Plus One

The remarkable group known as Plus One burst into the music world as a hot boy band with a twist -- the twist being a Christian message mixed in with the teen idol good looks, sexy smiles, and smooth vocal harmonies. Gabe Combs, Jeremy Mhire, Nathan Walters, Jason Perry, and Nate Cole make up Plus One. Each member is from a different location in the United States and was selected from tons of talented competitors. With style and tunes in the vein of those from the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync, Plus One was a brainstorm project idea that came to life in an amazing way. The group worked with producer and songwriter David Forster, who has won more than a dozen Grammy Awards during his career and is the chairman for Atlantic/143 Records. Other big names on the production team were Eric Foster White, Buster & Shavoni, Chris Farren, and Bradley Spalter, who have worked with many prominent and popular artists such as Britney Spears, Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Whitney Houston, Brandy, and the Backstreet Boys. In 2000, Plus One released their hit debut album, The Promise. The album sold over 19,000 copies in its first week on the store shelves. That broke the record in contemporary Christian album sales for a single week. The Promise hit the Christian Soundscan charts at number one, and even landed on Billboard's 200, competing against other genres of music. Some of the noteworthy tracks on this extraordinary debut album are "My Life," "Run to You," "Soul Tattoo," and "My Friend." One of the singles, "Written on My Heart," was in the Top Ten spot only weeks after its release. Plus One completed a successful month-long promotional tour after the release of The Promise, during which time they also finished a new music video and made plans for other tours -- one with Jaci Velasquez in the fall of 2000. After several TV appearances, the group went back into the studio with several big name CCM producers and even co-wrote some of their own material. The results, Obvious, was released in March of 2002. ~ Charlotte Dillon