BILLY BALLENGER - MUSIC
"300,000 students are not just a number, they are a living, breathing generation with success and failure on their minds. I meet these teens face to face; I hear their cries; and I have promised to be their voice. With "Don't You Dare Die" becoming the cry of the day, we must go beyond the recording studio to every school in our nation. We must pull out all the stops and allow worship evangelism to take place in our cities. I am talking about taking the marketing and production aspects of Ballenger and Break the Grey to new heights so we can impact even more teens. I am talking about saving lives. We are giving them the tools to "Rise Up" and change their own culture. With a growing network reaching 30,000 – 50,000 students annually, we will continue to accept this challenge and expand this message of hope to every community."
– Billy Ballenger
BIOGRAPHY
Billy Ballenger founded Break the Grey, a life-changing school assembly program. Featuring college-aged interns performing skits, Billy is an inspirational speaker offering a message of integrity and absolutes to this generation who brings hope and inspires teens to live and not die. Billy is also the lead singer of the band, Ballenger, who headlines all Break the Grey concert events. These events are held in the community after Billy and his team have spent the week inspiring students through assembly programs and inviting them back for the big event, where he can openly share his faith and introduce students to the love of God.
As a troubled child, Billy was bullied and became a bully himself, leading him to juvenile incarceration. He quickly found himself as a young married father who was abusing substances and partying. A lifestyle of burglaries and violence prompted a SWAT team to raid his home and arrest both Billy and his wife, Jodie. Their 9-month old daughter was taken from them and they were each sentenced to six years of imprisonment in the Indiana Department of Corrections. It was at his lowest point that Billy found hope and made a decision to follow Jesus Christ.
Billy's life underwent a radical change and both Billy and his wife were miraculously released from prison a year early and they received full custody of their daughter. Returning to his childhood passion of music, he began pursuing his dreams of becoming a performer. After years of hard work, Billy's efforts led to a professional career, highlighted by performances in China, Russia, the United States, Canada, and international television. Eventually Billy met Brad Gemberling, Ballenger's current band leader and guitarist. Brad was a perfect fit for the cast of Ballenger and has grown exponentially in his own music career as a result. When asked what he likes most about Ballenger, Brad responded, "I love being on the road playing music to new fans. It's what I was meant to do."
Full of enormous passion and experience, Ballenger's Pop/Rock style features a unique and unforgettable ability to integrate crowd participation into their shows. With songs that touch the heart of people and the heart of God coupled with a God-given ability to captivate an audience, Ballenger has impacted tens of thousands of lives. Today there is a new album on the way and there are select show dates and music available on iTunes and on their site (www.billyballenger.com). Both Ballenger and Break the Grey are on the brink of expansion through new collaborations with organizations such as Sportsworld. The potential for positive impact on this generation has no limits.
MEDIA
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