Mannheim has sold over 41 million albums.
Fact 1
If you lined up all the CDs sold, they would stretch from New York to Los Angeles and then into the Pacific Ocean — more than 3000 miles.
Fact 2
If you stacked up the CDs, they would be taller than the Willis Tower in Chicago — 645 times taller.
Fact 3
The band’s name came from Mannheim, Germany where Mozart lived. Mannheim Steamroller is the name for an 18th century musical technique known as the crescendo.
Fact 4
Chip formed the American Gramaphone record label in 1974 when no label would take on his music. Today, American Gramaphone is one of the most successful independent music franchises in history.
Fact 5
Mannheim Steamroller’s music styling, dubbed “18th Century Classical Rock”, is largely credited with establishing the genre of New Age music.
Fact 6
The music industry told Chip, “Don’t do a Christmas album because that will signal the end of your career. Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, Chip’s first Christmas album, went on to sell five million copies after Chip produced it himself — and changed the sounds of Christmas music forever.
Fact 7
Mannheim Steamroller is the #1 Christmas music artist of all times, selling over 31+ million albums.
Fact 8
Since 1984, Mannheim Steamroller has traveled more than 40 million miles, hung more than 4 million square feet of video screen and booked more than 60,000 hotel rooms in eight time zones for its annual Christmas tour.
Fact 9
Chip has created two traveling troupes for the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Tour to meet continuing popular demand even after more than 35 years of the tour, the longest running consecutive tour in the industry.
Fact 10
The top-selling non-music product on the Mannheim Steamroller website is Cinnamon Hot Chocolate. The hottest selling ring tone for mobile phones is “Carol of the Bells”
Fact 11
The group has traveled throughout the world for recording sessions and concerts including London, St. Petersburg, Russia, throughout Germany, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico.
Fact 12
Mannheim Steamroller has transformed Halloween music just as it did with the sounds of Christmas. The band is the top selling Halloween artist today.
Fact 13
The Recording Industry Association of America has awarded 19 gold records, 8 platinum and 4 multi-platinum to Mannheim Steamroller.
Fact 14
While majoring in bassoon and playing the drums, Chip plays the hammered dulcimer and two old-fashion members of the reed family — the cornamus and crumhorn.
Fact 15
In addition to writing, arranging and recording over 35 albums, Chip is the author of nine children’s books and has created an entire line of food and bath products under the Mannheim Steamroller name.
Fact 16
Chip wrote his first song at the age of six about his dog, Stormy. He received his first Grammy in 1990 for Fresh Aire 7.
Fact 17
Chip’s first job was a telephone lineman. He then went on to sing in the Norman Luboff Choir after college and later became an advertising jingle writer in Omaha.
Fact 18
The hit record “Convoy”, which blew open the CB craze in 1975, and the “Convoy” movie starring Kris Kristofferson were based on C.W. McCall, a fictional truck driver co-created by Chip during his days in advertising.
Fact 19
Chip was named the Country Music Songwriter of the Year by SESAC in 1976.
Fact 20
In Christmas of 2008, Chip gave away one million CDs to U.S. troops, their families, military hospitals and other support groups. He received the Award for Exceptional Public Service from the Department of Defense — becoming one of only a small group of recipients in the United States.
Fact 21
Chip has developed a patent-pending music therapy system. Ambient Therapy combines music with natural sounds and is being used by Mayo Clinic, National Intrepid Center for Wounded Warriors, Walter Reed and other medical facilities.
Fact 22
NASA has approved the review of Ambient Therapy for use by the astronauts in long-range space travels.
Fact 23
Mannheim Steamroller provided the on-site technology to capture and record the launch and landing of Space Shuttles Discovery and Atlantis — characterized by NASA as the most accurate audio recording of a shuttle launch and landing.
Fact 24
Mannheim Steamroller is the only group to ever perform more than once at the annual Lighting of the National Christmas Tree Ceremony. The group has played under three different White House Administrations.
Fact 25