After more than three months promoting with Family Christian Stores, 16-year-old Robert Pierre has given away 100,000 copies of his April 2009 release, Identity, to The James Fund helping raise more than $800,000 for this charity that helps widows and orphans locally and worldwide. Robert Pierre’s retail version of his new CD, Identity, will be in stores on April 28, 2009, released by thinkaboutit records and distributed through Provident/Integrity Distribution.
“I can’t tell you how cool it’s been to play a small part in raising money for widows and orphans,” says Pierre. “You know, my grandma’s a widow, and I have three cousins adopted from an orphanage (and a fourth on the way!), so being able to work with the James Fund was not only a privilege but also personal to me in a way. It’s a real honor that my music could be used for something so important. It really is far better to give than it is to get!”
The teen artist’s partnership with Family Christian Stores started in mid-September and ended right after the holiday season. With a $10 donation to The James Fund, shoppers received Identity and a Barnabus bear that was given to an orphan in the consumer’s community or in a third world country.
“What a great partner Family Christian Stores and the James Fund have in Robert Pierre,” says Family Christian Stores James Fund President Steve Biondo. “Robert is a gifted young artist who has a heart for the orphan. His contribution to our Family Christian Stores’ James Fund promotion allowed us to set a new fund raising record for the event. Robert’s partnership will allow us to dramatically increase our impact in orphan care, adoption assistance, and widow care. “
Identity will release on thinkaboutit records nationwide in April 2009 with three new tracks. The record currently is available on iTunes. Produced by Matt Bronlewee (DC Talk, Steven Curtis Chapman, Tobymac), Identity contains 11 tracks, including “Breaking My Heart,” “Don’t Miss This” and “I’m Not Perfect.” Four of the new songs were even written by the high-school sophomore, who titled his after performing for more than a quarter million people on the road and realizing his generation was having an identity crisis and needed to be reminded of their identity in their Creator.
