To some, Chris Tomlin's accomplishments could best be described as indescribable.
At 50 years old, the singer has sold out arenas, received a Grammy and earned Time's title as the "most often sung artist" thanks to his hits being sung in churches around the world.
But as the singer prepares to release his new album Always on Sept. 9, Chris says his music remains rooted in his humble beginnings.
"I come from a small town in East Texas," Chris exclusively shared with E! News. "Literally 2,500 people in my town with one Dairy Queen and one red light. Now, I live in a small town outside of Nashville. I love to do things with my family. I'm a girl dad and even when I'm on the road, people who would be around me would think I'm a pretty ordinary guy."
Like many parents, Chris had to adapt when the coronavirus pandemic put a pause on touring and performing. The quality time at home with his wife Lauren Bricken and their three daughters—Ashlyn, 10, Madison, 7, and 18-month-old Elle Grace—inspired some of the songs from his latest album.
"When everything was closed, we started doing home church with my girls and I was thinking of songs and ‘O Lord, You're Beautiful' kept coming to me," he shared. "This song has meant something really special to me and my family. This is the foundation of the record."
Chris' music has certainly made a special impact on his many fans. Back in 2001, he released his very first album titled The Noise We Make. Since then, he has been blown away by the many artists like Brett Young, Russell Dickerson and Lady A who say they have been inspired by his music.
"I remember when I ran into Tyler Hubbard from Florida Georgia Line and he said, ‘When I was in the eighth grade, I just wanted to be you…You were pushing me to do those things,'" Chris shared. "Thomas Rhett said the same thing. ‘Your music has had such an influence in my life.' That's incredible. What a privilege that this music has gone farther than I could ever dream."
But despite all the praise, Chris tries to keep the main focus on being the best husband and father he can be. In his limited free time, Chris will watch Yellowstone or 60 Minutes with his wife.
When they are able to enjoy a rare night out without the kids, the couple enjoys rocking out to live music. Recently, Chris experienced the magic of Chris Martin and his band Coldplay live in concert.
"It's the greatest thing I've ever seen," he said. "It's amazing to sit in a seat and get another side of the concert life. Coldplay is unlike anything I've ever seen."
And when it's time to take the kids to school, Chris said he can predict what's blasting in the car. "Whatever movie is coming out, the soundtrack is on," he joked. "For Encanto, I can tell you we don't talk about Bruno. Anything my kids love in their world, it's cranked up."
As Chris prepares to introduce his next body of work to the masses, he looks forward to receiving a certain compliment from fans of any age.
"What means more to me than anything is when someone come up to me saying, ‘We sing your songs in our church,'" he said. "That's more than Grammys. That's more than No. 1 songs because to me, that means the song has gone beyond me."
To see more of Chris, watch him co-host the GMA Dove Awards Nashville event airing exclusively on TBN and the TBN app on Oct. 21st at 8 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. ET.