sanctus Real]] (active, with [[Fair Trade Services]])
* [[Sarah Reeves]]
* [[Samestate]]
* [[Robbie Seay Band]] (active, unsigned)
* [[Something Like Silas]]
* [[Soulfire Revolution]]
* [[Kristian Stanfill]] (active, with [[sixstepsrecords]])
* [[Starfield (band)|Starfield]] (active, independent)
* [[Switchfoot]] (active, with [[lowercase people records]]) <small>(Switchfoot still has a distribution agreement with Sparrow Records)</small>
* [[Russ Taff]] (active, with Springhouse Records)
* [[John Michael Talbot]] (active, with Troubadour for the Lord)
* [[Steve Taylor]]
* [[Chris Tomlin]] (active, with [[sixstepsrecords]])
* [[Michelle Tumes]] (active, with [[EMI CMG]])
* [[The Waiting (band)|The Waiting]] (active, independent)
* [[Sheila Walsh (author/singer)|Sheila Walsh]] (active)
* [[Matthew Ward (singer)|Matthew Ward]] (active, independent)
* [[Matthew West]]
* [[Lisa Whelchel]]
* [[White Heart]]
* [[Josh Wilson (musician)|Josh Wilson]] (active on [[Black River Entertainment|Black River Christian]])
* [[Deniece Williams]] (last worked, with [[Shanachie Records]])
* [[ZOEgirl]] (disbanded)
* [[Danniebelle Hall]] (deceased)
* [[West Angeles Church of God in Christ]] Mass Choir and Congregation ("Saints in Praise" series)
* [[The Archers (musical group)]]
* [[Jimi Cravity]]
* [[Kristene DiMarco]]
* [[Colton Dixon]] (with [[19 Recordings]])
* [[Shawn McDonald]]
* [[NF (rapper)|NF]] (with [[Capitol Records]])
* [[Britt Nicole]] (with [[Capitol Records]])
* [[Christy Nockels]]
* [[Nichole Nordeman]]
* [[Kristian Stanfill]]
* [[The Young Escape]]

{{div col end}}

== Compilations ==
* ''Firewind: A Contemporary Dramatic Musical'' (1976)
* ''Christmas'' (1988)
* ''[[Passion: Awakening]]'' (2010)

== Sparrow projects ==
* [[WOW Worship|WOW Worship Series]]

== See also ==
* [[List of record labels]]
* [[Contemporary Christian Music]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://sparrowrecords.com/ Official site]
* [http://www.emicmg.com/ EMI Christian Music Group]
{{Keith Green}}

{{Universal Music Group}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:American record labels]]
[[Category:Record labels established in 1976]]
[[Category:Universal Music Group]]
[[Category:Gospel music record labels]]
[[Category:Evangelical Christian record labels]]
[[Category:1976 establishments in Tennessee]]