Paul Colman
A British-Australian songwriter and guitarist who forged a successful bridge between introspective pop-rock and contemporary Christian music.
Born 1967 (age 59)·Musical artist·Birthday: August 22·Generation X
Biography
Paul Colman’s musical journey is a trans-Pacific story of melodic craft and spiritual inquiry. Born in England in 1967, he moved to Australia as a teenager, where his musical identity took shape. Fronting the Paul Colman Trio, he developed a sound rooted in accessible, guitar-driven pop-rock, with lyrics that often wrestled with faith and doubt in equal measure. The trio found significant success in the Christian music scene, earning Dove Awards and a Grammy nomination, a testament to Colman's sharp songwriting. His career expanded with a solo move to Nashville and a stint as guitarist for the globally popular Newsboys, further broadening his audience. Colman’s work never fit neatly into a single genre; instead, it offered thoughtful, well-constructed songs that appealed to listeners across the secular and sacred divide, marking him as a respected craftsman in multiple musical worlds.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Paul was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Paul Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Paul's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Gospel Album in 2003 for 'One' with the Paul Colman Trio.
- Won multiple Dove Awards, including Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year for 'Turn' in 2003.
- Served as a guitarist and vocalist for the band Newsboys from 2007 to 2009.
Did You Know?
He is also a qualified secondary school teacher in Australia.
Colman once performed a song at the invitation of Bono during a U2 concert in Melbourne.
He hosts a podcast called 'The Paul Colman Podcast' discussing music, faith, and culture.
“A good song should feel like a conversation with a friend.”
