God Gave Rock and Roll To You
Today's podcast episode of Music & Meaning has dropped! In this episode, I interview Leah Payne about her new book, God Gave Rock and Roll to You published by Oxford University Press. Together, Leah and I guide you through a fascinating labyrinth of spiritual and sonic convergence.
First a short story.
Having come up in jazz and pop in my native California, I moved to Nashville in 1989 to work with new friends at the heart of contemporary Christian music's history—in particular, the Hearn family of Sparrow Records. I was a bonafide insider for 10 years producing over 50 full-length albums, wrote a book on the experience, then left Nashville in 2000 to attend seminary in St. Louis. On returning to Nashville, I took a job as an A&R executive and got busy overseeing and producing artists and recordings. A few days a week I had to be in the office, not the studio—thirty miles apart. I had Amy, a very capable assistant at the record company, but I needed someone at the studio too.
So I did what any savvy Sr. exec does, I went to Starbuck's and hired my new assistant, Leah Payne. I know, it sounds ridiculous, but back then, and don't judge me, I was a bit of a seer. You know, like seeing into things, systems, people and imagining the future—getting a glimpse of it.
Anyway, I saw this young person and said, yep, she's the one. And she was. In fact, far more than I could see or know. Not only was Leah an excellent assistant and lovely person, she had a robust intellect and would go on to grad school and a Ph.D. Ultimately, Leah built upon and far surpassed the research I did for my book (or that of any others I've read).
As a leading scholar and historian in the study of Pentecostal Revivalism, Leah's research led to the historical beginnings of the limited and particularized visions of Christianity that have shaped the music—music created by mostly white evangelical Christians for over 120 years. You can hear the deep history in today's podcast, complete with soundtrack.
Finally, a Swiftian easter egg for you pop music history nerds . . .
When the British rock musician, Russ Ballard, wrote the song, "God Gave Rock and Roll to You" in 1971, he could not have predicted it would be the title of a new Church and music history book in the year 2024.
Ballard was a founding member of the band, Argent, most famously known for the evergreen hit, "Hold Your Head Up." Though Argent had a hit with "God Gave Rock and Roll to You" too, the song was also covered by two well-known rock bands of the 70s: Kiss and Petra. Yes, Petra, of contemporary Christian music renown. It was Petra's version that caught the young ears and imagination of this episode's special guest, Leah Payne. She remembered it from her childhood. Now, many years later, she's made the song title the title of her latest, remarkable book.
Until next time. Peace.
Leah Payne, Ph.D, the author of God Gave Rock and Roll to You, is Associate Professor of American Religious History at Portland Seminary. She is also a 2022-2023 Public Fellow at the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), and her research has been supported by the Louisville Institute and the Wabash Center for Teaching in Theology and Religion. Her first book, Gender and Pentecostal Revivalism: Making a Female Ministry in the Early Twentieth Century, won the Pneuma: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies 2016 Book Award. Payne's work analyzing religion, politics, and popular culture has appeared in The Washington Post, NBC News, Religion News Service, and Christianity Today. She is also co-host of Weird Religion, a podcast about religion and popular culture, and Rock That Doesn't Roll, a podcast about Christian rock.
Nashville folks, I understand that we still have some seats left for the Parnassus launch on March 12th of Why Everything That Doesn’t Matter, Matters So Much. Find them here.
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