More of this Feature • Part 1: The Changing Face of Christian Music • Part 3: The Genre Stretches Further

The "Jesus Movement" of the 1970's was when things really started changing and Christian music began to become an industry within itself. Some of the pioneers of the times were:

• Larry Norman - A true pioneer in Christian alternative rock since the 1960's, he is called the "father of Christian rock" by many.
• Marsha Stevens - The leader of Children of the Day is called the "mother of contemporary Christian music" by The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music.
• Nancy Honeytree - Nancy carries the nickname the "First Lady of Jesus Music", as she was one of the few female artists to emerge from the Jesus Movement.
• Chuck Girard - He was one of the first Contemporary Christian artists, getting his start in a church in California.
• The 2nd Chapter of Acts - This popular group released sixteen albums over a sixteen-year period.

These artists, and others like them, took the music that spoke of Jesus and merged it with the times. Christian music became more "user friendly" and revival was sparked.

By the early 1980's the Jesus Movement was dying out and another group of artists were coming to the forefront. Rock and metal music, already popular in the secular industry, was finding a home in the world of Christian music. Some of the earliest rockers were:

• Petra - This group put the rock into Christian rock music.
• Bloodgood - A pioneer of heavy Christian metal, this band appealed to some that had never listened to Christian music.
• Barren Cross - Another first Christian heavy metal band, they brought a definite edge to Christian music.
• Undercover - This punk band brought a new sound that differed from the Christian rockers or the Christian metal bands.

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