THE SWEET MERCY BAND
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The Sweet Mercy Band began when Bill Sanders was encouraged by friends who were musicians and songwriters to seek out a singer to work with on original songs. After a lot of praying, Bill mentioned in a Sunday school class that he was looking for a female singer to work with. When class was over a friend approached Bill and told him about Kim. Bill asked her to give Kim his phone number.
Days later, Kim called Bill and they spoke for over an hour. They both discovered that they both had a deep faith and love for The Lord. They also realized that they had both been through multiple near-death experiences that The Lord had brought them through. This became the basis for their first song collaboration, “We’re Survivors.” At the very beginning of their songwriting partnership they established three basic rules: keep The Lord No. 1, keep the egos outside, and always do what’s best for the song. These rules have served them well. “Sweet Mercy” CD was released on October 20, 2017, and they immediately set out on a successful tour of Christian bookstores and Christian cafes.
WIAMradio.com was the first to put their first single into rotation in June of 2017. Other stations have picked up their songs and are being played nationwide on Christian Satellite Network, Calvary Radio Network, ITNSradio.com, and others. More recently The Sweet Mercy Band songs are being played on FM radio stations across New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas and Tennessee. Over the past two years The Sweet Mercy Band has been invited to do several live radio interviews and performances.
Some of their live performances with their full band include the Salem County Fair 2018, The Lord’s Vineyard Church 2018, The Battle of Christian Band’s 2018, The Auburn Rd Winery 2017, Daretown Day 2016. The crowd size at their performances has continued to grow as they have worked hard to perfect their live shows and build a loyal following in South Jersey.
The Sweet Mercy Band’s desire is that the Lord would use their music and testimonies to bring people to Jesus and to encourage Christians to keep following Jesus. The Lord is doing exactly that. Praise be to God!
BILL SANDERS
l was raised listening to some of Country Music’s greatest singers; Glenn Campbell, Waylon Jennings, Bobbie Gentry and Merle Haggard. He developed a deep love for the South and its music, due to his father being from North Carolina. He dreamed of playing guitar like his first guitar heroes, Glenn Campbell and Duane Eddy. When he finally got his first guitar, it was non-stop playing. Upon hearing Duane Allman and Gary Rossington play slide guitar he instantly began teaching himself slide guitar.
He wrote his first song in 3rd grade and has been songwriting ever since.
Over the years he has played in numerous cover bands both in New Jersey and Tennessee, where he lived for 10 years. His band in Tennessee was blessed to have opened up for some of Country and Southern Rock’s heavyweights.
He always longed to play in a band where songwriting and performing original music was the emphasis. Where there was freedom to express his faith in The Lord and write songs about all of life from that perspective. The Sweet Mercy Band is the answer to that desire and those prayers. Bill is a member of ASCAP and NSAI.
KIM MONTALVO
Kim Montalvo first loved to sing as early as six years old. At first, it was singing theme songs from TV shows and songs from the soundtrack to the movie “Grease.” As a child Kim’s favorite singer was Karen Carpenter. Her silky, smooth voice spoke to Kim’s soul. Another favorite singer growing up was
Barbara Streisand. At Kim’s first singing recital at age 12 she sang “Songbird” while her knees shook uncontrollably. When she finished singing, the other students and parents unexpectedly smiled as they applauded. It was a great feeling seeing the people enjoy her singing as much as Kim enjoyed singing.
Participating in school choirs and talent shows growing up and later community theatre, Kim had the singing bug, but not always the confidence. That took years to develop.
Fast forward some years, Kim would write songs for herself and would tuck them away without any real intention of doing anything with them. She never considered herself a real songwriter, but nevertheless enjoyed writing. “Late Bloomer,” it wasn’t until after a six-year period of illness that Kim decided to pursue her love for singing more seriously at the encouragement of her husband and put together a cover band. Kim co-led The Special K Band with her kidney donor for almost ten years. That’s when Kim grew leaps and bounds in her singing, stage presence, and, yes, her confidence!
Kim has had the pleasure and honor of singing our national anthem in front of thousands of people for the major league baseball team “Phillies” and the pro basketball team the 76ers twice, and the minor league baseball team Camden River Sharks, and more recently at a memorial service for a Vietnam veteran. One of Kim’s favorite performances was singing “The Prayer” for the US Transplant Games alongside Broadway, TV and movie actor Matt Stocke at the Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida.
Kim not only has a love for singing, but an even deeper love for Jesus, and is grateful to be writing and singing songs about The Lord and His everlasting love, mercy and grace for all of us. There’s so much more The Lord has in store for Kim and she gives God all the glory!
