Chip Haslam was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida.  His music education began while singing a cappella music at his home church.  He had harmonica lessons in the fourth grade, played the tuba, trombone and baritone in junior high school and sang in the school choir in high school.  He began leading congregational singing on a regular basis at the age of 14 and has continued that calling for over 50 years.   His hymn writing began when he wrote several hymns based on the Psalms for an adult Bible class he was teaching.  Chip and his wife Patsy live on a small farm just west of Nashville, Tennessee.