Chuck Girard: Once A CCM Pioneer, He Still Has A Powerful Ministry

Saturday 28th October 2006

Mike Rimmer spoke at length to CHUCK GIRARD about his music ministry since the disbandment of Love Song.



Continued from page 1

The challenge was then to work out how to bring these musical and spiritual experiences into the realms of the concert setting. "In the beginning it was very scary," he admits, "because I got into some very intimate places with God through these personal experiences. In those days I didn't know the difference between what was really palatable for the public. It was like discovering the communion of making physical love with your wife. Well, what's appropriate in the bedroom is not appropriate in the living room in front of the kids. I hadn't made that distinction yet. So I did some pretty weird things with tongues and all that in public settings. Then pretty soon I learned how to pull it back and get it into a context where people could enjoy it and also perhaps respond to it. So that was the beginning of that whole era for me."

The Lamar Boschman book Rebirth Of Music helped Girard understand that there were now others exploring this new direction. "Little by little," he says, "I began to realise this wasn't something God was doing exclusively with me. Then I also began to get connected with other people, like Lamar Boschman and the worship symposium in Pasadena, and began to see there was this whole movement going on in worship. That was the beginning of something that now has resulted in Maranatha! Music, and now Hosanna, Hillsong and all that. All moving in the direction of what is being produced today, where we have all this freedom in worship and new ideas in the Church. Compared to when I first became a Christian. So it was all a whole pioneering thing again. Almost like when I was starting with the rock'n'roll in the Church. It was this whole brand new thing. I just hit on it by accident and the Lord drew me into it. So for me it was kind of cool because I didn't catch it from someone else, I caught it from the Lord."

Looking back, what does Girard think of his solo output? Which album best captures him? He responds, "It's impossible to designate one album as my best work. I believe in each album I'm working on at the time as if it's my best. You choose each song because you think it has something unique and special to offer. When you are done with an album, you have gone through a learning curve, and that maturity is hopefully applied to the next one. My albums are all quite different from each other. The first one, 'Chuck Girard' was my 'crossover' album, my jump from group to solo identity. It was purposely safe lyrically, and somewhat mellow musically. 'Glow In The Dark' had edgier lyrics and was a little more rocking. 'Written On The Wind' was my attempt to be more artsy. 'Take It Easy' (1979) was, again, kind of safe because you don't want to alienate your core audience by always changing up too much. And fun is good. 'The Stand' (1980) was my biggest flop, because the record company hated it and wouldn't properly promote it. It was my most controversial album as it dealt with subject matter unfriendly to the Christian safety zone: failure, compromise, backsliding, etc.

He continues, 'Name Above All Names' (1983) was my first album specifically targeted to the Church. It was very prophetic and spiritually edgy. 'Fire & Light' (1991) was a little more like my '70s work and contained my first attempts at writing worship and praise oriented material. 'Voice Of The Wind' was a blatant worship album, not a praise album, recorded live and later embellished musically. If I had to pick one I would pick 'Voice Of The Wind'. Because it was recorded live it contains my best vocals and is very anointed.

Having been involved in contemporary Christian music before there was an industry marketing the music and radio stations playing it, how does Girard view the current state of the industry? He's in a unique place to offer insights since his daughter Alisa was a member of the girl group ZOEgirl. "It is a bittersweet thing," he reflects. "There is much about today's industry that lacks the foundational innocence and purity of the first days, but on the other hand, in some ways the influence is being felt in a much greater way. Problem is, the influence isn't being used very well. So it's a two-edged sword. I miss the commitment to ministry that we had in the early days. And the zeal for soul-winning. In short, the very word you use to designate it as an 'industry' is the most telling thing about it. Even though there is an industry involved with books, music, etc, you don't speak of a preacher being in the 'preaching industry'. To be clear, I don't think the biggest problem is with the musicians, but more with the business side of things. However, with the internet, the paradigm for the delivery of music is rapidly changing, and there will be a lot more room for young artists to be found who can't even get a meeting with a record company right now. That is the most hopeful thing to me today, that the industry as we know it could soon be obsolete. Anyhow, I hold out hope that there will still be a real revival among music people, and a return to some of the earlier values."

When it comes to contemporary artists, there are a few that have caught Chuck's attention. "I am watching Mat Kearney," he confesses. "He is a great talent and I think there are great songs in him. Mutemath is a group I am watching, and though not really current, I think Phil Keaggy's album 'Inseparable' is the best album I've heard in many years. As a parent and a fan, I am also very interested in the evolution of my daughter Alisa's music. Time will tell, but there's so much more there than has been realised through ZOEgirl, and I'm interested to see where things will go from here."

Although based on the west coast for much of his life, Girard moved to Nashville a couple of years ago and continues to work day by day at his music. He tells me about his schedule, "Day by day only occurs when I am home for more than a week. If I'm home for only a few days in between travelling, my time is spent doing 'damage control', making sure that bank accounts won't bounce, that house repairs are made, that email is answered, orders are filled, etc. This usually takes about three or four days. If I don't have to go out again right away, I get a little down time to just veg, Bible time, or work on music."

Recently a DVD was filmed of Girard in concert in Australia. It's a project which is still a work in progress. He explains, "My friend who has been bringing me into Australia the past few years, felt that my ministry needed to get out to a wider audience. He came up with the theme of doing a 'Worship and Warfare' concert, and to do a top quality DVD shoot. He put together a string quartet, a great band and a group of singers and other musicians, and we had a great night. Rehearsal was minimal for such a huge undertaking, so there were a lot of miscues and other errors which will have to be fixed in post-production. The audio session files are being sent to me, and I will do the majority of the patching and editing. We will have to do some post-production in Australia, but hopefully, we will have it out sometime this year. This DVD isn't a representation of my overall work, but a specific area. Spiritual warfare and the triumph of God over the Devil partly through the worship of God's people is the theme."

Chuck has been writing, recording and performing music for over 40 years now. How motivated does he feel these days to continue to do so? "Well, in my latter years here, I'm less motivated than I was 20 years ago," he says honestly, "but partly because the outlet for my music is somewhat diminished. It is not particularly inspiring to realise that you could write 200 songs and they may never see the light of day. I have about two albums' worth of current material. For me, as with young unknown artists, much of my hope for the future lies in the internet, iTunes, Napster, etc. I also find that I have less time to write as I'm travelling so much. I have never been a prolific writer, and go for periods of time when I don't write at all. Some call it 'writer's block', but I just think it's when God has nothing to say through me. When he does, the faucet turns on, and I'll churn out songs pretty quickly in that season."

As for future recordings, he's been planning a follow-up album to the 'Voice Of The Wind' recording for some time and holds his hands up to admit the delay has been too long. "I am way overdue on finishing it," he admits. "The live recordings were done about five years ago, and much of the post-production, adding instruments and voices, etc, has been delayed as we have been upgrading my recording situation, and moving to Nashville a couple of years ago. My music room is almost up to speed, and then I will be able to finish editing and mixing. After that, I have a bunch of songs long overdue for recording, which will go on my first studio album using live musicians since 1991's 'Fire & Light'. I have met a bunch of great musicians here in Nashville and am looking forward to getting a really new sound for me. After that, I don't know what the musical future holds. The DVD will also take a fair amount of time and effort, so my plate will be full for the next year or two.

The time of our chat is quickly coming to an end. We walk down to the hotel lobby together. All around us, the hotel is packed with the beautiful people of the Christian music industry, signed artists, record company personnel and wannabe artists all mix together as we head through the hotel's entrance out into the sunshine. There was a time when he was one of the most influential artists around but today he moves through the lobby without a flicker of recognition from the bright young things we pass. Girard's last words in our interview echo in my head as we shake hands and say goodbye.

"I would like to see the musicians that have 'stayed the course' and remained faithful to their call have a fresh voice into this generation. There is a lot of wisdom and insight that comes with the journey. This is not a call to rejuvenate a career, but give an ear to what the Spirit might say through those who have walked this road a long time. Only God can open that door and that is as it should be."

I pray it will happen for Girard. He's been through such a lot and yet his passion for God is undiminished. With years of listening to the voice of God and a commitment to ministry that continues to this day, his is a voice that needs to be heard in today's industry. CR

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.
 
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Reader Comments

Posted by mieke Brunt in Australia @ 03:30 on Dec 7 2013

Love voice in the wind, touches me so deely, like to hear more ......ALMS



Posted by Ian Morris in Vancouver @ 10:50 on Apr 18 2009

I heard Love Song in Chicago and several times here in Vancouver and always enjoyed them. But now I have to say that though there are many cds that are full of great praise music... Voice in the Wind has been the BEST album/CD to lead a person into worship that I have discovered, especially for anyone going through rough times, divorce, separation, grief, mourning or for those who have lost their focus - that WORSHIPPING the LORD JESUS CHRIST is what life is all about! Thanks so much Chuck and to your wife and family for sharing you with us!



Posted by Joy Joseph in smithers @ 17:10 on Sep 24 2007

you know what Chuck Girard God loves u



Posted by konique jones in england uk @ 21:38 on Aug 20 2007

Hi just to say that i love chuck Girard music since i was a child but i only have his music on tape and it would be nice if i could have it on cd, the tape are getting worn out now. i tryed my local christian book shop but they didnt have any, so i wondered were i could get a copy.



Posted by chipK in England @ 10:17 on Nov 24 2006

Yo Rimmer! Great article, I totally agree with Father Chuck. The youngins gotta learn from the oldies! I was hugely impacted by Chuck at a worship symposium in Pasadena. He started whisteling spontaneously, and it sounds strange to say it, but it was so anointed that I went down to the altar and cried my eyes out.



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