Avalon

Formed in 1995 by producer Norman Miller under Sparrow Records, the CCM vocal quartet Avalon emphasizes close vocal harmonies and has earned Billboard chart recognition. The ensemble first gained attention during the Young Messiah farewell tour later that year, after which its founding lineup of Janna Potter, Jody McBrayer, Michael Passons, and Nikki Hassman issued the self-titled debut album in 1996. Subsequent road work alongside Michael W. Smith, Twila Paris, and Steven Curtis Chapman helped promote the singles “Give It Up,” “This Love,” and “Picture Perfect World,” each of which performed strongly on the inspirational and adult-contemporary charts and paved the way for the 1997 follow-up A Maze of Grace, a release that entered the Billboard Christian Top Ten. After Hassman’s departure, Cherie Paliotta joined the group ahead of the 1999 project In a Different Light, which climbed to number two on the Christian albums chart while also reaching the upper half of the Billboard 200. The holiday collection Joy, mixing classic carols with newly written seasonal material, appeared the next year and likewise registered on the charts. Oxygen arrived in 2001 as the group’s first Christian chart-topper, and by the time two new original tracks were added to the 2003 retrospective The Very Best of Avalon, Melissa Greene had taken Paliotta’s place in the lineup. Passons exited shortly afterward, making room for Greg Long’s arrival on 2004’s The Creed, an album that rose to number four on the Christian chart. The decade closed with the releases Stand and Faith: A Hymns Collection in 2006, Another Time, Another Place: Timeless Christian Classics in 2008, and Reborn in 2009, the last of which was supported by a co-headlining tour with Selah. At that point the roster comprised the married couples Janna (Potter) Long with Greg Long and Jeremi Richardson with Amy McBride Richardson. Sparrow Records issued a Number Ones compilation in 2012, followed in 2014 by a 20th Century Masters collection. Avalon disclosed another significant roster change in 2018 when the Richardsons stepped away and were succeeded by returning member Jody McBrayer together with newcomer Dani Rocca. This configuration unveiled several singles toward the end of 2019 to introduce the forthcoming album Called.