Billboard’s top-selling band Casting Crowns maintains a perfect run at radio with its new single East to West claiming the No. 1 spot this week atop R&R’s Christian AC Monitored, Indicator, and INSP charts, Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs and CRW’s AC chart, marking the band’s seventh consecutive No.1 song in its four-year career. East to West is off the act’s historical third project The Altar and The Door released as the highest debuting album in the nation last week at No. 2 on The Billboard 200 chart with 129,000 scans, a new record for a Christian artist without crossover promotion in the mainstream market.

The process of Provident’s VP of Sales, Jimmy Wheeler, shaving his head in celebration of Casting Crowns’ monumental sales week. Also pictured Terry Hemmings, President and CEO of Provident Music Group, with Wheeler in last frame of attached series.

Jimmy Wheeler, Vice President of Sales for Provident Label Group, held to his pre-album release promise to shave his head if sales hit 100,000 in the first-week. Wheeler wilfully participated in a public head-shaving ceremony in the Provident offices on Friday, September 7th.

“When I made the ‘hair proclamation,’ it was stated to really stretch our sales and marketing force to achieve a monumental goal for all of us. Fortunately for our company, but unfortunately for my hair, we met and hugely exceeded that goal, and I personally had a week I will not soon forget,” says Wheeler. He adds, “I am humbled and honoured just to be a part of the outstanding team at Provident.”

Second on the chart behind the High School Musical 2 soundtrack, Casting Crowns’ The Altar and The Door was the top artist release overall for the week ending September 2nd, according to Nielsen SoundScan. This surpasses the group’s previous chart-high with its GRAMMY®-winning, Platinum album Lifesong released at No. 9 in 2005 with 71,000 first-week scans.

Casting Crowns’ lead singer and songwriter is full-time Youth Pastor Mark Hall, who is serving his 16th year as student pastor at Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church in Atlanta. All seven band members remain active in student ministry in the Atlanta-area and tour part-time around their local-church duties.

The band will visit 36 cities during its The Altar and The Door Fall Tour. For more information on Casting Crowns, please visit their YMZ artist page.