Recently in Christian music history Category

The nominations for the 2009 American Music Awards were announced today, and Jeremy Camp, Brandon Heath and Mary Mary were all nominated for Favorite Contemporary Inspirational Artist.

Mary Mary was also nominated for Favorite Soul/R&B Band, Duo or Group, along with The Black Eyed Peas and Day26.

For the third year in a row, fans determine the winners of the AMAs. You can cast your vote by visiting the American Music Awards voting website.

The live broadcast of the 36th Annual American Music Awards will take place at the NOKIA Theatre L.A. live on Sunday, November 22nd (8:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT) on ABC.

For a complete list of nominees, visit the American Music Awards website.

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It was one year ago today that Christian music legend Larry Norman passed away from heart related problems.

From his biography:

Norman was an eccentric visionary whose songs drew controversy from both the conservative religious establishment and the secular music press for his lyrical mix of radical religious, political, and social themes. His 1969 solo album Upon This Rock was the first Christian rock record, and his milestone 1972 release Only Visiting This Planet is considered one of the best albums in the genre. His music was an influence on such diverse artists as U2, John Mellencamp, and the Pixies.

I think it's fair to say that Larry Norman is the father of Christian music. So, in his honor, here is his iconic Christian music song, "Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music." What's your favorite Larry Norman song or moment?

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I have to confess that I'm not up on the Christian music scene of the 80s and 90s. Back then, I was listening to The Bee Gees, Michael Jackson, and other mainstream pop music. I didn't even know there was a Christian music industry until about 10 years ago, and after I spent a year or two learning about it, I've spent the last several years trying desperately to get out. (That's a joke ... sort of ...)

So I confess that when someone starts talking about obscure bands with spiritual ties from the 80s or 90s, or bands from that era that were Christian but on the fringe of the industry, I'm at a loss.

Well, for those of you who are more up on classic Christian music than I am, there's a new ezine for you, Down The Line.

Last Sunday, as he was preparing to leave for a concert in Wyoming, Country Gospel music artist and songwriter Ray Overholt passed away. He was 84-years-old.

Well-known first in the Michigan area, Overholt was one of the area's first singing cowboys, entertaining kids each weekday morning with his show, "Ray's Roundup." Overholt would play his guitar and sing, while his sidekick Shorty would spin some tall tales.

Overholt was active in gospel "hillbilly" music for years before he wrote one of his signature songs, "Ten Thousand Angels," which changed his life.

Last week I shared a couple of really cheesy videos making the rounds on the internet, and pointed out that one of them, "The Renewed Mind Is The Key," was a real performance from 2007.

Today I found out that the "Jesus Is My Friend" video is from a real band called Sonseed, and they released an album in the 80s.

Good grief.

If you head over to BoingBoing.net, you can actually find a link to download Sonseed's 1983 album, First Fruit.