Boasting a rich and enduring legacy, the groundbreaking rock band plays Beechwood Church on Sunday. The Local Spins interview with lead singer John Schlitt.
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With so many classic rock bands (Doobie Brothers, Kansas, etc.) mounting 50th anniversary tours, why not one more?
Petra, the longest-running, most commercially successful Christian rock band in history, marks five decades of faith-based music with a tour-stop Sunday (Aug. 4) in Holland on the outdoor stage at Beechwood Church, 895 Ottawa Beach Rd.
“Actually, it’s our third year of this tour,” conceded lead singer John Schlitt of the band which formed in 1972. “It’s taken us that long to get everywhere people wanted us to come.”
Admission to the 7 p.m. Sunday show is free, with a suggested $5 donation. A “Skip the Line” pass for early entry and a guaranteed seat indoors in case of inclement weather is $20, available online here. Attendes are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets for seating.
Schlitt, 74, has fronted Petra (the Greek word for “Rock”) since 1986. He assumed the role after singing through the 1970s with the mainstream band Head East. They had national chart success, but Schlitt’s substance addiction led to his dismissal in 1980.
He left music and thought he’d never sing again. “I went down a path to where suicide seemed like an answer,” he recalled.
But a religious conversion, which he said saved his life, eventually led to an opportunity with Petra when founder Bob Hartman was looking to replace their lead singer who left for a solo career.
In Petra’s fledgling years, they met resistance from conservative, church-sensitive audiences. Putting rock riffs into musical faith expressions was a new thing. Once in a while, a venue would actually pull the plug on a scheduled concert.
But they caught the ear of Christian radio listeners with several acoustic ballads and then benefited from the growth of what came to be the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) genre.
By the time Schlitt signed on, the rock band had found its groove, nominated five straight years for Grammy Awards before finally winning in 1990 for the album “Beyond Belief.” The opening chords of the title track remain a hooky attraction for fans and is mandatory in their live shows. Scroll down for “Beyond Belief” video.
AN IMPRESSIVE TRACK RECORD & ‘NEVER SAY DINOSAUR’ TRIBUTE ALBUM
Although waxing and waning in popularity through the decades, Petra remained a fixture, adjusting to music tastes and trends. The band actually did several praise/worship music collections, including a rockin’ stamp on the churchy anthem “Lord, I Lift Your Name On High.”
Their track record of Christian rock “firsts” is undeniable:
• First to win a Dove Award as overall Group of the Year (1991);
• First to play at a Farm Aid event (following Joe Walsh) (1992);
• First to be honored and place items in the Hard Rock Cafe (1994);
• First to be inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame (2000).
The band also scored a one-of-a-kind vocal collaboration when former Foreigner lead singer Lou Gramm joined former Kansas singer John Elefante and Schlitt for the late ’90s power ballad, “We Need Jesus.”
In 1977, Petra originally recorded its own version of the Russ Ballard/Argent song “God Gave Rock and Roll to You.” When Kiss recorded it 14 years later – with very different lyrics – fans were wondering what was up.
“It was never a Petra song, we didn’t have the rights to it,” Schlitt noted of the confusion.
Mainstream music success never came, but at no time was that a primary goal. “We’ve been around long enough to get a sense that we’re appreciated in the larger musical world,” he said.
The band’s Farewell Tour came in 2005. Their longevity earned them a label as “dinosaur rockers,” spawning a tribute album (“Never Say Dinosaur,” a play on the title of an earlier album “Never Say Die”) featuring bands such as Sixpence None the Richer and Jars of Clay covering songs from the Petra catalog.
The band continued to perform at special occasions, and then a 40th anniversary tour. Festivals and some overseas shows also beckoned. In various gaps through the years, Schlitt had time to record six solo albums, including a compilation “Go,” issued earlier this year.
But for Petra, it’s now a full half-century.
“We’re a rock band, but we’re also a Christian rock band,” Schlitt declared. “Every band has a belief or a philosophy, that’s part of art. We’re just singing about God and our faith and that’s the most exciting thing in our lives.”
VIDEO: Petra, “Beyond Belief”
VIDEO: Petra, “Angel of Light” (Live)
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