RENOWNED SINGER/SONGWRITERS SET TO GATHER TO CELEBRATE 25 YEARS OF SONGS AND STORIES

Danbury, CT - Since 1991, the Community Coffeehouse has been serving the greater Danbury area with some of the best in Christian music. What started as a venue for a local band with no place to play in their own hometown, has now evolved into a venue well-respected by nationally touring artists and audiences in the Northeast.

On June 11, some of the most popular singers, songwriters, and artists from the Community Coffeehouse’s history will gather together for a joint night of music to celebrate 25 year songs and stories at The Community Coffeehouse. The event will take place at Walnut Hill Community Church (156 Walnut Hill Road, Bethel, CT) and will begin at 7:30 PM. Popular singer/Songwriters Jason Gray and Andrew Peterson headline the list of artists participating in the event and are joined by Jill Phillips, Andy Gullahorn, and Andrew Osenga as well as NY Times Best Selling Author Sally Lloyd-Jones.

Tickets can be purchased at www.CommunityCoffeehouse.org. VIP Tickets ($40) provide early admission, reserved seating in the first 2 rows, and access to an exclusive artist Q&A session before the show. General admission tickets ($25) are also available.

“We have gathered some of our favorite artists to celebrate those 25 years with us” said Community Coffeehouse founder Chris Barrett. “Jason Gray, Andrew Peterson, Andy Gullahorn, Jill Phillips and Andrew Osenga represent some of the most talented singer/songwriters working in any genre of music. We chose them to come because their love of Jesus, community, and of song and story to open our hearts has reflected our vision and the heart of what we have wanted our ministry to be.”

Jason Gray has emerged as a songwriter of extraordinary depth, with a noteworthy ability to convey deep theological truths in engaging three-and-a-half minute songs. The Minnesota native is steadily drawing legions of fans who recognize his ability to connect with listeners on an emotional level, offering not escape or distraction, but healing and hope. His 2012 release, “A Way To See In The Dark”, was named Album of the Year by critics and garnered three top-five radio singles, including Nothing is Wasted, which hit #1 for nine weeks.

For more than twenty years Andrew Peterson has been about the business of quietly changing lives in four-minute increments. In the city of Nashville where music is an industry in the same way fast food, generic greeting cards, and bumper stickers are industries, Peterson has forged his own path, refusing the artistic compromises that so often come with chasing album sales and radio singles and creating instead a long line of songs that ache with sorrow, joy and integrity, and that are, at the end of the day, part of a real, ongoing, human conversation.

Jill Phillips is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter who got her start in the business after graduating from Belmont University in 1998. Her guitar based folk-rock sound combines with rich, insightful lyrics that deal with age-old topics in new and fresh ways. Her self-titled debut album on Word Records was produced by GRAMMY-award winning songwriter Wayne Kirkpatrick (“Change Your World” recorded by Eric Clapton) also known for producing such artists as Amy Grant, Garth Brooks and Susan Ashton.

Andy Gullahorn was born and raised in the rich musical climate of Austin, TX and then went to College at Belmont University in Nashville to join the legions of songwriters in the country music scene. After graduation, he spent a number of years as a staff writer for publishing companies while playing guitar on the road for singer/songwriter Jill Phillips. In 2004, after realizing that his second child was on the way and that his wife would need to come off of the road, Andy released “Room to Breathe” and began performing his own shows again for the first time in 5 years. He has since released three more records – “Reinventing The Wheel” (2007), “The Law of Gravity” (2009) and “Christmas” (2010).

Andrew Osenga’s story began in the late 90's as the lead singer and songwriter of the groundbreaking sonic experimentalists The Normals. They released three critically acclaimed albums on Forefront Records before disbanding in 2002. He then quickly shifted into a role as lead-guitar player and chief songwriter of folk-rock pioneers Caedmon's Call. All the while, producing records in off touring seasons and releasing solo albums of his own, Andrew became a staple of the critic's end of the year favorite lists. His vibey, guitar-centric, heart-on-his-sleeve pop culminated in 2010's Choosing Sides. Dealing with issues of marriage, parenthood, friendships and faith, Andrew's newest record highlights his surgeon-like ability to cut to the heart of situations listeners identify with.

Sally Lloyd-Jones is a New York Times bestselling children’s book writer. Her books include the critically acclaimed, ‘How To Be A Baby… By Me, the Big Sister’, Gold Book Award winning, ‘The Jesus Storybook Bible’ and the Christian Book of the Year ‘Thoughts To Make Your Heart Sing’. Sally works with various publishers – Walker Books, Schwartz & Wade/Random House, HarperCollins, Zondervan, David Fickling Books.

“We have met so many gifted artists throughout the years who reflect that same heart, but these 5 are the ones we have become closest to” said Barrett. “We wanted to share this milestone with our brothers and sisters.”

For more information about about any of these artists, the Community Coffeehouse, or the 25 Years of Songs and Stories celebration please visit the Community Coffeehouse online at www.CommunityCoffeehouse.org or find them on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/CommunityCoffeehouse.