I bought my first Andrae Crouch album sound unheard. I knew his name, that he and his band The Disciples were supposed to be really good, but there was no way to hear the music beforehand. My local record store didn’t stock such music; radio certainly didn’t play it. I had to get it by mail order.

Andrae Crouch died on Thursday, January 8. He was 72. I hadn’t thought of him in years. Tastes change and it must be three decades since I last bought one of his records, but the news of his death brought a cascade of memories. I could see the album covers and hear the music in my head as if it were 1972 all over again.

Andrae Crouch was the bridge between black gospel and rock and roll, a pioneer of what we now call Contemporary Christian Music. Back in the 1960s it was just “Jesus Music” or even “Jesus Rock,” something that existed on the fringes of the musical mainstream. I suspect many of today’s performers in the genre  don’t know his name, or the names of other pioneers of that era such as Randy Matthews, Larry Norman, Honeytree and Randy Stonehill.

In recent years I would see occasionally see Andrae’s name in the credits of albums by other artists such as Madonna and Michael Jackson; and if you have heard the music from the movie The Lion King you have heard his work – he arranged the songs. Numerous artists have covered his songs over the years, including the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley. Andrae died on what would have been Elvis’ 80th birthday.

There are so many great Andrae Crouch songs, but the one that first came to my mind when I hear of his death was “My Tribute.” Andrae & the Disciples recorded it on their second album, 1971’s Keep On Singin’. Over the years I have heard numerous people sing this song; it never fails to touch my spirit.
How can I say thanks for the things
You have done for me?
Things so undeserved yet you gave
To prove your love for me
The voices of a million angels
Could not express my gratitude
All that I am, and ever hope to be
I owe it all to thee

To God be the glory, to God be the glory
To God be the glory for the things he has done
With his blood he has saved me
With his power he has raised me
To God be the glory for the things he has done
Just let me live my life and
Let it be pleasing Lord to thee
And if I gain any praise, let it go to Calvary
With his blood he has saved me
With his power he has raised me
To God be the glory for the things he has done
– Andrae Crouch