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All Music Guide:
A contemporary Christian singer and songwriter, Aaron Shust grew up in Pennsylvania, but became a true musician in Georgia, where he studied music theory. His first album, Anything Worth Saying, was recorded in 2004, which landed him a deal with the Brash Music label soon thereafter. The album would end up becoming the fifth best-selling praise & worship record in 2006, and produced a genre radio hit with the single "My Savior My God." The song would go on to hit the top spot on a number of charts, eventually scoring Shust a Dove Award for Best Song. His second album, Whispered and Shouted, was released in the summer of 2007 to impressive first-week sales.
Wikipedia:
Aaron Michael Shust (born, October 31, 1975 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American Contemporary Christian Music artist on the Centricity Music label. Shust was named the songwriter of the year at the GMA Dove Awards of 2007, and his song "My Savior My God" received the Song of the Year award.
Biography [edit]
Shust grew up near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He studied music theory at Toccoa Falls College in Georgia. While there he studied Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Sebastian Bach. He also became influenced by U2 and Bob Marley. He began performing at churches and coffeehouses while at college.
Shust began leading worship at Perimeter Church, Duluth, Georgia in 2000 and recorded his album, Anything Worth Saying in 2004 with producer Dan Hannon who delivered the album along with a stack of others along to Brash Music for consideration. Brash Music signed Shust shortly thereafter.
2006 [edit]
His second single "My Savior My God" was released January 20, 2006. The song was played on Christian radio stations around Christmas 2005. The song was listed at No. 19 on Radio and Records chart three weeks before the single was officially released to radio.
The song was listed No. 1 on six charts simultaneously by April 17: Radio and Records (R&R) Christian adult contemporary (AC) radio chart, R&R Christian AC monitor chart, CRW's AC radio chart, Billboard Hot Christian songs radio chart, most downloaded inspirational song on iTunes, and Billboard Hot Christian AC chart. The song spent 30 weeks in the Top 5 on the R&R Christian AC chart in 2006. Digital downloads of the song have topped 75,000 copies, and the song has held the No. 1 spot on the iTunes Christian and Gospel chart for over three months. The single was the second most played song of 2006 on Christian CHR radio as played on the Weekend 22. It was the No. 1 song of 2006 on 20 The Countdown Magazine. The song was awarded Song of the Year at the 2007 Annual GMA Dove Awards in Nashville.
Anything Worth Saying was the 5th best-selling "Praise and Worship" album of 2006, according to the Nielsen Soundscan report for 2006. It only sold 300 copies its first week, however.
2007 [edit]
At the GMA Dove Awards of 2007 in Nashville, Tennessee, Shust was awarded three Dove Awards: Song of the Year ("My Savior, My God"), Songwriter of the Year, and New Artist of the Year.
Shust's second studio album, Whispered and Shouted, was released on June 5, 2007, and sold 5,000 copies its first week of release.
2009 [edit]
In 2009, Shust's third album, Take Over, was released, including the Christian radio hit "To God Alone". On October 21, he released a Christmas EP.
Present [edit]
In August 2011, Shust's fourth album, This Is What We Believe, was released. The album is produced by Ed Cash.
Personal life [edit]
When he is not recording or touring, Shust lives outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his wife Sarah and their sons, Daniel, Nicky, and Michael. He also leads worship at his home church in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania.
