About Andre Crouch (famous gospel singer) - Research Paper Example

Andre Crouch Andrew Crouch is a celebrated figure in pop music and is especially a favorite with Christians for his inspirational songs popular with churchgoers. His gospels would share so much with R & B save for the fact that they use “Jesus” instead of “baby”. Crouch was a creative composer, arranger and performer, a great performer who wrote many gospel songs during his lifetime (Nelson 76). Although pundits criticized him for his secular tone, he was very well respected and recognized in churches across the United States.

His fame compared to that of Billy Graham and Michael Jackson. He was a vocal arranger for LA recording sessions and was quick to infuse the much needed gospel sounds into the songs. He worked with various artists, perhaps picking their styles to create a unique intonation for his music. His gospel music genius can perhaps be seen by listening to his songs such as He’s Worthy, Can’t Nobody do me like Jesus, Man in the Mirror, The Force behind the Power, and Let the Church say Amen (Jones 83).

Besides composing gospel sons, crouch is also the author of the best selling and an award-winning book Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power, among other books that have been acclaimed internationally. Andy was the senior editor of Christian today, a magazine that majorly talks about Christianity and perception of people about religion in the contemporary times. He has directed religious documentary videos as well as a number of missionary works all over the world. He served as a senior board member of Fuller Theological Seminary, Christian organization concerned with child exploitation in Southeast Asia and Haiti.

He has contributed in a number of articles tackling diverse topics ranging from religion to economy; politics to social warfare. He is rightly referred to as the founder of modern gospel. He did help to bridge the gap between black American and White churches (Reed 23). His signature style is the slow and tuneful gospel music that has mostly be mistaken to be secular. His spiritual growth was inherited from his father, a staunch church founder who greatly influenced Crouch’s spiritual growth Although he is dead, Andrew Crouch will be best remembered for his role in black American gospel music.

He influenced Americans in every simple way possible. He was charismatic and perhaps helped to bridge the gap of the racial divide that has been part of American identity for a considerable length of time. He communicated through his song in a unique way than others of others before his time. He “secularized” gospel music not in the self that the very essence of Christianity was lost; it only became more fashionable, adding humor and appeal to the youths, while retaining the basic messages in the gospel.

Perhaps he influenced many other people and changed the perception about black American gospel music. Undeniably, Andrew Crouch is the father of “modern Christianity” who will be greatly missed following his brief demise, but who will be immortalized in his songs. Annotated BibliographyJones, Ferdinand, Ed. The triumph of the soul: Cultural and psychological aspects of African American music. Praeger Publishers, 2011.The author notes that most Christian scholars and contemporary observers view gospel music as a great commercial phenomenon; the gospel music especially in the United States has its origins in black traditions.

They especially note the contribution of black American gospel singers such as Andrea Crouch who they agree really did contribute a lot in American gospel songs. Moreover, the author agrees that the gospel music has been used to spread the word of God as well. However, he contends that concert entrepreneurs have also played a role in helping spread the craze with urban gospel music that has seen the deep entrenchment of the black American gospel music in the mainstream American society.Nelson, Angela MS.

"Why we sing: The role and meaning of gospel in African American popular culture." The triumph of the soul: Cultural and psychological aspects of African American music (2009): 97-126.The author notes that the gospel music in America has greatly been transformed in the past one decade. The American public is today more tolerant to various genres of gospel music such as the ones introduced by the legendary Andrea Crouch. Today, Black Americans have diverse musical tastes and are tolerant to different forms of gospel music, Nelson notes.

The author notes the role gospel music plays especially in uniting the minority black groups in the United States. Gospel music has been used to spread the gospel perhaps in a way that is incomparable to the way gospel music was used, say, in the 1960’s. Reed, Monica C. "" The Lord Has Led Me, and He Will Lead You:" The Role of Gospel Music in the Formation of Early Twentieth Century Chicago Culture." (2007). Reed mentions that gospel music has played a significant role in changing the outlook of the black American religious institutions.

He argues that perhaps black American singers such as Andrea Crouch have a great impact regarding this perception that has seen most churches in the United States embrace black American gospel songs. Gospel music, he notes, has played a significant role in transforming what he calls “the American culture”. He specifically mentions that through relentless efforts of singers such as Andrea Crouch gospel music popularity has increased exponentially.