Tony Cummings recounts the life and times of one of American music's most multi-faceted figures, GARY S PAXTON

The rock'n'roll producer wild man didn't exactly fit in with the God-fearing folk of the country and gospel epicentre. Remembered Gary, "I'd walk along the streets, with my long blonde hair down to my waist. They were not going to let hippies come into their town in 1970. I wore boots up to my knees and wore a flag for a cape and would walk along with my songs in a paper bag. I kept going into places with my songs dressed like that, and the police kept arresting me. I became partners with Thomas Wayne [the singer who'd hit in 1959 with "Tragedy"]. He and I were going to become the next Skip & Flip, so we cut a rock and roll song 'On The Highway' but nobody put it out. He drank a lot, and we both did a lot of drugs. Thomas Wayne committed suicide. I went to his funeral and I believe God said to me, 'You'll be next if you don't change.' I was walking around for four months after, completely stoned and kept hearing this voice in my head. I was walking up and down Music Row, and there was a little Christian bookstore and a church there. It said 'Church Of Christ' on it. Don Pinto was an incredible pastor. Michael W Smith and Amy Grant went there, Amy was about 15 or 16. So I went to the church, drunk out of my mind. They said I ought to come back. So I did the next week and Rev Pinto said, 'You need to get saved. . . saved from yourself.' So I went down the front, got saved and baptised and that was the last time that I ever touched drugs or alcohol. What was weird about that was my body went into shock and I had to go into hospital."

After his dramatic conversion Paxton began writing gospel songs. But in the meantime some of his country songs he was writing began to enjoy major success. Don Gibson made "Woman (Sensuous Woman)" the number one country song in the nation and Paxton was nominated for a Grammy for Song Of The Year. Roy Clark had a number one hit with "Honeymoon Feelin'" the following year (1974). Paxton would continue to work with mainstream country music even after getting involved with gospel and contemporary Christian music. His hit list as a songwriter includes "Travelin' Light" for George Hamilton IV, "One Day At A Time" for Don Gibson, "The Great Divide" for Roy Clark, "Don't Let The Good Times Fool You" for Melba Montgomery, "Pictures On Paper" for Jeris-Ross and "If I'm Losing You" for Billy Walker.

In 1974, Paxton had his first success in gospel music when his song "L-O-V-E" won a Grammy Award for the Southern gospel group The Blackwood Brothers. More gospel hits would follow, as such traditional but big name artists as Doug Oldham, The Bill Gaither Trio, the Florida Boys and the LeFevres recorded his songs. With his background in rock and roll, a crossover to more contemporary sounds seemed inevitable and it came about appropriately through his work with the first major Southern gospel group to enter contemporary Christian music, The Imperials. CCM historian Mark Allan Powell wrote, "The Imperials' funky recording of [Paxton's song] 'No Shortage' would provide them with the best song of their career and establish their credibility with a new audience; Paxton also produced the group's landmark album for which that song served as the title track."

In 1975 Gary linked up with Nashville's Paragon Records, the label run by long time gospel music executive Bob MacKenzie. With Paragon's roster distinctly middle of the road (Ronn Huff, Bill & Gloria Gaither, Dave Boyer) the label seemed an unlikely company to associate with the still zany producer/songwriter. Yet the launch of Gary's NewPax Records proved to be a big success. The title of Gary S Paxton's album debut of 1976 really summed up the producer/songwriter and now artist/record label owner's eccentric persona. Even the cover photo of 'The Astonishing, Outrageous, Amazing, Incredible, Unbelievably Different World Of Gary S Paxton' depicted the copiously bearded Paxton poking his head out of a manhole. The album contained the folk ballad "Love, It Comes In All Colors"; a tirade against the insanities of modern civilisation and the possibilities of nuclear destruction, "Sophisticated Savages"; a song reminding believers that the highs of drug abuse were nothing compared with knowing God's Son, "Jesus Keeps Takin' Me Higher And Higher"; and an anti-smoking anthem "You Ain't Smokin' Them Cigarettes (Baby, They're Smokin' You)".

Despite the fact that 'The Astonishing, Outrageous.' album didn't get past the conservative gatekeepers of US Christian radio the album unexpectedly won Paxton his one and only Grammy Award for Best Inspirational Performance. A torrent of NewPax albums by Amplified Version, John & Kathy/Shane & Alice, Scott Wesley Brown, Mike Johnson, Austin Roberts, Sammy Hall, Madeline Manning Jackson, Deliverance and Don Francisco were all released in 1976. Don Francisco told Contemporary Christian Magazine how he had begun attending Belmont College in Nashville. He recounted, "One morning on my way to school, I drove past a church that had a 7am prayer meeting. The Lord led me to it and I found myself sitting next to Gary S Paxton - who I didn't know. Turns out I was sitting next to the only man in Nashville who was producing contemporary Christian music. For some reason, I had a demo with me of some of my recent Christian songs. He liked it and I ended up with a contract with NewPax Records."

Grandpa Rock

Don's first album 'Brother To The Son' didn't sell particularly well. But his second NewPax record changed everything. As Don said, "Nothing much really changed until my second album, 'He's Alive', was released. Then everything happened at once. 'He's Alive' has an interesting history. I'd spent such a long time in rebellion against both my parents and God that even though I knew I was saved, I didn't know if I was forgiven - really forgiven - in spite of all of the good teaching I was getting to the contrary. I was carrying around an incredible amount of guilt. . . Peter was always someone I'd identified with. Many of the stories of Jesus, Peter actually witnessed. He was just an ordinary guy who was filled up with the power of God. As I wrote 'He's Alive' I became personally involved because if anybody needed forgiveness - besides me - it was Peter. He committed about the worst kind of sin a guy could commit.

"When I performed the song for [wife] Karen for the first time, it stopped after 'Every fear I'd ever had just melted into peace'. But she said it wasn't finished yet. This was after I'd spent weeks cutting verses and polishing the music and the phrasings. 'What do you mean it isn't finished yet?' I screamed. I didn't want to hear that. But the Lord had spoken through Karen. Eventually, I went back and saw that she was right and I added what became the present chorus and ending. When I did, I played it for her in the bedroom again. I can still remember jumping up and down on the bed because I knew I had been set free as well."

With Gary's dramatic arrangement bringing out the full impact of the narrative song, and a surging climatic chorus of "He's alive, yes he's alive/He's alive and I'm forgiven/Heaven's gate are open wide" the song, on Francisco's 'Forgiven' album, went to number one on America's Christian radio chart where it stayed for a phenomenal 14 weeks.

NewPax releases continued to flow. Over the next two years the label released albums by Francisco, Sammy Hall, Truth, Mike Johnson and Tammy Faye Bakker, plus more of Gary's left-of-centre albums. 'More From The Astonishing, Outrageous, Amazing, Incredible, Unbelievably Different World Of Gary S Paxton' was released in 1977. Like its predecessor it contained some attention-grabbing songs like "Jesus Is My Lawyer In Heaven" and "The World Didn't Give It To Me (And The World Can't Take It Away)". But possibly the best cut is a little meditation on mortality called "When The Meat Wagon Comes For You". Gary's next release as an artist was 'Anchored In The Rock Of Ages' on Pax Records. It produced a minor Christian radio hit with its title track. On 'Terminally Weird But Godly Right' (also released in 1978) Paxton asked the musical question "Will There Be Hippies In Heaven?" He also offered the provocative "Fat, Fat Christian" and a powerful anti-abortion song called "The Big A = The Big M", along with a reading of the traditional hymn "Blessed Assurance". In 1979 Paxton produced twin surprises: 'The Gospel According To Gary S Paxton' by The Gary Paxton Singers featuring a choir singing medleys of his better known songs; and the album 'Gary Sanford Paxton' which opened with a track called "Ain't Gonna Sing No Rock And Roll Song Tonight" and then featured Paxton singing a number of classic hymns, including Thomas Dorsey's "Peace In The Valley" and "Precious Lord (Take My Hand)".

Then on 29th December 1980 a set of events occurred which when spoken about by the producer/songwriter/artist are often summarised with the attention-grabbing phrase "the day that I died." It began when two men turned up at Paxton's home and requested help with their automobile. Paxton later reported that "a strong word from the Lord" told him something was wrong and he placed a pistol in his pocket before leaving the house. He would never get a chance to use it. Once inside Paxton's van (ostensibly so he could drive the men to their car), the pair attacked the singer, striking and choking him. He maintains that he shouted repeatedly, "In the name of Jesus, you cannot kill me!" Gary's collarbone and shoulder were broken and his right eye split open, blinding him with blood. One of the assailants had a gun and shot Paxton in the hand. Gary then managed to turn that gun around and pull the trigger, shooting the man who held it. Escaping from the van, Paxton tried crawling for help but was shot twice more in the back. Neighbours secured aid and that assailant he had wounded was arrested.

Paxton was rushed to hospital but before he lost consciousness with the last of his strength Paxton told God that he forgave the men. "I died twice in the operating room. But God sent me back. I'm here because Jesus forgives, so I forgave."

The two men who had tried to kill Paxton had in fact been hired by Vern Gosdin, the country star for whom Gary had written a string of hits and who wanted out of his contract. While convalescing after the attack another of Paxton's ill-judged business partnerships went pear-shaped. Gary explained, "While I was in the hospital, my partner in the recording studio embezzled me out of $500,000. He was a banker who took everything away from me. I wound up living in an old house (that I had bought through my publishing company, called Raise Your Name) with no electricity, no heat and no light for two years; sleeping in a sleeping bag on a concrete floor. I still forgave all of them. The only way you can start over is to forgive. I said that someday this will be over and Jesus said, 'You got me.' It made me think, look what Jesus went through. I don't just mean the cross, which was unbelievable, but look at what he went through before that: the rejection; being made fun of; being spat on. Here's the man who created the world. And he forgave everybody. If he could forgive everybody, that's the least I can do."

Later in the decade the highly publicised fall of tele-evangelist Jim Bakker led to Gary being named by the Washington Post and other media as having had an adulterous affair with Bakker's gospel singing wife Tammy Faye Bakker, Paxton having produced a couple of Tammy Faye's albums. Commented Gary, "It was all lies. I did not have any kind of relationship whatsoever. I was her friend. She depended on me because a lot of the things going on at PTL all fell apart. I encouraged her. I never touched her, nor had anything to do with her. She had an emotional attachment to me. Everyone took that as if maybe we were sleeping together. Then they went out and started reporting that. It was all lies. Before she died, she wrote in her book that we did not have an affair. Jim [Bakker] wrote in his book that we did not have an affair. The Washington Post were just being told lies. That means they were not to blame. I don't hold anybody responsible."

Paxton left Nashville and relocated to Branson, Missouri with his fourth wife, Vicki Sue Roberts in 1999. There, despite suffering from hepatitis C, he has, amazingly, continued to turn out gospel and mainstream releases under the Garpax Branson imprint. They include releases by artists in an amazing variety of styles. There's an album 'Touched By His Hand' by Gloria Elliott, an inspirational singer who has recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra; re-issues of Paxton's 'Astonishing, Outrageous.', 'More Astonishing. . .' and 'Terminally Weird But Godly Right' albums plus a head-spinning compilation 'The Adventures Of Dr Redempto Alias Gary S Paxton Crainially Presents The Wordologist Series Vol 1'; an album by inspirational singer Kevin Shorey; a single by a still gigging Comets (of Bill Haley fame); and an album by Al Brumley Jr whose father Albert Brumley penned "I'll Fly Away", one of the most recorded gospel songs of all time. Gary spoke about working with Al Brumley Jr. "He was a friend of mine. I produced him in Bakersfield, Hollywood and Nashville. We're both up here in Branson now. One day, we were sitting round the front room. He said that he'd like to cut 'I'll Fly Away' and bring it up to date. A friend of mine named Jim Lust said we ought to do it in Spanish. I got Tony Melendez, who's this amazing guy who has no arms and who plays guitar with his feet. I had him translate 'I'll Fly Away' into Spanish. We did an English version, a Spanish version and a bilingual version. It's the most recorded country gospel song in history - over two thousand times - yet it's never been done in any foreign language, which is hard to believe. I give a lot of credit to Michael W Davis - he was my programmer and music conductor; and my daughter, Debra Lynn Paxton, and her vocal group, who did all the backing singing. Anyway, we had a lot of fun doing that."