John DeGroff is a
Christian music
Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely aroun ...
ian.
DeGroff was one of the original members of
Christian rock band
Petra in 1972, along with
Greg Hough,
Bill Glover
Petra is an American music group regarded as a pioneer of the Christian rock and contemporary Christian music genres and was, for many years, regarded as the "world's most popular Christian rock band". Formed in 1972, the band took its name from ...
and
Bob Hartman
Robert "Bob" Hartman (born December 26, 1949) is a Christian artist, guitarist, writer and songwriter. He is the founder of Christian rock band Petra. Hartman was involved with the band from its foundation in 1972 to its end in 2005. He took ...
. He played
bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
on the band's first two records (Petra and Come and Join Us) before leaving in 1979. Petra has been inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame (2007), the Gospel Music Hall of Fame (2000), and the Hard Rock Cafe (1994).
After leaving Petra, DeGroff played in several bands in the Fort Wayne area, and also did some session work. In 1987, he moved to
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
and dedicated himself to songwriting and other musical activities. He has had some songs recorded on independent records and does some occasional studio work. He recorded with the band, Cosmonaut Bob, in 2002 and can be heard on their Return From Reality album.
Also in 2003, DeGroff joined Hough and Glover in a project called GHF (God Has Forgiven).
John has joined original members of Petra for several reunions.
June 12, 2004: Oakhill Family Campground - Angola, IN (DeGroff, Hough and Hartman)
Setlist:
Walkin' in the Light
Get Back to the Bible
I'm Not Ashamed
Lucas McGraw
Storm Comin'
Backslidin' Blues
Rockin' On With Jesus
November 12, 2005: Petra Farewell Tour - First Assembly of God - Ft. Wayne, IN. (DeGroff, Glover, Hough and Hartman)
Setlist:
Walkin' in the Light
Without You I Would Surely Die
Storm Comin'
November 19, 2005: Petra Farewell Tour - Mark Price Arena - Enid, OK (DeGroff, Glover, Hough and Hartman)
August 20, 2022: Buck Lake Ranch - Angola, IN (DeGroff, Glover, Hough and Hartman)
Get Back to the Bible
DeGroff released a progressive rock solo album, ''SALT'', in 2018.
John Schlitt
John William Schlitt (born February 3, 1950) is an American singer, who was the lead singer of Christian rock band Petra (band), Petra from 1986 until the band's retirement in early 2006. Prior to joining Petra in 1986, Schlitt was the lead voc ...
sings on some of the tracks. Salt 2, ''Trophy Hunting for Unicorns'' was released in late 2020.
It features guest appearances from John Schlitt, Greg Hough, and Shawn Browning.
DeGroff is also a
freelance music journalist and has written articles in several music magazines, periodicals, and online sites (clashdaily.com).
John DeGroff had two children with former wife Lynnette Stanley (''nee'' Fry). DeGroff married Jennifer Savage in 2006; the couple currently resides in Indiana and are active in music ministry in their church.
References
External links
GHF Band
Petra (band) members
Music journalists
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
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