A local Christian band known for their rock ‘n’ roll approach to singing the Lord’s praises has been nominated for five Grammys, possibly a first for Pearl River County.

GodSpeed3, with band is composed of Michael Clogher, lead singer, Geri Grubbs on drums, Chris Spiers, guitar, Warren Beane, bass, and Travis Kennedy, guitar, has seen a meteoritic climb to stardom since the band’s inception three years ago.

The origin of the GodSpeed3 goes back to several years ago when band members Grubbs and Kennedy played with another group, performing gigs in bars and other venues, even signing a Nashville record deal.

But life on the road was not something the men were enjoying. “We got tired of being on the road all the time and the bar scene,” explained Kennedy.

So the two quit the music business and headed back home to Picayune. “Then about 10 years later I started going to church,” said Kennedy, adding that at first, he was asked to play along with the church’s praise band. “They knew I played guitar and they asked me, but I just said, no, I don’t think so.” Continuing, Kennedy said he was hesitant to join the band members for sessions because he wasn’t sure if he would like the genre of music.

Then one day, one of the band members was absent, so Kennedy agreed to play. “I found out I liked it,” he continued. “I really liked it.”

A seed was sown for GodSpeed3 with that realization.

During that same time, his friendship with Clogher was deepening and their discussions began to center on the possibility of starting their own contemporary Christian band. We had formed a strong friendship,” said Kennedy. “And we talked about forming our own band.”

From there, Kennedy asked Grubbs if he was interested in putting together a Christian band, and before long Spiers and Beane joined in. “We had our band,” said Kennedy.

It didn’t take long for the public to begin to appreciate their music style, and before the band mates knew it, their calendar was full with venues and they were finding their lives incredibly rewarding. “I never knew a Christian band would play so much,” said Kennedy of their booked schedule.

As their popularity has grown, so has the band’s opportunity to play with major names in the Christian music field. “We have been playing with a few big Christian bands,” said Kennedy, naming, among others, December Radio, Audio Adrenaline, and Casting Crowns.

Just finishing up the recording of their last five songs for their first album — GodSpeed3 — Kennedy said the first four songs of the album have already been released. Of those, “Redeemed” has been nominated for Best Gospel Song, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year in the Gospel/Contemporary Christian category. The album, GodSpeed3, has been nominated for Best Pop Contemporary Album, while “You Are God” is nominated for Best Gospel Performance.

“I feel like I have already won,” said Kennedy, referring to the fact that just being nominated for a Grammy was an incredible experience. “We’re so excited.”

The Grammy awards is scheduled to be held Jan. 10 on CBS.