Musician, performer, and songwriter Michael Card became one of the biggest names in CCM circles, recording dozens of albums, writing nearly as many books, and composing numerous religious hits including "El Shaddai," made famous by Amy Grant. He began writing songs while at college in Kentucky, usually praise choruses for a local church service. Although pushed to earn his Ph.D. by a professor, he was lured into the recording industry by friends Randy Scruggs and John Thompson, who needed a musician to record for their production company's demos. The record label insisted they produce Card's music as their first project, and his acoustic folk sound appeared from the very start with his 1981 debut First Light. Known for thematic works such as his Ancient Faith trilogy and a series of albums on the four gospels, Card has recorded most often for the Sparrow label. ~ John Bush, Rovi