Matthew West

=== ''History'' and vocal problems (2005–2007) ===

[[File:Matt West concert.jpg|thumb|Matthew West playing a concert on the History 101 tour in September 2005]]
With Kenny Greenberg and Jason Houser once again as producers,<ref name="top40 bright">{{cite web |url=http://top40-charts.com/news.php?nid=15778 |title=Bright Future For Matthew West's History, In Stores 6/21 |publisher=Top40-Charts.com |date=June 16, 2005 |access-date=July 11, 2008}}</ref> Matthew West began recording for his second studio album in early 2005.<ref name="Happy singles" /> ''[[History (Matthew West album)|History]]'', co-produced by West, was released on June 21, 2005, on [[Universal South Records]].<ref name="billboard-history">{{cite magazine |url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=matthew west|chart=all}} |title=Matthew West – History |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard.com]] |access-date=July 4, 2008}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> The first single off the album, "Next Thing You Know", was released June 20, a day before the album's release.<ref name="album-to-remember">{{cite web |url=http://www.breathecast.com/Christian.Music.Artist-Matthew.West/Article-237_747.htm |title=Matthew West's History: "An Album To Remember" |publisher=BREATHEcast.com |date=June 24, 2005 |author=Cindy Lee |access-date=July 4, 2008}}</ref> The theme of the title track "History" was inspired by a [[Radio & Records|R&R]] music news headline "Matthew West Makes History", in reference to his first album, ''Happy''. "It's not every day you read a headline like that with your name in it that calls you a history maker," he said.<ref name="caa">{{cite web |url=http://www.caatouring.com/Public/ClientDetails.aspx?ClientID=64323&RosterCategory=Christian |title=Matthew West |publisher=[[Creative Artists Agency|CAAtouring.com]] |access-date=July 2, 2008}}</ref> Beginning on September 14, 2005, he kicked off the 30-city ''History 101'' tour, his first headlining tour, which included guest musicians [[Shawn McDonald]] and [[Paul Wright (singer)|Paul Wright]].<ref name="history 101">{{cite web |url=http://www.breathecast.com/Christian.Music.Artist-Matthew.West/Article-237_1935.htm |title=Matthew West Headlines History 101 |publisher=BREATHEcast.com |date=September 16, 2005 |access-date=July 2, 2008}}</ref> He then joined [[tobyMac]]'s Winter Wonder Slam tour, beginning on December 1, 2005, along with [[John Reuben]], [[BarlowGirl]], [[GRITS]], and [[DJ Maj]].<ref name="BG-WWS">{{cite web |url=http://www.breathecast.com/Christian.Music.Artist-tobyMac/Article-324_1075.htm |title=BarlowGirl Update |publisher=BREATHEcast.com |date=October 10, 2005 |access-date=July 4, 2008 |author=Connie Lee}}</ref> Two additional songs were released off ''History'' as singles: "Only Grace" and the title track "History".<ref name="cmt-history">{{cite web |url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/reviews/2005/history.html |title=Matthew West – History |work=[[Christianity Today|Christian Music Today]] |author=Breimeier, Russ |access-date=June 30, 2008}}</ref><ref name="cmp-bio">{{cite web |url=http://www.christianmusicplanet.com/music/artist/matthew_west/browseM/ |title=Matthew West – Biography |publisher=Christian Music Planet |access-date=June 30, 2008}}</ref>

His independent album ''Sellout'' was re-released in 2006 on Universal South Records.<ref name="Billboard.com Sellout">{{cite magazine |url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=matthew west|chart=all}} |title=Matthew West – Sellout |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard.com]] |access-date=July 7, 2008}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

West said that he began to experience "some vocal fatigue" in April 2007. He said, "I had lost some of my vocal range, staying on higher notes and lower notes. I even began having a hard time speaking."<ref name="cmt interview">{{cite web |url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/interviews/2008/matthewwest-0208.html |title=A Moment of Silence |author=Andree Farias |date=February 25, 2008 |work=[[Christianity Today|Christian Music Today]] |access-date=June 27, 2008}}</ref> At a vocal check-up in response to the issue, West's doctors at the [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] Vanderbilt Voice Center discovered "hemorrhaging caused by some [[Polyp (medicine)|polyp]]s".<ref name="cmt interview" /> He was told by his doctors that vocal surgery was the only option, since a few weeks had passed.<ref name="cmt interview" /> The surgery took place on May 17, 2007, a process that he said was "career threatening."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=c377c388df7477a84ec4%3Cbr%3E |title=Matthew West's Exclusive Video Debut - The Motions |access-date=May 8, 2009 |author=matthewwest |date=March 19, 2009 |publisher=[[Tangle.com]]}}</ref> Afterward, he was prescribed a two-month period of silence for [[vocal rest]].<ref name="cmt interview" />

A video documentary titled ''Nothing to Say'', directed and produced by Benjamin Eisner, was released in early 2008, highlighting Matthew West's time of silence and vocal recovery in 2007.<ref name="NothingtoSay" /> In February 2008, the documentary was available exclusively in [[Family Christian Stores]] as a CD/DVD combo pack with West's album ''[[Something to Say (Matthew West album)|Something to Say]]''.<ref name="NothingtoSay">{{cite web |url=http://www.christianmusicplanet.com/news/headlines/11568085/matthew%20west/ |title=Matthew West Has Nothing To Say in New Documentary |publisher=Christian Music Planet |date=February 2008 |access-date=June 28, 2008}}</ref>