page_title: Stephen Christian
section_title: Early life and education
hierarchical_section_title: Stephen Christian / Early life and education
caption_attribution_description: Anberlin, Las Cruces NM 12JUL07, photograph by John Kloepper
context_page_description: Stephen Christian is an American singer and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band Anberlin, as well as the vocalist of his acoustic side-project Anchor & Braille. He and his bandmates started Anberlin in 2002, after the demise of their previous group, known as SaGoh 24/7. He is one of the main songwriters for Anberlin along with Joseph Milligan, and with the band has released seven albums, the final being in 2014. Many of the albums in the Anberlin discography have peaked in the top ten on various Billboard charts.
  He founded the non-profit and humanitarian-oriented band Faceless International, and is the founder of Wood Water Records, the home of Anchor & Braille. Christian wrote and self-published the memoir The Orphaned Anything's. Christian also started the solo project Anchor & Braille in 2007, and their debut album Felt, produced by Aaron Marsh of Copeland, was released in 2009. Felt debuted at number 30 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart. They released a second album, The Quiet Life, in 2012, with Christian again handling vocals and songwriting.
context_section_description: Stephen Christian was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
  At some point in his early life, Christian moved to Winter Haven, Florida. Christian attended Winter Haven High School along with bandmates Deon Rexroat and Joseph Milligan. During high school, the three formed the punk band SaGoh 24/7 with Joey Bruce, which eventually transformed into Anberlin. Christian's younger brother Paul was an influence on some of the band's music. They released two albums, Servants After God's Own Heart (1999), and Then I Corrupt Youth (2001), with Christian singing lead vocals on both.
  Christian is a graduate from University of Central Florida and the Florida State University College of Law, with a bachelor's degree in Psychology. He attended college to study non-profits, with plans to work for Habitat for Humanity or UNICEF, but Anberlin was signed a month after he graduated.
caption: Performing with Anberlin in Las Cruces, NM at the 2007 Warped Tour
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