Best known for his role as the former lead singer of the Dove Award-winning Christian pop group Sanctus Real, guitarist, singer, and songwriter Matt Hammitt is a passionate solo artist and inspirational speaker. Born in Toledo, Ohio in 1979, Hammitt grew up going to church where he first started playing music with fellow guitarist Christ Rohman in their chapel band. By the time they were tenth graders tenth graders at Toledo Christian School, they had formed Sanctus Real adding drummer Mark Graalman and bassist Steve Goodrum. With Hammitt taking on lead-vocal duties, they released three independent albums of faith-based power pop: 1998's All This Talk of Aliens, 1999's Message for the Masses, and 2001's Nothing to Lose. In 2002, Sanctus Real signed with Sparrow Records and debuted with the Pete Stewart-produced Say It Loud. Well received, the album found the band named "Favorite New Artist" in CCM magazine's reader's poll. Their sophomore album, 2004's Tedd T.-produced Fight the Tide, fared even better, spawing two number one Christian singles with "Everything About You" and "The Fight Song", and took home the Dove Award for Modern Rock Album of the Year. Ever growing stars in the Christian pop community, Hammitt and the band drew praise for subsequent releases including 2008's We Need Each Other, and 2010's Pieces of a Real Heart, both of which garnered Grammy nominations. In 2011, Hammitt stepped outside the group for the release of his debut solo album, Every Falling Tear. The album peaked at number twenty six on the Billboard Christian Albums chart and produced the number eleven Christian single "All of Me." Following the album' release, he returned to Sanctus Real for two more albums: 2013's Run and 2014's The Dream. Despite his success, Hammitt parted ways with the Sanctus Real in 2015, choosing instead to focus on his solo career and his family. Married with four children (including a son born with a severe heart defect), he founded the non-profit Whole Hearts Foundation to provide support for families of children suffering from pediatric heart disease. Also in 2016, Hammitt and his wife launched the Lead Me Live men's spiritual conferences. In 2017, he returned to his solo work with the released of the single "Tears," featuring production by Grammy-winning producer Seth Mosley. ~ Matt Collar