Hail the Voice of A Definitive Gospel Master, Andrae Crouch
buzzz worthy. . .
By Mona Austin
A lifetime of Dyslexia could not stop gospel great from reaching 40 year career
anniversary
The following interview is being reprinted in honor of the legacy of the late Pastor Andrae Crouch.
Crouch discussed having an enlarged heart and a history of congestive heart failure when we spoke. The seven time Grammy winner and Hollywood Walk of Fame Star recipient suffered with various ailments for years including cancer and diabetes which took him off the national scene for many years. Just days before his death he'd suffered a heart attack which was ultimately the cause of his death.
In 2006 Crouch returned to recording and released "Mighty Wind," which was more of a tribute project with minimal vocal contribution from him.
A San Francisco native who grew up in the strict Church of God in Christ tradition, Crouch wrote "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power," his first hymn at age 14. By 1960, he had formed the Church of God in Christ Singers, a group that featured Billy Preston on keyboards. He started another group, Andraé Crouch & the Disciples, in 1965, eventually signing to a contemporary Christian label, Light Records. Crouch brought a contemporary pop and R&B melodic sensibility to gospel, making him uniquely suited to appeal to both black and white audiences during the early days of the countercultural "Jesus movement" and also bringing him attention beyond the church.
What does one say to appropriately encapsulate the prodigious work of a mater? work of but a glimpse of Crouch's attitude and reverence toward God, life and music.
We scheduled an "interview" for the article, but ended up having a conversation, really. Mr. Crouch was easy to talk to and gracious with his time. Our time together was endearing and I will always treasure it.
Sadly, he passed away from a heart attack on January 8, 2015. By Mona Austin
When I answer the phone, the thick voice that returns my greeting
belongs to Andrae Crouch. His "Hello Mona" is warm, yet it carries a
heavier rasp than in years before. He said he never liked the sound of his
voice, but it is that natural instrument that gave him renown. I’m glad
to hear it and immediately want to know how he is feeling these days.
Within the past six to eight years polyps were discovered on his
throat, cancer treatments diminished his wellness and heart disease
compromised his respiration. But, the completion of the album of a
lifetime and his deeply engaging conversation assures that Crouch is
fine now.
An instant classic. That’s what the well oiled musical machine
known the world over as the father of modern-day gospel music generates
with "Mighty Wind". The just released project is a popped cork to a full
serving of old and new music that completes his 40 years as a musical
ambassador and innovator.
A near extinction, Andrae Crouch is a living hymn writer. His
first hymn, "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power" was published when he
was just 14 years old. The protégé has been a musician since he was
nine. Countless other well-loved church songs have flowed from his pen
including: "Through It All; Jesus is the Answer";" "It Won’t Be Long;"
"Take Me Back;" My Tribute" (To God Be The Glory); "Soon & Very Soon",
"Bless the Lord (Oh My Soul)" to name a few. Crouch has blessed
Hollywood with his musical genius as well, as the composer of the "God
is Trying To Tell You Something" from The Color Purple and the theme
song from the hit sitcom "Amen."
His list of accolades reads like a tenured professor’s resume;
yet, the living legend was denied full creative control when he
approached several major record labels to entrée the new CD. Undeterred,
for the first time in his career, he financed the entire "Mighty Wind"
recording. The project was complete with all of Crouch’s special touches
when he approached Verity Records. Giving due honor, Verity Records
welcomed the partnership, topping it off with both a solo recording
pact, a production agreement and his own custom imprint, Slave Records,
with a name that references the gospel injunction to be a slave of
Christ according to his Publicist, Jalila Larusel.
In the new millennium Crouch melds the prolific and simple as a
lyricist. Masterfully produced orchestration and instrumentation on
"Mighty Wind" is excellence continued and the perfect explanation of why
Crouch is Gospel defined. Many artists who were influenced by Pastor
Crouch have won his respect and join him on the project: Fred Hammond,
Tata Vega, Crystal Lewis, and Karen Clark Sheard and others.
Touched by God, he is one of the most accomplished musicians
internationally, despite having Dyslexia, a learning disability he has
never overcome. But the battles in life he has won have been numerous.
By the end of this story, you will understand why Pastor Andrae Crouch
has "learned to trust in Jesus through it all."
Mona Austin: What was the reason for your last bought with illness?
Andrae Crouch: The doctors said it’s because of my schedule. To me
that’s a big griffin.
MA: Are you traveling much? The last time I heard about an appearance it
was for TBN?
AC: Yeah. It was recorded at the church. I put on about a 100,000 miles( I
mean that’s without a new record) a year with just short trips.
MA: I know you were having some physical challenges. How are you feeling
today?
AC: I’m doing fine I looked at my schedule a few years ago when I was on
the road all the time and I had played 315 dates in one year and I said
‘you know what’? If I had of kept that schedule I would have been dead
by now. The fact that I pastor a church really slowed my body down so
that I would get rest. If I would have continued to do that I wouldn’t
have been be around. It’s literally stupid to do that much. . . .God
took it and gave me strength.
MA: Are you in the process of recovery or fully healed?
AC: Oh yeah, I’m fine. I just gotta take the right vitamins. It’s not
damage or anything like that. It’s just that I was going too much.
MA: So was it basically a physical deterioration? Did they diagnose you
with anything in particular or you were just fatigued?
AC: I could have had something seriously wrong with my heart you
know…because they said that I had congestive heart failure and then I
had an issue--my brother died of cancer, my mother died of cancer and my
father died of cancer--and so it was like in the blood and I’ve been
talking about how God can touch your body and heal you. I had to put it
into practice. And I said the buck stops here because he afflicted me
with several kinds of cancer and God healed me of them all.
MA: Thank God for that. What year was it that you first became ill?
AC: Most of those times were in the past six years. And then I had
congestive heart failure. I used tothink that congestive heart failure was
a heart attack. But what it is, is that you could have a heart attack.
(He explains how CHF occurs.) I didn’t know all that was going on with
me. One morning I woke up and I didn’t even know my name I’d just been
to church 3 hours prior to that and it was early Monday after being in
church all Sunday. But they told me about my enlarged heart and things
like that . . .I was feeling okay and I didn’t know it was as serious as
it was.
MA: That must have been a very frightening experience.
AC: Of course, especially when you hear words like that: Congestive
Heart Failure. I’m thinking my heart’s going to stop. . .you literally
drown from your water intake if it doesn’t get released and salt causes
that water to stay in your body. . .It’s almost like somebody has their
hands around your neck and your body starts kickin’…
MA: Were any of those things going on that Monday morning when you were
a little disoriented?
AC: I just couldn’t breath. It’s the worst thing in the world because
you feel very claustrophobic (gasping) like being in a box and your
hands and feet are tied and you can’t get out and you see someone
closing the door.
MA: Wow. Coming out of this—it’s a wonder that you’re able to relay this
testimony. I’m almost sure that has something to do with why you chose
"Mighty Wind" as the title of your new album. . .
AC: Yes. See wind is something. . .I think I named it "Mighty Wind"
because wind can blow a little piece of hay out of a baby’s eye. It can
blow through a bunch of trees and you think you hear a melody and yet it
can blow hard enough to topple a truck or blow the roof off of the
house. And yet, it’s the wind that blows through our hair and cools us
off. And so God’s wind is mighty and he knows just exactly what we need.
. . .that same wind that just blew away a community can still sooth us
if new need it. And so, being that God’s Spirit is so powerful and He’s
all knowing, he knows everything we need.
MA: When people experience things that threaten their lives their faith
can be challenged and you have an extraordinary relationship with God as
a pastor and music minister. Was your faith challenged in the same
way anybody else’s faith would have been challenged?
AC: I think so. We’re not exempt from anything that would happen to our
parishioners and sometimes God allows us to go through things at first
so we can really say ‘hey guys this works.’ If God brought me through
and He says that He has no favorites. It’s just us trusting him and
knowing, not just that He can do it, but He will do it. . .So what is
meant for bad from negative powers, God can turn it around and make it
for good.
MA: Absolutely. What inspired you to select the songs for your new
project?
AC: It was just there. I’m writing more today than I have in my whole
life. . .This album is not an array for people and their skills for them
to do acrobatics and a way to twist their voices around.
My father used to tell me (and he wasn’t a musician or singer), ‘Andrae.
. .make the melody so that a truck driver can sing it.’ Every song on
that album, if that was the last song you heard, you would be whistling
it or humming it….God told me this is what I want you to do.
Everybody is using the term worship and praise music. Seems like we’ve
made a formula on how to praise God and God says, ‘I’m more than that I
don’t want that.’ To me that’s what He does.
MA: So how then would you categorize your music? Would you just call it
Gospel music?
AC: Oh yeah, but sometimes I think God gets buffet worship and thank
yous. Like ‘love ya!’ It’s like when you tell your friends ‘love ya!’
and we can care less. We don’t even realize we said it. But it’s like
when you say, ‘I’ve got to go now, but I want you to know I really
appreciate you being my friend cus I really do love you.’ That’s really
different than, "love ya!" . . .I just really wanted on this record to
tell Him how much I brag about Him to other people and to Him.
MA: And what did you want the listener to get from the album? What’s
your overall message with all the songs?
AC: The strange thing is I have a song that says ‘all because of Jesus
we are here’…it’s like we’re bragging on him… and we realize we have
this time together.
MA: You resurrected most of the songs—mostly remakes. You were doing
what you do almost 10 years before I was born so I remember as a child
Andrae and Sandra Crouch and how beautiful the music was. And one of the
things that stood out to me when I heard the song with Crystal Lewis (We
Give You Glory) was the flute. I think for me your music was one of the
first forms of gospel music where I heard the flute and orchestral type
arrangements.
AC: You know what’s funny? When I first got the gift of music, my father
prayed for me. . .he exposed us to classical music and I hadn’t a clue
that it was sticking to me. . . . I used to love the violin and tympani
drums and the swells in the music…I didn’t realize I was imitating
different styles. . . didn’t even know what the instruments were or what
they looked like.
See I was born with Dyslexia and have never been able to read music.
MA: (Confirming what I thought I heard.) Have you been able to overcome
that and have you ever read music?
AC: No.
MA: Wow, that’s a miracle in itself.
AC:. . .when I look at those lines it floats in the air and I used to
cry because I couldn’t get it. I used to say, ‘Momma those lines won’t
come down.’ (Discusses with a hint of sadness.)
MA: So you’re able to read, but you have to do it line-by-line according
to a color code?
AC: Yes.
MA: Did you teach yourself that.
AC: Yeah.
MA: That’s amazing!
AC:. . .there were people who would extract certain sections from Bach
and I would remember them.
(I tell him what an honor it is the speak to him since seeing him for
the first time at the Stellars.)
AC: You know when we go to the Stellar Awards you really see a place
where you can fit in and mentor some of these kids and young adults.
Their voices are totally incredible, but they don’t have no brains some
of them.
MA: What does that mean? What do you think they’re lacking?
AC: It means what their shooting for is not what they should be shooting
for and that’s not the way you get there…I saw some girls were showing
their navel. When you’re in Christ , some things we just don’t do
because of our position. You don’t want to distract anybody from what
you say by the way you look because you’ve taken the position where God
can really use you. But, they’re not listening to you until the third
song because their trying to get over you. I don’t think we should do
anything that distracts from why we’re up there or else what you have
will be very short lived.
MA: The hugest debate today is Hip Hop music and can it really convey
who God is because it’s so similar to the stylings of secular music. Do
you think that type of music is distracting or what is your position on
Holy Hip Hop?
AC: I’ve never—never ever wanted to label my thing for God from anything
in the world because the Bible says all good and perfect gifts come from
Him. So why would I even have to use the word Hip Hop?. . .Every father
wants his son to be like him and every woman feels happy when her
daughter looks like her. And I do know that God wants us to look like
Him and represent Him everywhere we go. . .I’m not against the style,
but I heard a guy on NBC and it wasn’t a religious program, but her
said, ‘Humph, seems like the so called world is affecting the church
more than the church is affecting the world.’ Ooh that hit me like a ton
of bricks and I said that’s just not ‘gon fly with me.
When you think about it, Motown had a lot of success when they named
their groups almost religious names (Smokie Robinson and the Miracles,
The Supremes, Stevie Wonder.)
MA: That is so true. I’ve never thought about that.
AC: . . .it was all religious and they went far. Many of the names of
groups were straight words from the Bible and they lasted for years. I
would like to call it "Sanctified Hop". . .(Mr. Crouch demonstrates his
point by snapping his fingers and dissecting the rhythms of "Jesus is on
the Main Line.") . . .because every rhythm we’re using today came from
foot rhythms of an old country church. . .it’s been in the church from
the beginning.
This article was originally published on EURWEB.COM
on 6/02/06.
An all-star tribute to Andrae Crouch will be streamed live on BET tonight. http://www.bet.com/news/music/2015/01/16/andrae-crouch-memorial.html
A lifetime of Dyslexia could not stop gospel great from reaching 40 year career
anniversary
 |
| Andrae Crouch and his twin sister and Co-Pastor of Christ Redeemer Church, were inseparable, serving a lifetime in ministry together. |
The following interview is being reprinted in honor of the legacy of the late Pastor Andrae Crouch.
Crouch discussed having an enlarged heart and a history of congestive heart failure when we spoke. The seven time Grammy winner and Hollywood Walk of Fame Star recipient suffered with various ailments for years including cancer and diabetes which took him off the national scene for many years. Just days before his death he'd suffered a heart attack which was ultimately the cause of his death.
In 2006 Crouch returned to recording and released "Mighty Wind," which was more of a tribute project with minimal vocal contribution from him.
A San Francisco native who grew up in the strict Church of God in Christ tradition, Crouch wrote "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power," his first hymn at age 14. By 1960, he had formed the Church of God in Christ Singers, a group that featured Billy Preston on keyboards. He started another group, Andraé Crouch & the Disciples, in 1965, eventually signing to a contemporary Christian label, Light Records. Crouch brought a contemporary pop and R&B melodic sensibility to gospel, making him uniquely suited to appeal to both black and white audiences during the early days of the countercultural "Jesus movement" and also bringing him attention beyond the church.
What does one say to appropriately encapsulate the prodigious work of a mater? work of but a glimpse of Crouch's attitude and reverence toward God, life and music.
We scheduled an "interview" for the article, but ended up having a conversation, really. Mr. Crouch was easy to talk to and gracious with his time. Our time together was endearing and I will always treasure it.
Sadly, he passed away from a heart attack on January 8, 2015. By Mona Austin
When I answer the phone, the thick voice that returns my greeting
belongs to Andrae Crouch. His "Hello Mona" is warm, yet it carries a
heavier rasp than in years before. He said he never liked the sound of his
voice, but it is that natural instrument that gave him renown. I’m glad
to hear it and immediately want to know how he is feeling these days.
Within the past six to eight years polyps were discovered on his
throat, cancer treatments diminished his wellness and heart disease
compromised his respiration. But, the completion of the album of a
lifetime and his deeply engaging conversation assures that Crouch is
fine now.
An instant classic. That’s what the well oiled musical machine
known the world over as the father of modern-day gospel music generates
with "Mighty Wind". The just released project is a popped cork to a full
serving of old and new music that completes his 40 years as a musical
ambassador and innovator.
A near extinction, Andrae Crouch is a living hymn writer. His
first hymn, "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power" was published when he
was just 14 years old. The protégé has been a musician since he was
nine. Countless other well-loved church songs have flowed from his pen
including: "Through It All; Jesus is the Answer";" "It Won’t Be Long;"
"Take Me Back;" My Tribute" (To God Be The Glory); "Soon & Very Soon",
"Bless the Lord (Oh My Soul)" to name a few. Crouch has blessed
Hollywood with his musical genius as well, as the composer of the "God
is Trying To Tell You Something" from The Color Purple and the theme
song from the hit sitcom "Amen."
His list of accolades reads like a tenured professor’s resume;
yet, the living legend was denied full creative control when he
approached several major record labels to entrée the new CD. Undeterred,
for the first time in his career, he financed the entire "Mighty Wind"
recording. The project was complete with all of Crouch’s special touches
when he approached Verity Records. Giving due honor, Verity Records
welcomed the partnership, topping it off with both a solo recording
pact, a production agreement and his own custom imprint, Slave Records,
with a name that references the gospel injunction to be a slave of
Christ according to his Publicist, Jalila Larusel.
In the new millennium Crouch melds the prolific and simple as a
lyricist. Masterfully produced orchestration and instrumentation on
"Mighty Wind" is excellence continued and the perfect explanation of why
Crouch is Gospel defined. Many artists who were influenced by Pastor
Crouch have won his respect and join him on the project: Fred Hammond,
Tata Vega, Crystal Lewis, and Karen Clark Sheard and others.
Touched by God, he is one of the most accomplished musicians
internationally, despite having Dyslexia, a learning disability he has
never overcome. But the battles in life he has won have been numerous.
By the end of this story, you will understand why Pastor Andrae Crouch
has "learned to trust in Jesus through it all."
Mona Austin: What was the reason for your last bought with illness?
Andrae Crouch: The doctors said it’s because of my schedule. To me
that’s a big griffin.
MA: Are you traveling much? The last time I heard about an appearance it
was for TBN?
AC: Yeah. It was recorded at the church. I put on about a 100,000 miles( I
mean that’s without a new record) a year with just short trips.
MA: I know you were having some physical challenges. How are you feeling
today?
AC: I’m doing fine I looked at my schedule a few years ago when I was on
the road all the time and I had played 315 dates in one year and I said
‘you know what’? If I had of kept that schedule I would have been dead
by now. The fact that I pastor a church really slowed my body down so
that I would get rest. If I would have continued to do that I wouldn’t
have been be around. It’s literally stupid to do that much. . . .God
took it and gave me strength.
MA: Are you in the process of recovery or fully healed?
AC: Oh yeah, I’m fine. I just gotta take the right vitamins. It’s not
damage or anything like that. It’s just that I was going too much.
MA: So was it basically a physical deterioration? Did they diagnose you
with anything in particular or you were just fatigued?
AC: I could have had something seriously wrong with my heart you
know…because they said that I had congestive heart failure and then I
had an issue--my brother died of cancer, my mother died of cancer and my
father died of cancer--and so it was like in the blood and I’ve been
talking about how God can touch your body and heal you. I had to put it
into practice. And I said the buck stops here because he afflicted me
with several kinds of cancer and God healed me of them all.
MA: Thank God for that. What year was it that you first became ill?
AC: Most of those times were in the past six years. And then I had
congestive heart failure. I used tothink that congestive heart failure was
a heart attack. But what it is, is that you could have a heart attack.
(He explains how CHF occurs.) I didn’t know all that was going on with
me. One morning I woke up and I didn’t even know my name I’d just been
to church 3 hours prior to that and it was early Monday after being in
church all Sunday. But they told me about my enlarged heart and things
like that . . .I was feeling okay and I didn’t know it was as serious as
it was.
MA: That must have been a very frightening experience.
AC: Of course, especially when you hear words like that: Congestive
Heart Failure. I’m thinking my heart’s going to stop. . .you literally
drown from your water intake if it doesn’t get released and salt causes
that water to stay in your body. . .It’s almost like somebody has their
hands around your neck and your body starts kickin’…
MA: Were any of those things going on that Monday morning when you were
a little disoriented?
AC: I just couldn’t breath. It’s the worst thing in the world because
you feel very claustrophobic (gasping) like being in a box and your
hands and feet are tied and you can’t get out and you see someone
closing the door.
MA: Wow. Coming out of this—it’s a wonder that you’re able to relay this
testimony. I’m almost sure that has something to do with why you chose
"Mighty Wind" as the title of your new album. . .
AC: Yes. See wind is something. . .I think I named it "Mighty Wind"
because wind can blow a little piece of hay out of a baby’s eye. It can
blow through a bunch of trees and you think you hear a melody and yet it
can blow hard enough to topple a truck or blow the roof off of the
house. And yet, it’s the wind that blows through our hair and cools us
off. And so God’s wind is mighty and he knows just exactly what we need.
. . .that same wind that just blew away a community can still sooth us
if new need it. And so, being that God’s Spirit is so powerful and He’s
all knowing, he knows everything we need.
MA: When people experience things that threaten their lives their faith
can be challenged and you have an extraordinary relationship with God as
a pastor and music minister. Was your faith challenged in the same
way anybody else’s faith would have been challenged?
AC: I think so. We’re not exempt from anything that would happen to our
parishioners and sometimes God allows us to go through things at first
so we can really say ‘hey guys this works.’ If God brought me through
and He says that He has no favorites. It’s just us trusting him and
knowing, not just that He can do it, but He will do it. . .So what is
meant for bad from negative powers, God can turn it around and make it
for good.
MA: Absolutely. What inspired you to select the songs for your new
project?
AC: It was just there. I’m writing more today than I have in my whole
life. . .This album is not an array for people and their skills for them
to do acrobatics and a way to twist their voices around.
My father used to tell me (and he wasn’t a musician or singer), ‘Andrae.
. .make the melody so that a truck driver can sing it.’ Every song on
that album, if that was the last song you heard, you would be whistling
it or humming it….God told me this is what I want you to do.
Everybody is using the term worship and praise music. Seems like we’ve
made a formula on how to praise God and God says, ‘I’m more than that I
don’t want that.’ To me that’s what He does.
MA: So how then would you categorize your music? Would you just call it
Gospel music?
AC: Oh yeah, but sometimes I think God gets buffet worship and thank
yous. Like ‘love ya!’ It’s like when you tell your friends ‘love ya!’
and we can care less. We don’t even realize we said it. But it’s like
when you say, ‘I’ve got to go now, but I want you to know I really
appreciate you being my friend cus I really do love you.’ That’s really
different than, "love ya!" . . .I just really wanted on this record to
tell Him how much I brag about Him to other people and to Him.
MA: And what did you want the listener to get from the album? What’s
your overall message with all the songs?
AC: The strange thing is I have a song that says ‘all because of Jesus
we are here’…it’s like we’re bragging on him… and we realize we have
this time together.
MA: You resurrected most of the songs—mostly remakes. You were doing
what you do almost 10 years before I was born so I remember as a child
Andrae and Sandra Crouch and how beautiful the music was. And one of the
things that stood out to me when I heard the song with Crystal Lewis (We
Give You Glory) was the flute. I think for me your music was one of the
first forms of gospel music where I heard the flute and orchestral type
arrangements.
AC: You know what’s funny? When I first got the gift of music, my father
prayed for me. . .he exposed us to classical music and I hadn’t a clue
that it was sticking to me. . . . I used to love the violin and tympani
drums and the swells in the music…I didn’t realize I was imitating
different styles. . . didn’t even know what the instruments were or what
they looked like.
See I was born with Dyslexia and have never been able to read music.
MA: (Confirming what I thought I heard.) Have you been able to overcome
that and have you ever read music?
AC: No.
MA: Wow, that’s a miracle in itself.
AC:. . .when I look at those lines it floats in the air and I used to
cry because I couldn’t get it. I used to say, ‘Momma those lines won’t
come down.’ (Discusses with a hint of sadness.)
MA: So you’re able to read, but you have to do it line-by-line according
to a color code?
AC: Yes.
MA: Did you teach yourself that.
AC: Yeah.
MA: That’s amazing!
AC:. . .there were people who would extract certain sections from Bach
and I would remember them.
(I tell him what an honor it is the speak to him since seeing him for
the first time at the Stellars.)
AC: You know when we go to the Stellar Awards you really see a place
where you can fit in and mentor some of these kids and young adults.
Their voices are totally incredible, but they don’t have no brains some
of them.
MA: What does that mean? What do you think they’re lacking?
AC: It means what their shooting for is not what they should be shooting
for and that’s not the way you get there…I saw some girls were showing
their navel. When you’re in Christ , some things we just don’t do
because of our position. You don’t want to distract anybody from what
you say by the way you look because you’ve taken the position where God
can really use you. But, they’re not listening to you until the third
song because their trying to get over you. I don’t think we should do
anything that distracts from why we’re up there or else what you have
will be very short lived.
MA: The hugest debate today is Hip Hop music and can it really convey
who God is because it’s so similar to the stylings of secular music. Do
you think that type of music is distracting or what is your position on
Holy Hip Hop?
AC: I’ve never—never ever wanted to label my thing for God from anything
in the world because the Bible says all good and perfect gifts come from
Him. So why would I even have to use the word Hip Hop?. . .Every father
wants his son to be like him and every woman feels happy when her
daughter looks like her. And I do know that God wants us to look like
Him and represent Him everywhere we go. . .I’m not against the style,
but I heard a guy on NBC and it wasn’t a religious program, but her
said, ‘Humph, seems like the so called world is affecting the church
more than the church is affecting the world.’ Ooh that hit me like a ton
of bricks and I said that’s just not ‘gon fly with me.
When you think about it, Motown had a lot of success when they named
their groups almost religious names (Smokie Robinson and the Miracles,
The Supremes, Stevie Wonder.)
MA: That is so true. I’ve never thought about that.
AC: . . .it was all religious and they went far. Many of the names of
groups were straight words from the Bible and they lasted for years. I
would like to call it "Sanctified Hop". . .(Mr. Crouch demonstrates his
point by snapping his fingers and dissecting the rhythms of "Jesus is on
the Main Line.") . . .because every rhythm we’re using today came from
foot rhythms of an old country church. . .it’s been in the church from
the beginning.
This article was originally published on EURWEB.COM
on 6/02/06.
An all-star tribute to Andrae Crouch will be streamed live on BET tonight. http://www.bet.com/news/music/2015/01/16/andrae-crouch-memorial.html
