The nature of the Contemporary Christian Music industry plays no small part in their discussion. The initial Rolling Stone article appeared to infer that an attempt at Christian music early in Etheridge’s career was short-circuited by an exchange she had with Keaggy. However, what intrigued me most about The Huffington Post‘s follow-up — other than the actual exchange between the two artists — was the caricature of Christian music made by the author.
In the most recent issue of Rolling Stone, rocker Melissa Etheridge talks about her spirituality and an encounter she claims to have once had with a guitar virtuoso named Phil Keaggy. The reason you’ve likely never heard of him is because after converting to Christianity in the early ’70’s he quit his band critically acclaimed band Glass Harp and made the mistake of entrusting his career to the Christian music business which promptly kept him locked in the basement of Christian rock, and away from mainstream music fans.
Though he spent years playing for the faithful and recording amazing tracks like this one, the labels he associated with rarely bothered to take his music out of religious circles.
Jim Hendrix was rumored to be a fan, but my favorite quote came from rocker Ted Nugent, no slouch of a guitarist himself, who once said: “Whatever happened to that Phil Keaggy? He could have saved the world with his guitar.”
For the record, I’m a huge Phil Keaggy fan, have seen him in concert three or four times, and have several of his CD’s (his Sunday’s Child is in my top ten personal favorites). I knew of his acclaim among secular musicians, but to hear a (presumably) non-christian journalist describe the reasons for his career obscurity is fascinating.
[Keaggy] made the mistake of entrusting his career to the Christian music business which promptly kept him locked in the basement of Christian rock, and away from mainstream music fans.
That depiction may seem harsh, inaccurate, and even biased, but it’s the same reason why bands like Switchfoot, P.O.D. and Mute Math have shunned being marketed as Christian bands — their music is meant for more than just “religious circles.” In fact, Keaggy’s follow-up statement to Etheridge’s comments seem to echo that sentiment.
As I recall, in my own journey around that time, I had my own issues with the Christian Music Business as I saw it. Yes, I was signed to a Christian label and had my own frustrations with the those in charge as they had issues with me as well. There was much disagreement between me and them from selection of songs to artwork. Even before I went independent in 2002, I had long ago had an independent / artistic streak.
Keaggy is one of a growing number of Christian artists who’ve come to eschew the “Christian label” for “independence.” Did he feel “locked in the basement of Christian rock”? I’m not sure. But his response seems to serve as a partial confirmation of the Huffington observation. Either way, Keaggy’s exchange with Ms. Etheridge provides a glimpse into the problems inherent with producing, publishing and marketing Christian art. It makes me wonder how many other great Christian talents are arcing away from mainstream audiences toward potential career obscurity.
Tags: Christian music, Phil Keaggy
Keaggy is truly amazing … Sunday’s Child is in my Top 10 also. Although I will admit to being a bit disappointed in his output since he went indie (at the core, I’m really a pop music fan) . I miss the pop/rock of Sunday’s Child and Crison and Blue and True Believer. His latter music has been focusing on instrumentals and softer folk rock stuff, which is great music, but not so much to my taste.
I also enjoy Etheridge’s work, to some extent, eschewing the overtly political songs. But I still recall the visceral, exciting charge I got the first time I heard “Bring Me Some Water” and “Similar Features.” And her remake of Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart” (on her greatest hits) nails the song even better than Janice did.
But, about Phil being “locked” in the Christian basement. I’d be surprised if he agreed with that terminology. Of course he had his issues with the industry (don’t we all), but he’s had a pretty good career. Or so it seems from here.
Yeah, I doubt he’d use that term. But I wonder if the general idea — that the Christian music business limited his influence to that of “religious circles” and kept him “away from mainstream music fans” — isn’t partly behind his statements and desire to go indie. Thanks for the comments, Michael!
The biggest challenge to CCM is it isn’t just “Rock Concerts with Jesus Songs” but it also, in large part, is an expression (or at least modeled on the expression) of worship.
I may go to a “secular” Martina McBride concert and enjoy some moving Christian themes in her songs, but it is still “just a concert.” But with Michael W. Smith or any other CCM Christian artist, there is an expectation of worship. Worship is, by definition, exclusive to those who worship God.
Yet, CDs are sold at Christian concerts. Retail. It gets rather confusing. As an artist, I hope very much to make an income off of my works, but I get nervous if I start to commoditize worship in order to do so. I’m not saying that ministers of worship shouldn’t be allowed to “earn their keep.” Its just that, personally, for me, I would get very confused by marrying too closely my artwork SALES and worship service.
I’d be delighted to know that my art somehow contributes to someone’s way of worship, but I keep a hard line between that providential happenstance and overtly tying sales of my goods in conjunction with worship.
Does that make sense?
In any case, I think that is one of the difficulties that Christian artists face. They are expected to have a “church platform” from which to launch their career, but there is tension in that it is possible to eventually confuse the Bride of Christ with a career stepping stone. I don’t think that is the sort of “Rock” Jesus has in mind for us.
Mainstream, competitive avenues for art, on the other hand, provide an open playing field (not that it is always necessarily “fair.”) There is no expectation of worship (although, as with all things, accidental negative worship can occur), only engagement and entertainment. If something more than that happens, fine.
No matter where the Christian artist goes, CCM or mainstream, there will always be a tension. In CCM the artist will wrestle with the tension of the “ghetto” and “preaching to the choir”. In Mainstream, the artist will wrestle with the world, and the condemnation of some fellow Christians.
Ugh. The Man wasn’t lying when He said, “In this world you will have trouble.” Thankfully, He’s in it with us.
Sam Phillips (the singer), T. Bone Burnett, Jonny Lang, and the late Rich Mullins are counted among the many extremely talented artists who can
–[sorry, cut off last phrase]-…artists who can speak to this tension.
This might sound cliche and/or irrelevant, but sometimes it just isn’t about the “art”. Bob Dylan’s song, “Serve Somebody” nails it. You gotta serve somebody, and it ain’t man or self if you love the Lord. And if by serving Him, it’s a hard and conflicted road, then so be it. Sharing in His sufferings isn’t for the faint of heart or faith, but it’s real Christianity.