James Mead

Infobox musical artist


Name = James Mead


Img_size =
Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name =
Alias = James
Born = birth date and age|1982|12|27
Died =
Origin = flagicon|US Danbury, Connecticut, U.S.
Instrument = Guitar, Backing Vocals
Occupation = Guitarist for the Christian rock band Kutless
Years_active = 2000-present
Label =
Associated_acts = Kutless
URL = [http://www.kutless.com/ www.kutless.com]
Current_members =
Past_members =

James Mead is a guitarist and backing vocalist for the Christian rock band Kutless. He founded the band in 2000 with bandmates Jon Micah Sumrall and Ryan Shrout. [ [http://www.kutless.com/kutless.aspx About Kutless . . . / Kutless ] ] He has said he truly found God when he was 17, and has been a Christian ever since.

Early life

Mead was born in Connecticut, but moved to Oregon when he was 11 with his mom, because they were trying to get away from his abusive stepfather. Mead began to look for ways to take out everything he felt after all those years. He had said that playing guitar was the only constructive thing he did. Before high school, he got involved with drugs, and he stopped after being caught in eighth grade. By the time he was in high school, he had realized that it was a stupid mistake.

Mead and his friend Josh Shroy, who is now the drummer of Falling Up, started a band in high school. He had been going to parties with their band, and became addicted to alcohol because of it. While getting into alcohol and drugs, the two accepted Jesus after being invited to Church by some friends. Mead has given a detailed account of what led him to Jesus, saying, "On my 17th birthday, I drank so much, that I passed out, and slipped in and out of varied states of consciousness over the next couple of days. I later researched alcohol poisoning, and calculated that I had 8% alcohol poisoning that night, from how much I had drunk. I felt so crappy over the next couple of days that I finally started realizing that I had a problem, and that I had literally drank so much poison that I almost died. I had been invited to church a lot by friends of mine, and had always turned them down. After those couple of days, I felt like I needed to make some better decisions in life. My friends had always seemed to have a life that was filled with joy so I went to church with them. I heard the gospel of Jesus Christ dying for my sins for the first time that night. I had heard the stories before, but had never really listened. That night I realized, I needed Him. I gave my life to Him that night. That's all I could give Him, that's all He wanted. Josh and I both got saved that night; saved from the kind of choices we were making and just everything that humans fall short in. Josh is now the drummer of Falling Up."

[http://www.kutless.com/meetJames.aspx]

After accepting Christ

After accepting Jesus, Mead didn't touch any drugs or alcohol anymore. Mead has talked about the mistakes he had been making in his life in certain interviews, and how Jesus helped him to stop making them. Before accepting Jesus, he couldn't get away from those kinds of things, but broke free after he found Jesus. He's said of Jesus, "Enjoy Jesus.... He enjoys you, and wants to deliver you from all the stupid kind of stuff we all do, just like He did for me."

He joined Kutless in 2001, when the band was known as Call Box. He has been a member of the band ever since then.

Mead met his wife at that church, and they were married in 2003. Mead's first son was born in 2006. About his wife, Mead has said, "The Lord created her perfectly for me".

Mead currently lives in Oregon with his wife and son. [http://www.kutless.com/meetJames.aspx]

References