Keith Gordon Green (October 21, 1953 – July 28, 1982) was an American pianist, singer, and songwriter in the
contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music, also known as CCM, Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and s ...
genre, who was originally from
Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn
Sheepshead Bay is a neighborhood in southern Brooklyn, New York City. It is bounded by Ocean Parkway to the west; Avenue T and Kings Highway to the north; Nostrand Avenue and Gerritsen Avenue to the east; and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. S ...
, New York. His most notable songs are "
There Is a Redeemer", which was written by his wife Melody, and "
(Until) Your Love Broke Through
"(Until) Your Love Broke Through" is a song recorded by American-Australian singer Marcia Hines. The song was written by Keith Green, Randy Stonehill and Todd Fishkind and produced by Robie Porter and released in December 1976 as the third single f ...
".
Early life
Green was raised in the
Church of Christ, Scientist
The Church of Christ, Scientist was founded in 1879 in Boston, Massachusetts, by Mary Baker Eddy, author of '' Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,'' and founder of Christian Science. The church was founded "to commemorate the word an ...
(
Christian Science
Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices associated with members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Adherents are commonly known as Christian Scientists or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes informally know ...
).
Green took to music at a young age, as he "began with the
ukulele
The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings.
The tone and volume of the instrumen ...
at three, the guitar at five, and the piano at seven."
[Los Angeles Times, February 18, 1965, pg. SF1] His talents were noted by a major newspaper when he was eight, following a performance of
Arthur Laurents
Arthur Laurents (July 14, 1917 – May 5, 2011) was an American playwright, theatre director, film producer and screenwriter.
After writing scripts for radio shows after college and then training films for the U.S. Army during World War II, ...
' ''
The Time of the Cuckoo
''The Time of the Cuckoo'' is a play by Arthur Laurents. It focuses on the bittersweet romance between Leona Samish, a single American executive secretary vacationing in Europe and Renato Di Rossi, a shopkeeper she meets in Venice. Di Rossi, trappe ...
''. A local review by the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' wrote, "roguish-looking, eight-year-old Keith Green gave a winning portrayal"
[Green, M. & Hazard, D. (2000) ''No Compromise: The Life Story of Keith Green'', Chapter 2] of "the little Italian street urchin, Mauro";
[Los Angeles Times, September 6, 1962, pg. G3] another review commented that he "stole the show". The show was Green's first appearance in live theater, which was held in Chatsworth, California in September 1962.
According to the ''LA Times'', he had already done a number of television commercials and made a TV pilot.
Green played the role of Kurt von Trapp in ''
The Sound of Music
''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. Se ...
'' starring Janet Blair in the opening production at the
Valley Music Theater
The Valley Music Theater was a theater-in-the-round performing arts hall located in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California. It was just south of the Ventura Freeway at 20600 Ventura Boulevard, in the Chalk Hills of the western San Fernando Val ...
, a modern 2865-seat theater-in-the-round in
Woodland Hills, Los Angeles
Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
Geography
Woodland Hills is in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, which is locate ...
when he was 10.
Green and his father Harvey signed a five-year contract with
Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...
in February 1965, with Harvey as business manager, having written 40 original songs already. The first song released on disc was "A Go-Go Getter" in May 1965, produced by
Gary Usher
Gary Lee Usher (December 14, 1938 – May 25, 1990) was an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer, who worked with numerous California acts in the 1960s, including the Byrds, the Beach Boys, and Dick Dale. Usher also produced fict ...
, which he had composed and published before signing with Decca. He became the youngest person ever to sign with the
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers
The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...
(ASCAP) upon publication of this song at age 11.
Decca Records planned to make Green a
teen idol
A teen idol is a celebrity with a large teenage fan base. Teen idols are generally young but are not necessarily teenagers. An idol's popularity may be limited to teens, or may extend to all age groups.
By region Asia
East Asia possess ...
, regularly getting him featured in fan magazines such as ''Teen Scene'' and on television shows such as ''
The Jack Benny Program
''The Jack Benny Program'', starring Jack Benny, is a radio-TV comedy series that ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th century American comedy. He played one role throughout his radio and televis ...
'' and ''
The Steve Allen Show
''The Steve Allen Show'' was an American variety show hosted by Steve Allen from June 1956 to June 1960 on NBC, from September 1961 to December 1961 on American Broadcasting Company, ABC, ''. He was a guest on the television game show ''
I've Got a Secret
''I've Got a Secret'' is an American panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show, ''What's My Line ...
'' on May 3, 1965. His secret was "I just signed a five-year contract as a rock-'n'-roll singer." The segment included a live performance of "We'll Do a Lot of Things Together".
Green had written 10 more songs by the time that he was 12. ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' ran an article about aspiring young rock-'n'-roll singers and referred to him as Decca Records' "prepubescent dreamboat". The national attention that had been envisioned by Decca Records failed to materialize for Green, however, as
Donny Osmond
Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond (born December 9, 1957) is an American singer, dancer, actor, television host, and former teen idol. He first gained fame performing with four of his elder brothers as the Osmonds, earning several top ten hits and gol ...
captured the attention of preteens and teenagers, eclipsing Green's newfound stardom, and he was quickly forgotten by the public.
He grew up reading the
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
and called the mixture of being Jewish and learning about Jesus "an odd combination" that left him open-minded but confused and deeply unsatisfied.As a teen perceiving his music career had failed, he ran away from home, began smoking marijuana, and used some psychedelics in hopes of finding spiritual truth. He became interested in eastern
mysticism
Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in u ...
and the "free love" culture.
Spiritual experience
In 1972 he became a Christian and gave up drug use. After Green met Melody Steiner at age 19, they were inseparable, and married a year later.
Ministry
In 1975, the Greens, new believers in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, began taking people who needed help into their small home in the suburbs of Los Angeles, in the
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ar ...
. Both were staff songwriters for
CBS Records CBS Records may refer to:
* CBS Records or CBS/Sony, former name of Sony Music, a global record company
* CBS Records International, label for Columbia Records recordings released outside North America from 1962 to 1990
* CBS Records (2006), founde ...
in Hollywood and used their income to support all who came. Early on, their close friend and Christian recording artist,
Randy Stonehill
Randall Evan Stonehill (born March 12, 1952) is an American singer and songwriter from Stockton, California, best known as one of the pioneers of contemporary Christian music. His music is primarily folk rock in the style of James Taylor, but ...
, who was struggling at the time, stayed for a while. Their home was later dubbed "The Greenhouse" – a place where people grow. The Greens continued to open their home but mostly to strangers in need. They eventually ran out of space and, purchasing the home next door to their own and renting an additional five in the same neighborhood, they provided a safe environment of Bible Studies and practical discipleship to young and old alike. The majority were teenagers and those of college age. Much to the consternation of neighbors, there came to be 75 people living in the Green's homes and traipsing down the suburban streets—including recovering drug addicts and prostitutes, bikers, the homeless, and many single pregnant girls needing shelter and safety. Some were referred to the Greens by other ministries and shelters, but most just crossed their path during their normal life at home and on the road. In 1977, the Greens personal outreach became a nonprofit ministry they called Last Days Ministries.
[Last Days Ministries: History](_blank)
from the organization's official site. Green also became an ordained minister.
Green's initial tone of ministry was influenced by the words of Jesus in the Bible. Later, he was also influenced by his friends Winkie Pratney, and
Leonard Ravenhill
Leonard Ravenhill (18 June 1907 – 27 November 1994) was an English Christian evangelist and author who focused on the subjects of prayer and revival. He is best known for challenging western evangelicalism (through his books and sermons) t ...
, who pointed him to
Charles Finney
Charles Grandison Finney (August 29, 1792 – August 16, 1875) was an American Presbyterian minister and leader in the Second Great Awakening in the United States. He has been called the "Father of Old Revivalism." Finney rejected much of tradi ...
, a nineteenth-century revivalist preacher who preached the holiness of God to provoke conviction in his hearers. During his concerts he would often exhort his listeners to repent and commit themselves more wholly to following Christ. Through relationships with
Loren Cunningham
Loren Duane Cunningham (born June 30, 1935) is founder of the international Christian missionary movement Youth with a Mission (YWAM) and the University of the Nations. Cunningham founded YWAM in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1960 with his wife, Darle ...
the founder of
Youth with a Mission (YWAM), missions leader John Dawson, and a trip with his wife to overseas missions projects Green saw the worldwide need for missionaries. He realized he was often too hard on growing believers and believed that all Christians needed to have at least a brief stint on the mission field. His assurance of God's unconditional love for him grew as well. This transition is evident in his music beginning with ''
So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt'' in 1980. He described the changes he went through in his next-to-last article for the ''Last Days Magazine''.
Recording
Green was signed to
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music, also known as CCM, Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and s ...
label
Sparrow Records
Sparrow Records is a Christian music record label and a division of Universal Music Group.
History
Sparrow Records was founded in 1976 by Billy Ray Hearn, then artists and repertoire (A&R) director at Myrrh Records. Purchased by Thorn EMI in ...
in 1976 and worked on the album ''Firewind'' (1976) with Christian artists
2nd Chapter of Acts
The 2nd Chapter of Acts was a Jesus music and early contemporary Christian music group composed of sisters Annie Herring and Nelly Greisen and brother Matthew Ward. They began performing in 1972 and enjoyed their period of greatest success du ...
,
Terry
Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence (given name), Terence or Terrier (masculine).
People
Male
* Terry Albrit ...
and
John Michael Talbot
John Michael Talbot (born May 8, 1954) is an American Christian musician, author, television presenter and founder of a monastic community known as the Brothers and Sisters of Charity.
Life and career
Talbot was born into a Methodist family wi ...
, and
Barry McGuire
Barry McGuire (born October 15, 1935) is an American singer-songwriter primarily known for his 1965 hit " Eve of Destruction". Later he would pioneer as a singer and songwriter of Contemporary Christian music.
Early life
McGuire was born in O ...
.Prior to Keith's signing with Sparrow Records, and two years before the release of ''No Compromise'',
Tommy James
Tommy James (born Thomas Gregory Jackson; April 29, 1947), also known as Tommy Tadger, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, widely known as frontman of the 1960s rock band Tommy James and the Shondells, who were know ...
, of
Tommy James and the Shondells
Tommy James and the Shondells are an American pop rock/psychedelic rock band, formed in Niles, Michigan, in 1964. They had two No. 1 singles in the U.S. – " Hanky Panky" (July 1966, their only RIAA Certified Gold record) and "Crimson and Clov ...
, recorded "Don't Wanna Fall Away from You," composed by Green, for his 1976 Fantasy album ''In Touch''.
His first solo project, ''
For Him Who Has Ears to Hear'', was released in 1977 and topped the charts. His second solo release, ''
No Compromise'', followed in 1978. In 1979, after negotiating a release from his contract with Sparrow, Green initiated a new policy of refusing to charge money for concerts or albums. Keith and Melody mortgaged their home to privately finance Green's next album, ''
So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt''. The album, which featured a guest appearance by
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
, was offered through mail order and at concerts for a price determined by the purchaser. By May 1982, Green had shipped out more than 200,000 units of his album – 61,000 for free. Subsequent albums included ''
The Keith Green Collection'' (1981) and ''
Songs for the Shepherd
''Songs for the Shepherd'' is the fifth album released by American contemporary Christian music pianist and singer Keith Green. It is the last album which had been completed prior to his death in a plane crash in July 1982.
Track listing
# "T ...
'' (1982).
When his music was carried by Christian bookstores, a second cassette was included free of charge for every cassette purchased to give away to a friend to help spread the
Gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
.
Last Days Ministries
In 1978, Last Days Ministries (LDM) began publishing the ''Last Days Newsletter'' from the Greens' garage.Originally printed on a few pages of loose paper, the newsletter grew in content to eventually become a "small, colorful magazine" and was renamed in mid-1985 as the ''Last Days Magazine.'' After Keith's 1982 death Melody was appointed to lead the ministry. By the mid-1980s, the Last Days Magazine was sent out to over 500,000 people worldwide.
In 1979, the ministry relocated from the
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ar ...
to a plot of land in
Garden Valley, Texas
Garden Valley is a crossroads community in Smith County about 7 miles west of Lindale, Texas. It is 79 miles east of Dallas.
Historically, prior to the formation of nearby town of Van (6 miles west of Garden Valley) in the late 1920s, when oil ...
,
[Last Days Ministries: Our Story](_blank)
Last Days Ministries: Our Story from the organization's official site. a crossroads community about west of
Lindale, Texas
Lindale () is a city in Smith County, Texas, United States. Located in East Texas, the population was 6,059 in the 2020 census. It is part of the Tyler, Texas, metropolitan statistical area.
History
The area of Smith County where Lindale ...
. Within a few years, Last Days purchased additional land, bringing the total to .
Death in plane crash
Along with 11 others, Green died on July 28, 1982, when the Robertson STOL-modified
Cessna 414
The Cessna 414 is an American light, pressurized, twin-engine transport aircraft built by Cessna. It first flew in 1968 and an improved variant was introduced from 1978 as the 414A Chancellor.
Design and development
The pressurized 414 was dev ...
leased by Last Days Ministries crashed after takeoff from the private airstrip located on the LDM property. The small twin-engined plane was carrying 11 passengers and the pilot, Don Burmeister, for an aerial tour
of the LDM property and the surrounding area. Green and two of his children, three-year-old Josiah and two-year-old Bethany, were on board the plane, along with visiting church planters, John and Dede Smalley and their six children. Green's wife Melody was at home with one-year-old Rebekah and six weeks pregnant with their fourth child, Rachel, born in March 1983.
The
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incid ...
(NTSB) determined that the crash was caused by the
pilot in command
The pilot in command (PIC) of an aircraft is the person aboard the aircraft who is ultimately responsible for its operation and safety during flight. This would be the captain in a typical two- or three-pilot aircrew, or "pilot" if there is only ...
(PIC) allowing the aircraft to be loaded beyond its operating limitations. The required preflight weight and balance computations responsibility of civilian pilots would have shown it was dangerously overloaded and also outside its weight and balance operating envelope. This responsibility with military pilots is the responsibility of the military
loadmaster
A loadmaster is an aircrew member on civilian aircraft or military transport aircraft tasked with the safe loading, transport and unloading of aerial cargoes. Loadmasters serve in the militaries and civilian airlines of many nations.
Duties
...
, and thus he may have, by force of habit, overlooked this responsibility. Don Alan Burmeister was a former
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
aviator, but
FAA
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
records show he had very limited experience / training in flying conventional (vs. centerline thrust) twin-engine aircraft. Records show it was only a short time prior to the accident (6/9/82) that he completed a check-ride to remove the "centerline thrust" restriction from his pilot's certificate. This check-ride should have fully evaluated his ability to fly a conventional multi-engine aircraft throughout its designed range of operations, but the flight examiner was decertified the next month (7/10/82) by the FAA due to a "history of incomplete or substandard check-rides". Additionally, the insurance carrier (Ideal Mutual Insurance Co.) required Burmeister to log 1,045 hrs of flying time, attend a Cessna ground and flight training course, as well as log 15 hours in a Cessna 414 (C-414) prior to acting as the PIC of the leased aircraft. The NTSB record shows he failed to accomplish all of these requirements. With pilot and eleven passengers, the aircraft was overloaded by an estimated , and the location of the center of gravity was found to be beyond the maximum aft limit. Combined with an air temperature of , creating a condition known as "
hot and high
In aviation, hot and high is a condition of low air density due to high ambient temperature and high airport elevation. Air density decreases with increasing temperature and altitude. The lower air density reduces the power output from the airc ...
" (high
density altitude
The density altitude is the altitude relative to standard atmospheric conditions at which the air density would be equal to the indicated air density at the place of observation. In other words, the density altitude is the air density given as ...
, producing a lower climb rate on takeoff and greater danger of
stalling), the C-414 could do little but struggle into the air within
ground effect, and once airborne was left virtually uncontrollable. These factors prevented the aircraft from ever attaining sufficient altitude, and it crashed into trees less than a mile from the airport.
Keith Gordon Green, Josiah David Green (September 18, 1978 – July 28, 1982), and Bethany Grace Green (February 5, 1980 – July 28, 1982) are interred in the same coffin at Garden Valley Cemetery behind the Garden Valley Baptist Church,
[Smith County Archives](_blank)
gives directions to Garden Valley Cemetery. less than a half-mile from the LDM property. He was survived by his wife and two daughters, Rebekah Joy Green (b. 1981) and Rachel Hope Green (b. March 1983, eight months after Green's death).
Last Days Ministries continues
Melody Green continued to lead Last Days Ministries from Texas until 1996, when she moved to California and launched Last Days Ministries Online where all of Green's writings are free and his music can be found. The free monthly Last Days Ministries Newsletter is also sent out by request.
Melody maintains the Keith Green Facebook page to honor Keith and also shares her opinions on the Melody Green Facebook Page where she interacts with Green's fans and Last Days Ministries fans.
Legacy
Two full albums of original Green songs were released posthumously: ''
The Prodigal Son'' (1983) and ''
Jesus Commands Us to Go!'' (1984). Another release, ''I Only Want to See You There'' (1983) contained mostly previously released material. A compilation of his recorded work, ''
The Ministry Years'', was released as a two-volume set in 1987 and 1988 and included five previously unreleased songs.
Another unreleased Christian song "Born Again" by Keith and Melody was finally released in 1999, 17 years after his death, on the ''First Love'' compilation video and CD. Both feature a two-song tribute to Green by other Christian artists.
In 2008, Melody with her grown daughters Rebekah Joy and Rachel Hope partnered with Sparrow Records and released ''The Live Experience – Special Edition'', a CD/DVD combination of 16 live recordings and 4 hours of DVD footage including video of live performances as well as details regarding Green's life and his passing.
[''The Live Experience – Special Edition''](_blank)
information from Last Days Ministries site. A greatest hits album was also released at the same time, including 17 of Green's most popular songs and one more previously unreleased Christian song, "Your Love Came Over Me".
On November 23, 2009, the EP ''Happy Birthday to You Jesus'' was released, containing a talk by Green about Christmas and another previously unreleased song, "Happy Birthday to You Jesus".
A prolific personal journalist, Green's writings were published as excerpts in the books ''A Cry in the Wilderness'' (Sparrow, 1993), ''If You Love the Lord'' (Harvest House, 2000), and ''Make My Life a Prayer'' (Harvest House, 2001).
Tribute recordings
In 1992, several artists joined together to re-record many of the Green's best-known songs for a tribute album called ''No Compromise: Remembering the Music of Keith Green'' under the Sparrow Records label. Artists contributing to the recording include
Petra
Petra ( ar, ٱلْبَتْرَاء, Al-Batrāʾ; grc, Πέτρα, "Rock", Nabataean Aramaic, Nabataean: ), originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu or Raqēmō, is an historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. It is adjacent to t ...
,
Charlie Peacock
Charles William Ashworth (born August 10, 1956), known professionally as Charlie Peacock, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, record producer, and author. His albums include ''Love Press Ex-Curio'', ''Arc of the Circle'' and ''No Man's L ...
,
Susan Ashton
Susan Ashton (born Susan Rae Hill; July 17, 1967) is an American contemporary Christian music and country music artist who topped the Christian charts throughout the 1990s. In 1991 she began using her mother's maiden name, Ashton, when she rec ...
,
Margaret Becker
Margaret Becker (born July 17, 1959) is an American Christian rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She has had twenty-one No. 1 Christian radio hits, won four Dove Awards, and been nominated for four Grammy Awards.
Biography
Becker was born ...
,
Michael Card
Michael Card (born April 11, 1957) is an American, Christian singer-songwriter, musician, author, and radio host from Franklin, Tennessee. He is best known for his contributions in contemporary Christian music, which combine folk-style melod ...
,
GLAD,
Rich Mullins
Richard Wayne Mullins (October 21, 1955 – September 19, 1997) was an American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter best known for his worship songs " Awesome God" and "Sometimes by Step". Some of his albums were listed by ''CC ...
,
Steven Curtis Chapman
Steven Curtis Chapman (born November 21, 1962) is an American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, author, and social activist.
Chapman began his career in the late 1980s as a songwriter and performer of conte ...
,
Steve Green, and
Russ Taff
Russell Taff (born November 11, 1953) is an American gospel singer and songwriter who grew up in Farmersville, California. He has sung a variety of musical styles throughout his career including: pop rock, traditional Southern gospel, contempora ...
.
In 2001,
BEC Recordings
BEC (Brandon Ebel Company) Recordings is a Christian rock record label that is an imprint of Tooth & Nail Records. The label was formed in 1997 in partnership with the EMI Christian Music Group.
The label promotes bands with more adult Christia ...
released a second tribute record ''Start Right Here: Remembering the Life of Keith Green''. Produced by
Derri Daugherty
Derri Daugherty (born Derald Daugherty; October 13, 1958) is an American record producer, songwriter, guitarist and singer, best known as the lead singer and guitarist for band the Choir.
Daugherty is also one of the founding members of the R ...
, the album included performances by new contemporary Christian artists
MxPx
MxPx () is an American pop punk band from Bremerton, Washington, founded in 1992 as Magnified Plaid. As of 2016, current members include Mike Herrera on lead vocals and bass guitar, Yuri Ruley on drums and percussion, Tom Wisniewski on lead gui ...
,
Joy Electric
Joy Electric is the brand label for a series of electropop/synthpop productions by Ronnie Martin. Martin began producing music under the Joy Electric name in 1994, after the demise of Dance House Children, a band Ronnie was in with his brother ...
,
Starflyer 59
Starflyer 59 is an American alternative rock band from Riverside, California that was founded in 1993 by Jason Martin, brother of Ronnie Martin of Joy Electric. While Jason Martin has written nearly all of Starflyer 59's songs, the band has ...
, among others.
At the 20th anniversary of Green's death, Sparrow Records released another tribute album, ''Your Love Broke Through: The Worship Songs of Keith Green''. The 2002 album contains re-recordings by
Rebecca St. James,
Michelle Tumes
Michelle Louise Tumes (born 1971) is an Australian contemporary Christian musician from Adelaide. In 1993, she moved to the United States and has released five studio albums, ''Listen'' (1998), ''Center of My Universe'' (2000), ''Dream'' (2001), ...
,
Chris Tomlin
Christopher Dwayne Tomlin (born May 4, 1972) is an American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, and worship leader from Grand Saline, Texas, United States, who has sold over 7 million records. He is a member of Passion Conferences an ...
,
Twila Paris Twyla (also Twila) is a given name. Notable people with the name include:
Twyla
* Twyla Hansen (born 1949), American poet, a Nebraska State Poet
* Twyla Herbert (1921–2009), American songwriter
* Twyla King (1937-2022), American newspaper edito ...
,
Darlene Zschech
Darlene Joyce Zschech (; née Steinhardt on 8 September 1965) is an Australian Pentecostal Christian worship leader and singer-songwriter who primarily writes praise and worship songs. Described as a pioneer of the modern worship movement, she ...
,
Jason Upton,
Martin Smith Martin Smith may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*Martin Seymour-Smith (1928–1998), British poet, literary critic, biographer and astrologer
*Martin Cruz Smith (born 1942), American writer
* Martin Smith (drummer) (1946–1997), British drummer ...
, Charlie Hall,
Joanne Hogg
Joanne Hogg is a Northern Irish musician, best known for her work as the lead singer and songwriter with the Celtic Christian progressive rock and pop band Iona (named after the island Iona).
Early life and education
Hogg's father is a Presb ...
,
Matt Redman
Matthew James Redman (born 14 February 1974) is an English Christian worship leader, singer-songwriter and author. Redman has released 16 albums, written 8 books, and helped start three church-plants. He is best known for his two-time Grammy Aw ...
, Paul Oakley, and Sarah Sadler. The album contains contemporary Christian and mainstream artist
Michael W. Smith
Michael Whitaker Smith (born October 7, 1957) is an American musician who has charted in both contemporary Christian and mainstream charts. His biggest success in mainstream music was in 1991 when " Place in This World" hit No. 6 on the '' ...
's version of the song "There Is One", an unfinished work by Green. Composition of the song was completed by Smith, along with British songwriter and Christian music artist Martin Smith.
Honors
On November 27, 2001, Green was inducted into the
Gospel Music Hall of Fame
The Gospel Music Hall of Fame, created in 1972 by the Gospel Music Association, is a Hall of Fame dedicated exclusively to recognizing meaningful contributions by individuals and groups in all forms of gospel music.
Inductees
This is an incompl ...
. Melody Green and their daughters Rebekah and Rachel attended to receive the honor for Keith.
On April 3, 2006, Green was honored with the ASCAP Crescendo Award at the 28th annual ASCAP Christian Music Awards presentation dinner. His widow, Melody Green, and their daughter Rachel were present to receive the award for Keith.
Documentary
''The Keith Green Story - Your Love Broke Through'', a 2002 documentary DVD about Green's life, was directed by Daren Thomas with Melody Green as executive producer. Narrated by
Toby Mac
Toby McKeehan (born Kevin Michael McKeehan; October 22, 1964), better known by his stage name TobyMac (styled tobyMac or TOBYMAC), is an American contemporary Christian music singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He was first known f ...
, it was distributed by Sparrow Records.
Film
In 2011, Melody Green announced that a feature film about Green's life was in development. After the initial producers failed to exercise their final option to obtain long-term film rights, Melody began to gather a new production team. As of 2013, the film was under development.
Discography
Career releases: 1965–1982
Mainstream recordings
Besides the first disc release in May 1965 (pictured below), two more Decca disc releases occurred before Donny Osmond took the spotlight.
Christian albums
* ''
For Him Who Has Ears to Hear'' (May 20, 1977)
* ''
No Compromise'' (November 9, 1978)
* ''
So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt'' (May 7, 1980)
* ''
The Keith Green Collection'' (August 11, 1981)
* ''
Songs for the Shepherd
''Songs for the Shepherd'' is the fifth album released by American contemporary Christian music pianist and singer Keith Green. It is the last album which had been completed prior to his death in a plane crash in July 1982.
Track listing
# "T ...
'' (April 12, 1982)
Posthumous releases
Christian albums
* ''I Only Want to See You There'' (March 21, 1983)
* ''
The Prodigal Son'' (August 15, 1983)
* ''
Jesus Commands Us to Go!'' (July 20, 1984)
* ''
The Ministry Years, Volume One'' (1987)
* ''The Ministry Years, Volume Two'' (1988)
* ''The Early Years'' (1996)
* ''Best of Keith Green: Asleep in the Light'' (1996)
* ''Because of You: Songs of Testimony'' (1998)
* ''Here Am I, Send Me: Songs of Evangelism'' (1998)
* ''Make My Life a Prayer to You: Songs of Devotion'' (1998)
* ''Oh Lord, You're Beautiful: Songs of Worship'' (1998)
* ''The Ultimate Collection'' (DVD/CD release) (2002)
* ''Live Experience'' (CD) (April 29, 2008)
* ''Greatest Hits'' (April 29, 2008)
* ''Happy Birthday to You Jesus'' (November 23, 2009)
* ''Icon'' (July 16, 2013)
* ''20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Keith Green'' (February 3, 2015)
* ''The Studio Collection 6 CD Box Set'' (December 12, 2022)
Mainstream albums
* ''Keith Green Live (His Incredible Youth)'' (1995)
* ''The Early Word'' (February 13, 2009)
Tribute albums
* ''No Compromise: Remembering the Music of Keith Green'' (1993)
* ''
Start Right Here: Remembering the Life of Keith Green'' (2001)
* ''Your Love Broke Through: The Worship Songs Of Keith Green'' (2002)
Bibliography
''(All released posthumously)''
* ''No Compromise: The Life Story of Keith Green'' by Melody Green (1989)
* ''A Cry in the Wilderness: Twelve Bold Messages About Uncompromising Faith'' (1993)
* ''If You Love the Lord'' (2000)
* ''Make My Life a Prayer'' (2001)
References
External links
*
Last Days MinistriesAircraft Incident and Accident report(contains text of NTSB report and a great deal more information)
(This ties Keith Green to the Aircraft Registration Number in the NTSB report)
with a view of private runway inside the Last Days Ministries property (1995 satellite photo)
The Keith Green Story, video documentary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Green, Keith
1953 births
1982 deaths
20th-century American singers
Accidental deaths in Texas
American child singers
American evangelicals
American performers of Christian music
Christian music songwriters
Former Christian Scientists
Jewish American musicians
People from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn
Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1982
Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United States
Jewish rock musicians
20th-century American pianists
American male pianists
20th-century American male singers
Musicians killed in aviation accidents or incidents