My first memories of really being exposed to music was listening to my Mom and Dad’s favorites of course. We had a great big console stereo with AM/FM radio, record player, and 8 track cassette tape player. It took up half of the living room space. I remember hearing some of my first favorite styles of music coming from that console stereo unit: Roger Miller’s King of the Road (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrhAC0dFis0), Booker T. and the MG’s Green Onions (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oox9bJaGJ8), Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Bad Moon Rising (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUQiUFZ5RDw) Glen Campbell’s Wichita Lineman (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8P_xTBpAcY) and many more of that era. My parents had really good taste in music I figured out later.
As a pre-teen in the mid 70’s, I began listening to Pop and Disco of course. KC and the Sunshine Band, The Bee Gees (who I saw perform live in Tulsa at the Mabee Center on August 3rd, 1979) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_izvAbhExY), the Village People, ABBA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-crgQGdpZR0), and other popular groups like those. Hey, I was a pre-teen, and it was the 70’s, cut me some slack! But, I agree, let's move on...quickly.
It was in the late 70’s that I discovered Christian Music, and of course it was Amy Grant. I was in shock...this is Christian music? I went out and bought her self-titled album Amy Grant, released in 1977. I explored other similar artists like: Dallas Holm, The Imperials (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPqzuCQmS9o), Barry McGuire, Don Francisco, 2nd Chapter of Acts (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgR8aKuZSWU), and Keith Green. This music was modern sounding, had a good beat, and was positive with Christian values at the heart of each song. I remember our Pastor did a local radio program early on Sunday morning before church each week for a while. He asked me one Sunday to come on the broadcast and bring some of my favorite music; I brought Keith Green’s 1978 album No Compromise and played the song Asleep in the Light for him. If you have never heard Keith Green, or this song, take a moment to click the link and listen (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XeEL0mRBHo). It is powerful. All of Keith Green’s music was inspired and worshipful.
In Junior High, I was invited to a concert by a friend who described the group as “Christian” music. It was 1979 and Degarmo and Key had just released their third album “Straight On”, and they were in Tulsa for their Straight On Rock and Roll tour. I was immediately blown away and hooked for life (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdqM-rygAPs&list=PLS1so5_hZ8NGhqxXmb45V8JT_A9hw6Vji&index=7). I soon discovered other similar Classic Christian Rock (CCR) bands (as they are now called) like The Allies, Whiteheart, The Resurrection Band, Sweet Comfort Band (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckqfGImtlC4&list=RD0NqQPVhqAMY&index=10), Servant (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49AYdZ3XCUo&list=PLPcTOx34g9XRKZNl-etNS_-ZULmQ1exTn), Steve Taylor, Petra, Mylon LeFevre and Broken Heart (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mttW4g-aZQA&list=PLXoRup79FcHEfGV_liMXZwSCDYtWss69e&index=8), and Stryper among others. This music was good, really good! It could hold its own against the then current big name groups like Hall and Oates, Journey, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. These are the artists I still listen to today, their music filling my MP3 player.
In the mid to late 80’s at a Christian University I encountered Christian age college students of every denomination, from every state, and even from around the world (missionary kids). I also encountered their music, and boy was it different from mine. This is where I heard for the first time bands like Vector, Prodigal (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg3pQOhSCQU), the 77’s, Daniel Amos, After the Fire, Edin Adal, Undercover, The Choir (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGnl8AsMVdM&list=PLrfAqXGs4UZ3u2RI1KQxt2yiZojwZXnnf), Quickflight, and other similar bands. My musical taste expanded again to include some of these artists still in my MP3 player rotation today.
After college, in the early 90’s, the Christian Music industry changed, and well, the music just got really bad. I stopped listening to the current Christian groups as a result, clinging to my CCR instead. I began listening to a little modern country music (Garth Brooks, Brooks and Dunn, George Straight, etc..) but quickly grew tired of that genre. I began listening to mainstream groups that had a Christian vibe or base to their music. Examples were U2 (probably the most well known group where the secular/christian debate always rages), The Call, Kansas, Creed, and a few others. I also started listening to Classic Rock bands like The Eagles, Journey, Phil Collins, Van Halen, The Police, Boston, and others. The songs were good of course, but as a Christian you had to turn up your filtering level pretty high because there was also a lot of, shall we say, non-Christ like content.
So, now we come to the present portion of my musical winding path through life. I still listen to my favorites of all the genres I listed above. Plus, I learned to love classical music during my school year studies of choral music and piano, so Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, etc… have always been around. My current music genre of choice is Celtic Rock, or Bagpipe Rock as it is also called. Some of my favorite groups include The Killdares (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD2Niae26Ow), Tempest, The Cranberries, Seven Nations, Wicked Tinkers, Rathmore, Enter the Haggis (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mSA_fhOwMc), and Dan Ar Braz. I know, I know, ...but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it as they say! And, my musical journey continues…
