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− | {{Infobox musical artist | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| + | Michael Harrison Sweet (born 4 July, 1963) is a Christian rock singer from the United States. Sweet is best known as co-founder, writer and frontman of the Christian metal band Stryper. His brother, Robert Sweet is the drummer of the band. |
− | | Name = Michael Sweet
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− | | Birth_name = Michael Harrison Sweet
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− | | Alias =
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− | | Born = {{Birth date and age|1963|7|4}}
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− | | Died =
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− | | Origin = [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|25px]] [[USA]]
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− | | Instrument = [[vocals]], [[guitar]], [[piano]]
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− | | Genre = [[Rock music|Rock]]
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− | | Occupation = singer, guitarist, songwriter, producer
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− | | Years_active = 1984-present
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− | | Label =
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− | | Associated_acts = [[Stryper]]
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− | | URL = [http://www.michaelsweet.com www.michaelsweet.com]
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− | }}
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− | '''Michael Harrison Sweet''' (born [[4 July]], [[1963]]) is a [[Christian rock]] singer from the [[United States]]. Sweet is best known as co-founder, writer and [[frontman]] of the [[Christian metal]] band [[Stryper]]. His brother, [[Robert Sweet]] is the [[drummer]] of the band.
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− | ==Biography==
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− | ===Youth===
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− | His voice has a range of about 3 and a half octaves. He began his musical career at age 5 playing [[guitar]] and at age 12 he began to sing. Sweet also learned to play the [[drums]], [[piano]] and [[bass guitar]].
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− | ===Stryper===
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− | :''Main article: [[Stryper]]''
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− | In the early 80s, Sweet and his brother started a band called '''Roxx Regime''' and started playing in small venues. This band would later became '''[[Stryper]]'''. The band challenged the stereotype of [[heavy metal]] being satanic and took [[Christian rock]] fully into mainstream.
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− | With the band, Sweet recorded five succesful studio albums that reached gold and platinum status and won him many awards, plus worldwide fame. However, in the early [[90s]], rock music was facing serious shifts in itself and the band fell into a steep decline.
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− | ===Solo===
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− | After 11 years as frontman of Stryper, Sweet decided to leave the band in [[1992]] in order to pursue a solo career. He first released a demo album titled ''[[Unstryped]]'' which featured several songs that were allegedly intended to be songs for the band. Sweet later featured some of this in his first full-length album.
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− | His [[Michael Sweet (album)|self-titled debut album]] was released in [[1994]] and sold over 250,000 copies. He followed it with a slightly softer album titled ''[[Real (album)|Real]]'' in [[1996]] which garnered him a nomination for a [[Dove Award]]. However, he left the Benson label with which he had released those two albums.
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− | During this time, Sweet and his wife moved to [[Massachusetts]], where Sweet worked as a park ranger in his father-in-law campground called ''Maple Park''.
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− | In [[1998]], he released an independent demo album titled ''[[Truth (demo version)|Truth]]'' which received critical acclaim. He was signed to [[Restless Records]] and re-released the album in [[2000]] with a new song-list and new artwork (see ''[[Truth (2000 version)|Truth]]'').
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− | ===Stryper Reunited===
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− | In [[1999]], Sweet reunited with former Stryper friends, Oz Fox and Tim Gaines during a concert in [[Puerto Rico]]. The concert featured Fox and Gaines' band at the moment, [[Sindizzy]], while Sweet was invited as a solo artist. The three of them got together for a brief set of four songs that showed that they still had the same intenstity as before. The next year, the first [[Stryper Expo]] was held in [[New Jersey]] and the whole line-up was reunited again.
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− | The band has continued to work together releasing a new album titled ''[[Reborn (album)|Reborn]]'' in [[2005]]. However, Michael has continued with his solo career as well. In [[August 1]], [[2006]], he released a new solo album titled ''[[Him (album)|Him]]''. The album features traditional [[hymns]] re-written and arranged by Sweet.
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− | ==Solo Discography==
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− | <gallery>
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− | Image:Msweet-unstryped.jpg|<center>'''''[[Unstryped]]''''' ([[EP]])<center>[[1992]]
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− | Image:Michael Sweet - Self-titled.jpg|<center>'''''[[Michael Sweet (album)|Michael Sweet]]'''''<center>[[July 26]], [[1994]]
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− | Image:Michael Sweet - Real.jpg|<center>'''''[[Real (album)|Real]]'''''<center>[[October]], [[1995]]
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− | Image:Msweet-truth.jpg|<center>'''''[[Truth (demo version)|Truth]]''''' ([[demo]])<center>[[1998]]
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− | Image:Msweet-truth2.jpg|<center>'''''[[Truth (2000 version)|Truth]]''''' (official release)<center>[[2000]]
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− | Image:Msweet-him.jpg|<center>'''''[[Him (album)|Him]]'''''<center>[[2006]]
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− | </gallery>
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− | ===Guest Appearances===
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− | *''[[Mu5tard]] - Electra Glide''
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− | *''Longday - An Explanation For My Behavior''
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− | *''Mars Hill - Sink or Swim'' (2003)
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− | *''[[Michael W. Smith]]''
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− | *''[[Guardian (band)|Guardian]]''
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− | *''[[DC Talk]]''
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− | ===Projects Produced===
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− | *''[[Mu5tard]] - Electra Glide''
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− | *''Longday - An Explanation For My Behavior''
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− | *''Mars Hill - Sink or Swim'' (2003)
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− | *''Savannah - Forever's Come and Gone"
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− | ==See also==
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− | * [[Stryper]]
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| ==External links== | | ==External links== |
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| * [http://www.cmspin.com/newsmanager/anmviewer.asp?a=3963&z=51 Michael Sweet's Testimony at CMSpin] | | * [http://www.cmspin.com/newsmanager/anmviewer.asp?a=3963&z=51 Michael Sweet's Testimony at CMSpin] |
| * [http://www.newsongonline.org/michaelsweet.htm Michael Sweet Interview] | | * [http://www.newsongonline.org/michaelsweet.htm Michael Sweet Interview] |
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| + | {{returnto}} [[Christian music]] |
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| [[Category:1963 births|Sweet, Michael]] | | [[Category:1963 births|Sweet, Michael]] |
− | [[Category:American rock singers|Sweet, Michael]]
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| [[Category:Christian musicians|Sweet, Michael]] | | [[Category:Christian musicians|Sweet, Michael]] |
− | [[Category:Living people|Sweet, Michael]]
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− | [[nl:Michael Sweet]]
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− | [[no:Michael Sweet]]
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− | [[pt:Michael Sweet]]
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