MARION, Ill. -- Christian singer-songwriter Jason Gray serenaded guests in Marion to a concert Saturday night.Ìý
A total of 820 attended the concert at the Marion Civic Center. The show was in celebration of local radio station WBVN Radio's 34th anniversary.Ìý
Gray sang songs from his latest album, "Land of the Living." Of the album, Gray says he channeled Ray Charles.Ìý
“I thought if I wrote with that spirit, of knowing your audience so well that you know how to love them, I could speak their language," Gray said. "I could break into their world and speak to them right where they are. It could be more about loving them than about my own self-expression.�
Gray first came onto the music scene in 2007 with "All the Lovely Losers." Since then, he has received multiple ASCAP Performance Awards and sung with other Christian singers such as TobyMac and Lauren Daigle.Ìý
WBVN is run out of Marion and funded via listener donations. The station launched in 1990 and focuses on broadcasting Christian music.Ìý
"We believe that its growing appeal coupled with its specific message provides a wonderful avenue in communicating the hope we have as a result of our faith," says the station on .ÌýÌý
The Marion Civic Center hosts a plethora of events centered around the arts. The next event taking the stage will be "Dinosaur World LIVE" on January 25. Find out more about the center on .Ìý
