Thirty Years of Music on KJOL

Thirty Years of Music on KJOL, Part 2 With KJOL marking its 30th anniversary in April, we’re taking a stroll down memory lane. Last month we reviewed some of the most popular songs from 1980 to 1984. This month, it’s a look at some top songs from the second half of the 1980’s.

1985 #1Imperials – “Let The Wind Blow” In 1981, Baylor University student Paul Smith promoted a concert with the Imperials, and gave Armond Morales a tape of his music. Shortly thereafter, Russ Taff left the Imperials to pursue a solo career, and Morales invited Smith to join the quartet. Smith sang on four albums, including Stand By The Power and Let The Wind Blow. In 1985, The Imperials, with Smith, Morales, Jim Murray, and David Will, came to Grand Junction on their “Let The Wind Blow” tour, performing at Stocker Stadium.

#3 Michele Pillar – “Look Who Loves You” These days Michelle Pillar may be better known as the wife of jazz guitar legend Larry Carlton, but in the 1980s, she had several very popular songs, including “He Rolled Away The Stone” and “You Were There All Along” (duet with Lenny LeBlanc). Since 2000, she and her husband have operated a charity called “Closer To Home” which raises funds for needy families.

1986 #1 Benny Hester – “When God Ran” In 1972, while still a teenager, Benny Hester recorded an album called “Benny” featuring members of Elvis Presley’s band. It was finished and sitting in a warehouse when a fire destroyed all the albums and master tapes, and it was never released. In 1978, Sparrow Records released Hester’s first (actual) album, “Benny Hester,” which produced the hit single “Jesus Came Into My Life.” He has since written and recorded more than 25 Top Ten songs, none bigger than “When God Ran.” #3 Sandi Patti – “Was It A Morning Like This” Her real name is Sandra Faye Patty, but a printer’s error spelled her last name “Patti” and that’s how she became known to millions, with her soaring vocals which earned her the nickname “The Voice.” (She says her range covers four octaves.) On July 4, 1986, she gave one of the great renditions of “The Star Spangled Banner” during the ABC Statue of Liberty re- dedication. “Was It A Morning Like This” is a favorite Easter song.

1987 #1 Steve Camp – “He Covers Me” Steve Camp began his career playing guitar and singing backup vocals on Scott Wesley Brown’s 1977 album I’m Not Religious, I Just Love The Lord. As a student of both music composition and theology, Camp is known for his strong views that Christian musicians are called to make uncompromising music that confronts the world with the message of the Scriptures. A classic example is the KJOL favorite “Living In Laodicea.”

#2 Wayne Watson – “Friend Of A Wounded Heart” Wayne Watson has produced 23 No. 1 songs in Christian radio, including “Almighty,” “Touch Of The Master’s Hand,” and “Another Time Another Place” (with Sandi Patty). Although he was born in Louisiana, his 1987 album used the British spelling for “Water Colour Ponies.” Recently he has been part of the “Classic Christian Tour” with Steve Green, Twila Paris, and Michael Card (a tour we’d love to see in Grand Junction!).

1988 #1 Rich Mullins – “Awesome God” In 1987, Rich Mullins was driving his Ford Ranger to a youth conference in Colorado. To stay awake, he made up a song that imitated a fiery radio preacher. The result? “Awesome God” (It works better if you say it with a Southern drawl). He related this story during a concert in Grand Junction in 1995. Not long afterward, he was tragically killed while driving to another youth conference in Kansas in 1997.

#3 First Call – “The Reason We Sing” Marty McCall, Bonnie Keen, and Melody Tunney met while they were studio session singers in Nashville. The trio was considered “first call” by music producers—the first choice when studios needed backup vocals. They didn’t plan to become a formal group, so they used the name “First Call & Friends” when they made an a cappella album in 1985 called An Evening In December. Their Manhattan Transfer-style vocals quickly caught on, leading to Undivided and Something Takes Over. McCall and Keen gave a memorable concert in Grand Junction in the 1995.

1989 #4 Steven Curtis Chapman – “More To This Life” “More To This Life” was Steven Curtis Chapman’s first gold album (selling more than a half million copies) with hits including the title track plus “Waiting For Lightning,” “I Will Be Here,” and “Love You With My Life.” He has since had 46 No. 1 hits and sold more than 10 million albums. More recently, he is also known for founding Show Hope, a charity named after his adopted daughter Shaohannah, that works for orphans and adoption.

#8 Twila Paris – “Sweet Victory” Twila Paris’ sixth album, “For Every Heart,” contained several KJOL favorites, including “You Have Been Good” and “For The Glory Of The Lord.” She was part of a concert in Grand Junction in 2000, just after the original KJOL was sold. Unfortunately, she had laryngitis and was only able to sing a couple of songs! She is now touring with the “Classic Christian Tour” mentioned above.