Third Day

The band was founded by lead singer Mac Powell, guitarist Mark Lee (both of whom were the only constant members) and Billy Wilkins.

[4] In 1991, high-schoolers Mac Powell and Mark Lee formed Third Day as a Christian music group with pianist Billy Wilkins and guitarist August McCoy.

At a 1992 event at Lee's Church, Third Day performed alongside a band called the Bullard Family Singers, which featured David Carr and Tai Anderson.

[1] In 1993, the band started playing more frequently in the Atlanta region in order to make money to record an album.

[5] Third Day recorded at Furies Studios in Atlanta and with the production help of Carr, Long Time Forgotten was released in 1994, producing and selling 2,000 copies.

Shortly after, Reunion Records bought out their Gray Dot contract and signed the band to a multi-album deal.

Also in 1998, the band recorded a cover of Michael W. Smith's "Agnus Dei" for his Dove Award-winning compilation project Exodus.

[citation needed] Some of the songs that were recorded for possible inclusion in the album, but left out during production, are on the EP Southern Tracks.

Later in the same year, the band collaborated on the project City on a Hill: Songs of Worship and Praise with FFH, Caedmon's Call, SonicFlood, Jars of Clay, and others.

While touring in the US, Third Day recorded a concert attended by 15,000 fans at the HiFi Buys Amphitheatre in Atlanta to be released as their first DVD, The Offerings Experience.

In 2004, the band released their seventh album, Wire, and toured the States with tobyMac and Warren Barfield.

During the same year, they collaborated on the soundtrack for Mel Gibson's film, The Passion of the Christ, played at the Republican National Convention and were featured on 60 Minutes.

On February 28, 2008, Third Day released a statement announcing Brad Avery's departure from the band after 13 years and over 1,000 concerts.

[19] According to the official press release, Avery left the band to pursue solo projects and Third Day would not replace him, continuing on as a quartet.

Following Avery's departure, the band performed at the April 2008 Papal Youth Rally at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y.

Live Revelations achieved Gold status in its month of release, becoming the band's eighth album to do so.

[citation needed] Third Day was featured on Winter Jam 2010, touring alongside a variety of contemporary Christian groups including the Newsboys, Fireflight, and Tenth Avenue North.

[25] The album, produced by The Sound Kids (Jonny Macintosh and JT Daly) as a worship experience with Third Day at the center of a "friend choir",[26] peaked at No.

[33] To celebrate their 25th anniversary, Third Day released the back-to-their-roots album, Revival, on August 4, 2017, recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.