Four years ago, one of the biggest names in contemporary Christian music came to Juneau. This summer, he’s coming back.
Michael W. Smith, a Grammy-winning, platinum-selling artist, is playing at 6 p.m. on Monday, July 23 at Centennial Hall. The show, as it was in 2014, is a benefit for Love INC, a local organization that coordinates service efforts between Juneau churches.
Following Smith’s show in 2014, Christian singer Amy Grant played a Love INC benefit show in 2017. When Grant arrived in Juneau, Love INC Executive Director Guy Crockroft recalled, Grant’s manager (who is also Smith’s manager) asked Crockroft if he’d be interested in having Smith return to Juneau.
Smith is coming through Southeast Alaska in July as part of his “Alaska Cruise with Michael W. Smith,” and is playing a few shows along the way. The show in Juneau projects to be the biggest, as Smith will have a 150-person choir performing along with him.
“That’ll be quite an adventure,” Crockroft said of the large production.
On the website promoting the cruise, Smith writes to his fans that the show in Juneau will be “a very special concert” and he invites them to join the choir.
Tickets are $20, and are available at Hearthside Books and on the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council’s ticket website, www.jahc.org/box-office. According to an Empire article at the time, Smith’s 2014 show sold out.
Crockroft said there will be about 100 tickets reserved for those who cannot afford them, which Grant also did at her show.
“Michael and Amy both are wonderful folks,” Crockroft said. “They’re both down to hearth and full of love and kindness. They would like everyone to come, even if they can’t afford it.”
Smith, who has won three Grammy Awards and 45 Dove Awards (given to Christian musicians), released an album in February entitled “A Million Lights.” Love INC has been in Juneau since 2004, Crockroft said, and aims to help people physically and spiritually. They provide food, furniture, supplies to help people who were recently released from prison and more.
• Contact reporter Alex McCarthy at 523-2271 or amccarthy@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @akmccarthy.
