Contemporary Christian artist David Crowder has canceled some upcoming tour dates and revealed that he recently broke his leg, thanking fans for their prayers.
“I’m not near as athletic as I thought I was, I’ve broken my leg and had to have emergency surgery including some plates and screws,” the 53-year-old singer captioned a social media photo of himself in a hospital bed. “Unfortunately, I will have to miss a few shows. I’m on the mend and we will figure out how to get back there as soon as we can! Thanks so much for the prayers.”
The “Still” artist also shared a video from his hospital bed, telling fans who were planning to see him at the Appalachian Fair in Gray, Tennessee, on Aug. 25 that he’d have to postpone the show due to his surgery.
“Appalachian Fair, listen, my people, I cannot wait to get there. Listen, I broke something,” Crowder said following his surgery. “I am not the elite athlete I suspected I was. But here’s the deal. It’s going to be new and improved. I’m on the mend.”
“We put some plates in there,” he said. “We did some screw … basic carpentry. Carpentry for bones. We’ve got it going on.”
“I’m on the mend, and I’ll be there as soon as possible … just got out of surgery,” Crowder continued.
“They got me eating flat meat. That’s going to help I think. These things, I don’t know what they are, but they’re going to help, I’m sure. I don’t know,” he said. “We’ll find out what those are later, but we’re going to be back at Appalachian Fair, because you’re my people. I gotta see you soon.”
Crowder received an outpouring of support from fellow CCM artists, including Michael W. Smith, who wrote: “Crowder … What in the world … Wanted you to know that I’m praying for you. Quick healing…For sure. Love you…MW.”
Added pastor and singer Tauren Wells, “This is terrible!!! Praying!!!”
Crowder’s surgery comes weeks after CCM artist Forrest Frank suffered fractures of the L3 and L4 vertebrae in his back following a skateboarding accident. The artist, who wrote a viral song called “God’s Got My Back” following the incident, claimed to have experienced “miraculous healing” just weeks after the injury.
“I’m pretty much convinced God would’ve healed me day 1 from all these prayers, but He wanted these songs & this testimony [to] come to life. Regardless, I’m here for it all … ruined for the ordinary. THANK YOU JESUS,” the 30-year-old artist said.
Since bursting onto the CCM scene in the mid-’90s, Crowder has earned three Grammy nominations and countless other accolades. His fourth solo album, titled Milk & Honey, topped all four Billboard Christian Music Charts.
The artist, who is nominated for three Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Awards this year, told The Christian Post in a 2022 interview that despite his success in the CCM industry, his spiritual journey hasn’t always been smooth.
“I got into what I’m doing because I was in a deconstructive moment,” he told CP. “I was at a place in time where I found a community of believers that felt like refugees, that we were setting down a lot of baggage that we had because of the institutional experience we’ve had with Church. Jesus is so not like that.”
“It feels like in our cultural moment, all of these difficult conversations, our response as followers of Jesus is the most adequate response you can have because it’s all based on grace. We’re known, seen, heard, loved by a Creator who knows your innermost thoughts. That’s a mind-blowing statement. And then, to be able to demonstrate in moments of heightened social turmoil, the grace to say, ‘The response right now is, I love you.’ And I haven’t seen a lot of that.'”
Reflecting on his years in the Christian music industry, Crowder said he still “doesn’t feel any more capable” now than when he first began decades ago. But he believes he’s exactly where God has called him to be, sharing the truth in a culture that is desperately seeking answers.
“The process has changed a lot … it still feels like it’s still exploration. I want to approach it differently every time because I don’t, I still don’t understand it. I don’t understand music. I don’t know how you can organize just the molecules in the air to resonate and be so beautiful,” he said.
