Phillips Craig & Dean

In the competitive, here-today-gone-tomorrow music scene where fans are always clamoring for “the next big thing,” it’s rare to see a group continually release songs that gain the favor and hearts of listeners 20 years into its career.

Phillips, Craig & Dean’s latest single “When The Stars Burn Down (Blessing and Honor)” continues to do that with a focus on worship that follows the coattails of the band’s highly successful “Revelation Song.”

“When we sang this song in the studio it was hard to breathe” explains singer Randy Phillips about “When The Stars Burn Down (Blessing and Honor).” “The glory of God was so strong in that vocal chamber that we struggled to maintain composure. We want this song to wash over you in waves of worship.”

The band’s last album, Fearless, featuring the aforementioned “Revelation Song,” sold more than 10,000 copies its first week when it released in 2009, but it reached #46 spot on the Billboard 200 chart and was awarded “Inspirational Album of the Year” at the Gospel Music Association Dove Awards. Written in response to the very uncertain world we live in, all the tracks on Fearless were penned with the following question in mind: What if God’s people shined a light of eternal hope right in the face of this world’s temporary circumstances?

Shining a light is exactly what the trio comprised of Randy Phillips, Shawn Craig and Dan Dean have done since their inception in 1992. Formed out of a desire to work together through music ministry, Phillips, Craig & Dean have never really been concerned by the number of albums they sell, yet remain a mainstay of the Christian music scene.

Aside from recording a slew of albums together, the guys have also worked on individual creative and ministry pursuits.

Randy Phillips is a pastor at the World of Pentecost, PromiseLand in Austin, Texas. Along with his ministry duties, he helps with the church’s Heart at Home AIDS ministry, and his song “Crucified With Christ” was recently voted the leading “Inspirational Song of the Decade” by CCM Magazine.

In addition to serving as a music pastor at South Country Christian Center in St. Louis, Shawn Craig has written songs for a number of artists including The Gaither Vocal Band, Point of Grace and Glen Campbell. He also wrote Michael English’s chart-topper “In Christ Alone” and has written a devotional book titled "Between Sundays."

Currently residing in Dallas, Dan Dean is the senior pastor at Christ Temple in Irving, Texas and has also written songs for The Cathedrals and Two Hearts.