Keith Getty facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Keith Getty
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Getty in 2008
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Julian Keith Getty
16 December 1974 Lisburn, Northern Ireland
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| Alma mater | St Chad's College, Durham (BA) |
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| Years active | 1995–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Kristyn Lennox
(m. 2004) |
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Julian Keith Getty is a talented singer, songwriter, and businessman from Northern Ireland. He was born on December 16, 1974. Keith is famous for writing the song "In Christ Alone" in 2001 with Stuart Townend. He and his wife, Kristyn, also make music together as Keith & Kristyn Getty.
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Keith Getty's Music Journey
Keith Getty writes Christian hymns. His song "In Christ Alone" is very popular. About 100 million people around the world sing it every year. It was even voted the third most popular hymn ever in Britain by BBC's Songs of Praise.
Keith has written or helped publish many songs. In fact, 38 of the top 500 songs sung in churches in the USA and UK are by him. These numbers are tracked by CCLI.
Awards and Performances
As a recording artist, Keith Getty's album Confessio: Irish American Roots was nominated for a Grammy Award. He has also won two GMA Dove Awards. Keith is often seen as a champion for hymns. He has performed in famous places like Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Royal Albert Hall, and Sydney Opera House.
In 2017, Christianity Today magazine said that Keith and Kristyn Getty are "preeminent" hymn writers. They said the Gettys' songs have "changed the way Christians worship." In 2018, Queen Elizabeth II honored Keith. She made him an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This was for his great work in "Music and Modern Hymn Writing." He was the first modern church musician to get this special award.
Getty Music Company
Keith and Kristyn Getty also run their own music company called Getty Music. This company handles their record label, tours, and song publishing. They host a big church music conference every year called Sing! in Nashville, Tennessee. Over 7,000 people attend this event. The couple also started a charity called the Getty Music Foundation. This foundation helps with music education around the world.
Early Life and Education
Keith Getty was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. He is the oldest of four children.
He started making music when he was 11 years old. He first learned to play the classical guitar. At 12, he began playing the flute. Growing up, Keith loved classical music, Irish music, and church music. He studied music at St Chad's College, Durham University. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1995. As a student, Keith also took special conducting classes. He even learned from the famous Irish flautist Sir James Galway.
Family Life
Kristyn met Keith Getty in 2002. Kristyn's uncle, John Lennox, introduced them. Kristyn was in college nearby and asked Keith for music advice. They dated for two years and then married on June 16, 2004. Keith and Kristyn have four daughters.
The Getty family lives in both Portstewart, Northern Ireland, and Nashville, Tennessee.
Keith's Music Career
Keith and Kristyn Getty's Work
Keith and his wife Kristyn write and release hymns together. They also perform their music all over the world. They have written a book about worship called Sing!.
Music for Children
Keith and Kristyn have created several worship albums especially for children.
- Songs That Jesus Said (2005): A collection of songs for kids.
- Getty Kids Hymnal: In Christ Alone (2016)
- Getty Kids Hymnal: For the Cause (2017)
- Getty Kids Hymnal: Family Hymn Sing (2018)
- Getty Kids Hymnal: Family Carol Sing (2019)
- Evensong: Hymns and Lullabies at the Close of Day (2020)
Their album Evensong reached number one on the Billboard charts in 2020.
Other Music Projects
Besides working with Kristyn, Keith has also arranged or produced music for other projects. He created music for Michael W. Smith's 2004 album Healing Rain. He also worked on music for McDonald's TV commercials. Keith helped with movie soundtrack recordings like Music from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. In 1998, he wrote and produced music for the C. S. Lewis International Centenary Celebrations.
The Song "In Christ Alone"
In 2001, Stuart Townend and Keith Getty wrote "In Christ Alone." They wanted to create a modern hymn that would explain the life of Christ. They released it on the Kingsway album New Irish Hymns. Singers like Máire Brennan, Margaret Becker, and Joanne Hogg performed on the album.
The song quickly became very popular. By 2005, a BBC Songs of Praise survey named it the ninth best-loved hymn ever. In their 2010 survey, it was named the second best hymn of all time. The British Hymn Society even called "In Christ Alone" one of the top five hymns of all time.
Since 2017, "In Christ Alone" has always been on CCLI's list of the Top 100 songs. More of Keith Getty's songs appear in CCLI’s Top 500 Songs in the UK than those of any other songwriter.
Special Recognition
Keith Getty received the O.B.E. award from Queen Elizabeth II. This made him the first church musician of the modern era to get this award. It was for his important contributions to music and hymn writing.
He has also received special honorary doctorates from Lancaster Bible College and Dallas Baptist University. He was also given the Freedom of the City of Lisburn.
Keith is the Honorary President and founder of New Irish Arts. In 2019, Keith and Kristyn were both named fellows of The Royal School of Church Music.
The album North Coast Sessions won a Dove award in 2019 for Inspirational Album of the Year.
Several Getty Music Albums have been nominated for a Dove Award:
- Awaken the Dawn was nominated for Inspirational Album of the Year in 2008.
- Hymns for the Christian Life was nominated for a Dove award in 2013.
- Getty Kids Hymnal-For the Cause was nominated for Children's Music Album of the Year in 2018.
- Getty Kids Hymnal-Family Carol Sing was nominated for Children's Music Album of the Year in 2020.
- His Mercy Is More (with Matt Boswell and Matt Papa) was nominated for Inspirational Album of the Year in 2020.
- Elizabeth (with Ellie Holcomb) was nominated for Roots/Americana Song of the Year in 2020.
Kristyn's album Evensong reached number one on the USA Billboard Children's Album Charts. This album of hymns and lullabies helped many people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
TV Appearances and Performances
Keith and Kristyn have appeared on national television shows. These include CBS, PBS, and BBC. In 2015, their Christmas Music special, Joy—An Irish Christmas, was shown on Public Television (PBS) to over 45 million homes. In 2021, they were featured on BBC Northern Ireland's "At home with the Gettys." They also had a TBN special in 2019 filmed live at the famous Grand Ole Opry House.
In 2017, the hymn writers performed for US Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen Pence. They have also performed for President George W. Bush, the United Nations, South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak, and for former UK Prime Minister Theresa May. They also performed at the Enthronement of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Albums
- 2002: Tapestry (with Kristyn Lennox)
- 2003: New Irish Hymns 2 (with Margaret Becker and Joanne Hogg)
- 2004: New Irish Hymns 3: Incarnation (with Margaret Becker and Joanne Hogg)
- 2005: New Irish Hymns 4 (with Margaret Becker and Joanne Hogg)
- 2005: Songs That Jesus Said (a collection of songs for children)
- 2007: In Christ Alone
See also
- New Irish Hymns (album series)
