King Of Hearts
Note: I've moved my blog to my own web site - the new address is:
www.nonaverage.net/insomanywords/
Comments can only be left at the new location.
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In the early 70s I was living in Southern California playing bass guitar in a little-known Christian band called Crossfire. Our band did cover songs from several well-known Christian bands of the time including several songs by a band called Love Song. At the time, Love Song was a premier “Jesus Music” group and was probably at the height of their popularity, so we were disappointed when, in 1974, we learned that the band had broken up. However, in 1976 Love Song went out on a reunion tour, and in March of that year my friend Mark and I went to see their show in Santa Monica, Ca. Sitting in the auditorium waiting for the show, we were primed to see Love Song and a bit impatient, so we were a little disappointed when the show started and out walked an opening act. It was a guy - a tall, skinny geeky-looking guy with thin-rimmed glasses and long, curly blond hair, wearing skin-tight blue jeans that had multi-colored patches randomly attached, and topped off with a blue t-shirt that had a yellow Superman emblem on the front. Mark and I glanced at each other and grimaced, and I said something like “Let’s hope this guy’s set is short so we can get to the real music”. The skinny geek had a nice Martin guitar (a D-28, I believe) strapped around his neck, and he stepped up to the mic amid scattered laughing and started his first song. Right away we realized that the geeky guy could play guitar well, and his Martin sounded pretty awesome. Then he started singing - he had a nice voice and he could really hit the high notes. His songs were very good, and in between songs he made comments and told stories that had the audience laughing hysterically. So after the concert Mark and I headed straight to the lobby and bought the geeky guy’s record album, Welcome to Paradise. I still own that record, and after all these years I’m still listening to, and enjoying, the music of that guy, Randy Stonehill, who turned out to be not so geeky after all.
Several years ago I had the pleasure of playing with Randy. He came to our church for a concert, and our pastor asked him to play “King Of Hearts” with our church’s worship team (I was the bass player). Several months later Randy came back for another concert and asked if our band would play with him again, this time for several songs and also at another concert at a second church. Quite a thrill for a long-time fan like me! Now, I’m not wanting to sound syrupy or gushy, but meeting Randy and hanging out with him really caused me to respect him more than ever. Again and again I saw him interact with his fans, always being patient and treating them with compassion and respect, always stopping to listen and spend time with them. One particular encounter I remember was after a Sunday morning service. Randy had just finished playing and was in the lobby alone at his merchandise table when a man approached. The man started mouthing words and moving his hands - he was deaf, but he was able to communicate to Randy that he wanted Randy to wait in the lobby. The man left, then returned a few minutes later with a friend who knew sign language. Randy took the two of them out to a small, umbrella covered table in the courtyard and sat with them for a half hour or more while the deaf man, through his translator, asked questions and “talked” with Randy. I think I will always remember that image of Randy sitting with them in the courtyard… that’s what I think of when I think about Randy, which I suppose might please Randy more than thinking about that skinny geeky guy in the Superman shirt.
www.nonaverage.net/insomanywords/
Comments can only be left at the new location.
*********************************************************
In the early 70s I was living in Southern California playing bass guitar in a little-known Christian band called Crossfire. Our band did cover songs from several well-known Christian bands of the time including several songs by a band called Love Song. At the time, Love Song was a premier “Jesus Music” group and was probably at the height of their popularity, so we were disappointed when, in 1974, we learned that the band had broken up. However, in 1976 Love Song went out on a reunion tour, and in March of that year my friend Mark and I went to see their show in Santa Monica, Ca. Sitting in the auditorium waiting for the show, we were primed to see Love Song and a bit impatient, so we were a little disappointed when the show started and out walked an opening act. It was a guy - a tall, skinny geeky-looking guy with thin-rimmed glasses and long, curly blond hair, wearing skin-tight blue jeans that had multi-colored patches randomly attached, and topped off with a blue t-shirt that had a yellow Superman emblem on the front. Mark and I glanced at each other and grimaced, and I said something like “Let’s hope this guy’s set is short so we can get to the real music”. The skinny geek had a nice Martin guitar (a D-28, I believe) strapped around his neck, and he stepped up to the mic amid scattered laughing and started his first song. Right away we realized that the geeky guy could play guitar well, and his Martin sounded pretty awesome. Then he started singing - he had a nice voice and he could really hit the high notes. His songs were very good, and in between songs he made comments and told stories that had the audience laughing hysterically. So after the concert Mark and I headed straight to the lobby and bought the geeky guy’s record album, Welcome to Paradise. I still own that record, and after all these years I’m still listening to, and enjoying, the music of that guy, Randy Stonehill, who turned out to be not so geeky after all.
Several years ago I had the pleasure of playing with Randy. He came to our church for a concert, and our pastor asked him to play “King Of Hearts” with our church’s worship team (I was the bass player). Several months later Randy came back for another concert and asked if our band would play with him again, this time for several songs and also at another concert at a second church. Quite a thrill for a long-time fan like me! Now, I’m not wanting to sound syrupy or gushy, but meeting Randy and hanging out with him really caused me to respect him more than ever. Again and again I saw him interact with his fans, always being patient and treating them with compassion and respect, always stopping to listen and spend time with them. One particular encounter I remember was after a Sunday morning service. Randy had just finished playing and was in the lobby alone at his merchandise table when a man approached. The man started mouthing words and moving his hands - he was deaf, but he was able to communicate to Randy that he wanted Randy to wait in the lobby. The man left, then returned a few minutes later with a friend who knew sign language. Randy took the two of them out to a small, umbrella covered table in the courtyard and sat with them for a half hour or more while the deaf man, through his translator, asked questions and “talked” with Randy. I think I will always remember that image of Randy sitting with them in the courtyard… that’s what I think of when I think about Randy, which I suppose might please Randy more than thinking about that skinny geeky guy in the Superman shirt.
Labels: CCM, Christian music, Randy Stonehill
posted by Ruben at
1:45 PM
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