Welcome to our new series on the Legends of CCM, where we will highlight some of the artists who changed the face of Christian Music. We call them Legendary. We begin "In The Beginning". No, not that beginning. For our purposes we will begin at 1973. That is when our first band was founded.
Never mind Legends, the siblings Matthew Ward, Annie (Ward) Herring, and Nelly (Ward) Greisen could almost be called the Fathers of Christian Music. Before they arrived on the scene Christian Music was pretty tame. By today's standards it was still tame even after they arrived. But by 70's standards, they were our first "Rock Band".
Legends make you do crazy things. Or in my case make my parents do crazy things. We drove 4 hours one way from Cape Cod to Augusta, Maine, attended the concert, and then drove 4 hours home. Not even sure if we stopped to eat. Maybe we packed an ice cooler. And it was in the 70's with a Honda Civic, so maybe we can add another 2 hours to the drive. A 12+ hour event.
They may fail the legend test on longevity. Officially they broke up in 1988, but by then the industry had moved on. At their height there was none more popular. But influence, just say Easter Song and wait. Some may not know that Annie Herring wrote the song, but they know the song. It is one of five Classic Songs ever one knows.
So we begin. Welcome to the legends of CCM. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
