What do The Newsboys, Elvis Presley, Steve Taylor and Southern Gospel have in common? On the surface, absolutely nothing, but this is Flashback Friday, and there is a connection, I promise you.
Actually, the connection is a person, and the subject of our profile this week. Our connection is Mylon Lefevre.
The youngest son of Eva Mae and Urias LeFevre, Mylon grew up in a famous Southern Gospel Music household The LeFevres. Mylon's mother was a Whittington, which may explain why I heard them promoted via Televangelist Jim Whittington in the Late 70's into the 1980's.
I know I may catch Hell for this, but along the way Mylon finally found God. As a teenager his Gospel Song "Without Him" Caught the attention of the King himself, Elvis Presley. The song made an initial royalty of $90,000. Pretty good for a teen in 1961.
Between a stint in the Stamps Quartet and collaborating with the 2nd Chapter of Acts, Mylon rose through the Christian Music ranks. Eventually he struck out on his own in the 80's, with Mylon Lefevre and Broken Heart. I got to see Mylon three times in concert, once at ENC while a student. That was during their Sheep in Wolves Clothing Tour, which featured most of these videos. The other two were in Leominster and Worcester (boy did he enjoy wrapping his tongue around our towns "Lemon-ster?") The last video I will share is I will rejoice, which is done live. At the beginning you will notice the group headbang, which I believe they pioneered in the Christian World and Fireflight has resurrected.
The band brole up in 1990 after the Crank it Up tour. Since then Mylon has been pretty quiet, trading his former Church (Mount Paran Church of God, Atlanta) for Fort Worth Texas Eadle Mountain International Church pastored by George Pearson. Though the band never attained Superstar status, the bands of today owe them a great deal.
Oh, as to the other people in the list? We've already told you Mylons links to Southern Gospel (the LeFevre's) and Elvis (Without Him). Aussie Band the Newsboys. Mylon's Daughter Summer is married to former Newsboy Lead Peter Furler. Clown Prince Taylor? He Produced the Newsboys albums and wrote a lot of their early songs. Now you know.
Due to an abundance of Subjects for Today's post I missed the original Friday Deadline. I will be making up for it by having two Flashback Friday Posts this week. This Special Tuesday Edition and the normal one this Friday. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
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