Over the years, the Olympic Peninsula has hosted some of the biggest names in the Christian music industry.
One local church,
Sequim’s Calvary Chapel, has hosted musicians Glenn Kaiser and Phil Keaggy, and welcomes Randy Stonehill on Nov. 22.
"I think it’s a huge thing for him to come here because he was so instrumental, whether you are a Christian or not, in affecting music today," said Hans Bailey, Calvary Chapel’s pastor.
"The Christian music industry has thrived and is relevant in today’s market because of his efforts."
Since beginning his career in the height of the Jesus People movement of the 1970s, Stonehill has released more than 20 albums.
He and other musicians, includng Larry Norman, toured and released music despite what he describes on his Web site as discrimination from both the Christian and mainstream music communities.
His style has been compared to Bruce Springsteen and James Taylor.
Stonehill’s popularity soared in the 1980s as fans packed concerts in churches and concert halls across the nation and bought thousands of albums. This stemmed from the emergence of the contemporary Christian music subculture he unintentionally helped pioneer.
"One of the reasons why his name isn’t as large as Michael W. Smith or Amy Grant is because he’s not as packaged as those performers," Bailey said.
"He’s more of an independent artist and follows his artistic sensibilities rather than the market-driven possibilities."
Stonehill still tours and records.
He will lead worship services at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. at Calvary Chapel and then perform a concert of his pop/rock/folk subversive humor music at 6 p.m.
The events are open to the public and free with a love offering for Stonehill accepted at the concert.
Seating is limited; attendees are encouraged to arrive early.
At a glance
Who: Randy Stonehill
What: In concert
Where: Calvary Chapel, 91 S. Boyce Road, Sequim, off U.S. Highway 101
When: Leading worship services at 9 and 11 a.m. with concert at 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22.
Services are free with a love offering/donation accepted for concert
For details: Call 683-5995, e-mail sequim@calvary
chapel.com or go to www.
calvarychapelsequim.com.
