It was the Best of Times, It was The Worst of Times...Sorry, but with all due respect to Charles Dickens, it has become obvious to me that Contemporary Christian Music can be bookended by two women who defined their era. It is A Tale of Two Amy's.
The Modern Era of Christian Music began with the Jesus Music Era which some have pegged as a twenty year era from 1969-1989. I would take one entire decade off because if you're honest, 1979 marked a era change in Christian Music. That was the year that a Tennessee Gal by the name of Amy Grant sang about her fathers eyes. Before then Christian Music toiled in a sort of exclusive obscurity. Yes, we have our Nancy Honeytree, our Larry Norman, and a host of others, but except for those who experienced them, most of us learned about them long after their era passed, and they became famous by reputation.
Amy Lee Grant (you can't get more political ambivalence in one name, trust me), who was born six years before I was (and is the same age as my brother) was a country girl from Georgia (dare I say a Georgia Peach) who moved to Nashville at a Child. That one song spawned a host of imitators. Suddenly everyone wanted to be Amy (at least the ladies. Guys wanted to Marry Amy and be Smitty). Thanks to Youtube, we have a live performance of My Father's Eyes from 1981.
Like I said, that launched Amy, and along with it, something called Contemporary Christian Music or CCM, and in so doing brought about the Death of The Jesus Music Era. And when you get a Dove Award for breathing (yes, Sarcasm, but when you win just about every year from 1983 on, one wonders about the integrity of the award process). Yes, I know there is Sandi Patti and Darlene Zschech out there for imitators, but it is extremely hard to do Opera. And the Zschechies? They're just creepy.
Either way CCM was in search of another savior before it disappeared into obscurity. And proof that there is a God and he has a sense of humor -- He gave the industry another Amy. This Amy didn't suit them.
Amy Lynn Lee was a 22 year old girl from Little Rock, Arkansas with a penchant for white makeup, goth clothing, and a lyrical obsession with love and death. And, worst of all, she wasn't a perfect little Christian Girl. Still, the Debut Label Release entitled Fallen (2003), was pre - ordered by Christian Bookstores everywhere. And it did fairly well. And then came the Entertainment Weekly interview, and they (I think it was Amy, but I don't know) that dropped the F-bomb and said "they weren't a Christian Band" (a Statement made by innumerable Christian Artists before and since with no repercussions). The Christian Music Industry went apoplectic and not surprisingly, went on a witch hunt. I had fallen on order with a Christian Music Mail Order Company, and it was delayed an embarrassing long time until it was finally withdrawn. I got it from Target. It was withdrawn from Christian shelves everywhere.
Amy and Evanescence laughed all the way to the bank. Christian Music Fans stayed loyal, even if the industry didn't. The Album is multiple platinum, and they introduced an obscure Christian Band from Arkansas to Mainstream Superstardom.
Christian Music has its savior, want her or not. If we are to believe Wikipedia one of her first side projects was a song on a Summit Church Worship Album. Plus she has mentored Deena Jakoub of Veridia. And Evanescence has inspired most of the Christian Rock industry today, Eowyn and LEAH immediately come to mind, but the "Evanescence Sound" of as I call it, Machine Gun Guitars, has come into bands like Demon Hunter and Red.
It really is that simple. Christian Music had its solution and missed it. But they way Christian Radio is organized, even if the industry had rallied around Amy Lee, the Radio industry is still stuck in the 80's, and that's a shame. Agree? Disagree? I am Awaiting Your Reply.
Amy Lee Grant (you can't get more political ambivalence in one name, trust me), who was born six years before I was (and is the same age as my brother) was a country girl from Georgia (dare I say a Georgia Peach) who moved to Nashville at a Child. That one song spawned a host of imitators. Suddenly everyone wanted to be Amy (at least the ladies. Guys wanted to Marry Amy and be Smitty). Thanks to Youtube, we have a live performance of My Father's Eyes from 1981.
Like I said, that launched Amy, and along with it, something called Contemporary Christian Music or CCM, and in so doing brought about the Death of The Jesus Music Era. And when you get a Dove Award for breathing (yes, Sarcasm, but when you win just about every year from 1983 on, one wonders about the integrity of the award process). Yes, I know there is Sandi Patti and Darlene Zschech out there for imitators, but it is extremely hard to do Opera. And the Zschechies? They're just creepy.
Either way CCM was in search of another savior before it disappeared into obscurity. And proof that there is a God and he has a sense of humor -- He gave the industry another Amy. This Amy didn't suit them.
Amy Lynn Lee was a 22 year old girl from Little Rock, Arkansas with a penchant for white makeup, goth clothing, and a lyrical obsession with love and death. And, worst of all, she wasn't a perfect little Christian Girl. Still, the Debut Label Release entitled Fallen (2003), was pre - ordered by Christian Bookstores everywhere. And it did fairly well. And then came the Entertainment Weekly interview, and they (I think it was Amy, but I don't know) that dropped the F-bomb and said "they weren't a Christian Band" (a Statement made by innumerable Christian Artists before and since with no repercussions). The Christian Music Industry went apoplectic and not surprisingly, went on a witch hunt. I had fallen on order with a Christian Music Mail Order Company, and it was delayed an embarrassing long time until it was finally withdrawn. I got it from Target. It was withdrawn from Christian shelves everywhere.
Amy and Evanescence laughed all the way to the bank. Christian Music Fans stayed loyal, even if the industry didn't. The Album is multiple platinum, and they introduced an obscure Christian Band from Arkansas to Mainstream Superstardom.
Christian Music has its savior, want her or not. If we are to believe Wikipedia one of her first side projects was a song on a Summit Church Worship Album. Plus she has mentored Deena Jakoub of Veridia. And Evanescence has inspired most of the Christian Rock industry today, Eowyn and LEAH immediately come to mind, but the "Evanescence Sound" of as I call it, Machine Gun Guitars, has come into bands like Demon Hunter and Red.
It really is that simple. Christian Music had its solution and missed it. But they way Christian Radio is organized, even if the industry had rallied around Amy Lee, the Radio industry is still stuck in the 80's, and that's a shame. Agree? Disagree? I am Awaiting Your Reply.
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