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Rock & Roll Preacher
After years of searching for meaning through drugs, Buddhism, sex, and Eastern philosophy, a long-haired hippie musician walked his bare feet into a little country church and encountered the living God. Confounded by the simplicity of the gospel, a young Chuck Girard dedicated his life to Jesus during the height of the sexual revolution and civil unrest that characterized the decade of the '60s. Along with thousands of other "Jesus Freaks" who came to be known as the Jesus Movement, Chuck's story was only just getting started.
From drugged-out hippie to pioneer of Contemporary Christian Music, Rock & Roll Preacher chronicles the true story of Chuck Girard, founder of the iconic band, Love Song. Told through his own eyes, he documents the history of the Jesus Movement, the growth of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, Love Song, and the CCM industry.
Yet at the pinnacle of success as a Contemporary Christian music artist in the '80s, alcoholism threatened to end his successful ministry, reputation, and family. What happens when a famous Christian singer struggles with addiction? Where is God when his followers are less than perfect? Can God heal, deliver, and restore?
This raw and honest memoir is both refreshing and convicting. Pulling no punches, Chuck draws from his deep well of experience following Jesus for over 40 years, through the highs and lows of real life. From losing his father at the age of five, walk with Chuck as he searched for God, and found so much more... a Father who would heal his deepest wounds, and walk with him for a lifetime.
From drugged-out hippie to pioneer of Contemporary Christian Music, Rock & Roll Preacher chronicles the true story of Chuck Girard, founder of the iconic band, Love Song. Told through his own eyes, he documents the history of the Jesus Movement, the growth of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, Love Song, and the CCM industry.
Yet at the pinnacle of success as a Contemporary Christian music artist in the '80s, alcoholism threatened to end his successful ministry, reputation, and family. What happens when a famous Christian singer struggles with addiction? Where is God when his followers are less than perfect? Can God heal, deliver, and restore?
This raw and honest memoir is both refreshing and convicting. Pulling no punches, Chuck draws from his deep well of experience following Jesus for over 40 years, through the highs and lows of real life. From losing his father at the age of five, walk with Chuck as he searched for God, and found so much more... a Father who would heal his deepest wounds, and walk with him for a lifetime.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 4, 2021
46 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Chuck Girard
8 booksChuck Girard was an American musician, considered a pioneer of Contemporary Christian music.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 8, 2021
The title for this review contains alliteration, but those three words came to mind as I considered the book I've just read: transparency, testimony, and truth. As I followed Chuck on his life journey through these pages, I was struck by the transparency with which he writes. This account isn't in any way a glossed-over story, sharing only the good, commendable events. The depth of his struggles is presented as well, which serves to point people to the Christ who can redeem anyone and use him for His glory. His overall testimony is fascinating. I've always had an interest in contemporary Christian music since back in the 70s when I began listening to Andre Crouch, Evie Tornquist, and B.J. Thomas. My life was also touched deeply by the Jesus Movement in the same time period. Chuck goes into great depth describing the music that defined the beginnings of that movement. He was at "ground zero" of a revival explosion that God used to change the lives of thousands upon thousands of young people. He shares extensively about his interaction with Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel -- the pastor and the church where it all began. He name drops people he knew such as Barry McGuire, Keith Green, Phil Keaggy, and many others. Before reading this book, I was aware of Chuck Girard and his group "Love Song," but I had no idea he was as influential in the beginnings of contemporary Christian music as he was. Finally, even though the book is about his own testimony and Christian experience, it all points the reader back to the truth of the Scriptures. Girard is certainly no theologian, but it's amazing how spot-on his theology is as he shares the Gospel and gives spiritual tips to readers in the final chapters. If your life was touched by the Jesus Movement of the 70s, I strongly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I'm sure you will too.
July 5, 2022
Though I bought this book in January, I only now got a chance to sit down and read it in July, about six months after I placed this read on a shelf of books to read at a later date and time. I am a bit sad it took me so long to get to this book. Though once I started reading it, I finished this exciting book in just a day and a half, which undoubtedly is a witness to the encouraging and easy read this book is. The speed at which I read this book also testifies to the way the story captivated my heart and mind as I read it. Like many authors today, this book is self-published, but there were only a few small instances in the story development where that was noticeable, and the development of his story was done well and with an eye for great detail.
Chuck Girard truly was a pioneer in the early southern California music scene. Despite a disadvantaged, and at times dysfunctional upbringing, it is undeniable that from a young age that Chuck found himself mesmerized by the beauty and power of music. Music was more than a capability or confidence he had in life; it was also his calling. This book follows his journey, a journey in which musical expression was also a companion for Chuck Girard as he journeyed towards finding himself, as well as finding his place amidst the pressures of societal polarization and upheaval, and music even became his companion on his journey of exploring curiosity about God (even if there was one), in an unforgettable era in which many musicians were breaking through cultural restraints and entering a similar journey for meaning and purpose.
Steadily rising to the Billboard charts with The Castells in the late 1950s, Chuck Girard also became an important and recognized studio musician and songwriting collaborator. Chuck worked alongside household names, including members of the Beach Boys and many other names that would easily be recognized by almost everyone in both the national and Southern California music scenes. Chuck’s growing notoriety and capacity as a musician, would also eventually land him a home in the 1960s, with a charting surf-rock group, The Hondells, and with several other talented and upcoming acts. Over the years, Chuck’s undeniable fingerprints and influence have been on many musicians, musical projects, and live events. Each chapter explores his personal story in great detail, exploring not only his musical endeavors and stories from his collaborations but also what he was thinking and wrestling with at the time.
Eventually, neither music nor flirting with mainstream success was satisfying enough for Chuck. As was common in the 1960s and 1970s, many individuals, especially in the musical sphere, began to search for greater meaning and purpose and ultimately for a different set of morals, ethics, and political understandings than they saw plaguing generations before. Like many of his counterparts, Chuck began to look for meaning and purpose anywhere it could be found, which led him on a spiritual search fueled especially by heavy drug and alcohol use, while experimenting with new cultural and sexual norms, and coinciding with an exploration of the teachings of various eastern religions, new age philosophies, and more. Chuck weaves his search for purpose and meaning throughout Rock and Roll Preacher, never missing important and interesting details.
Through hitchhikers and other unusual places and people, this doo-wop musician turned radical hippy begins to hear about a little country church in Southern California. That small country-style church was unusually welcoming to hippies and was emerging as a place where many people were beginning to say that they were finding greater purpose and meaning. In a quest for truth and out of general interest, Chuck Girard walks into a significant point of time, a time which will soon become the infamous intersection of the Jesus People movement and the church movement that would emerge from a little country church known as the Calvary Chapel.
This book follows Chuck as he encounters an unusual journey into Christianity, radically committing his life to Jesus, which was a countercultural move in such a time of civil unrest and sexual revolution. Neither full acceptance of Jesus nor the transformation of Chuck Girard happened overnight, but this read intriguingly introduces the way that the Holy Spirit began to plant seeds about God and a new way of living to Chuck, and honestly with many others who were around him at the time. I would say that this is an essential read for anyone who has had any level of interest or experience in the Jesus People movement, or interest or experience in the Calvary Chapel and Vineyard Church movements, two church movements that simultaneously emerged through similar synergy and through the influence of what God was doing at that moment.
Perhaps, for many, Chuck Girard is known most for his work with the iconic Jesus Movement band, Love Song, and this book will explore those musical endeavors (and all the backstories) as he explores the story of his band that carried a unique anointing from God, an anointing of proclamation, healing, and worship. These pages drip with evidence of the Spirit of God at work, and of the healing that was realized despite some very trying moments, but the book is raw, vulnerable, and transparent, keeping nothing from the reader. Among my favorite parts of this book were the stories of others in this era, that were involved in these scenes, including those who have indirectly influenced my sojourn journey, such as Lonnie Frisbee, Chuck Smith, Kenn Gulliksen, and many others. This book explores the way it was for Chuck and the Jesus People movement.
Personally, I connect with stories from individuals like this, because I was someone who went on a similar spiritual sojourn in my twenties, with my own musical endeavors as a companion, before I ended up finding transformative encounters with God in the Vineyard Church movement. I admit that I am always inspired by those who also sojourned in a similar way, a few generations before me, but I can still highly recommend reading this written journey. Sadly, I remember walking by Chuck Girard during a musical event, and never took the time to introduce myself. Perhaps our paths will cross once again on this side of eternity.
Chuck Girard truly was a pioneer in the early southern California music scene. Despite a disadvantaged, and at times dysfunctional upbringing, it is undeniable that from a young age that Chuck found himself mesmerized by the beauty and power of music. Music was more than a capability or confidence he had in life; it was also his calling. This book follows his journey, a journey in which musical expression was also a companion for Chuck Girard as he journeyed towards finding himself, as well as finding his place amidst the pressures of societal polarization and upheaval, and music even became his companion on his journey of exploring curiosity about God (even if there was one), in an unforgettable era in which many musicians were breaking through cultural restraints and entering a similar journey for meaning and purpose.
Steadily rising to the Billboard charts with The Castells in the late 1950s, Chuck Girard also became an important and recognized studio musician and songwriting collaborator. Chuck worked alongside household names, including members of the Beach Boys and many other names that would easily be recognized by almost everyone in both the national and Southern California music scenes. Chuck’s growing notoriety and capacity as a musician, would also eventually land him a home in the 1960s, with a charting surf-rock group, The Hondells, and with several other talented and upcoming acts. Over the years, Chuck’s undeniable fingerprints and influence have been on many musicians, musical projects, and live events. Each chapter explores his personal story in great detail, exploring not only his musical endeavors and stories from his collaborations but also what he was thinking and wrestling with at the time.
Eventually, neither music nor flirting with mainstream success was satisfying enough for Chuck. As was common in the 1960s and 1970s, many individuals, especially in the musical sphere, began to search for greater meaning and purpose and ultimately for a different set of morals, ethics, and political understandings than they saw plaguing generations before. Like many of his counterparts, Chuck began to look for meaning and purpose anywhere it could be found, which led him on a spiritual search fueled especially by heavy drug and alcohol use, while experimenting with new cultural and sexual norms, and coinciding with an exploration of the teachings of various eastern religions, new age philosophies, and more. Chuck weaves his search for purpose and meaning throughout Rock and Roll Preacher, never missing important and interesting details.
Through hitchhikers and other unusual places and people, this doo-wop musician turned radical hippy begins to hear about a little country church in Southern California. That small country-style church was unusually welcoming to hippies and was emerging as a place where many people were beginning to say that they were finding greater purpose and meaning. In a quest for truth and out of general interest, Chuck Girard walks into a significant point of time, a time which will soon become the infamous intersection of the Jesus People movement and the church movement that would emerge from a little country church known as the Calvary Chapel.
This book follows Chuck as he encounters an unusual journey into Christianity, radically committing his life to Jesus, which was a countercultural move in such a time of civil unrest and sexual revolution. Neither full acceptance of Jesus nor the transformation of Chuck Girard happened overnight, but this read intriguingly introduces the way that the Holy Spirit began to plant seeds about God and a new way of living to Chuck, and honestly with many others who were around him at the time. I would say that this is an essential read for anyone who has had any level of interest or experience in the Jesus People movement, or interest or experience in the Calvary Chapel and Vineyard Church movements, two church movements that simultaneously emerged through similar synergy and through the influence of what God was doing at that moment.
Perhaps, for many, Chuck Girard is known most for his work with the iconic Jesus Movement band, Love Song, and this book will explore those musical endeavors (and all the backstories) as he explores the story of his band that carried a unique anointing from God, an anointing of proclamation, healing, and worship. These pages drip with evidence of the Spirit of God at work, and of the healing that was realized despite some very trying moments, but the book is raw, vulnerable, and transparent, keeping nothing from the reader. Among my favorite parts of this book were the stories of others in this era, that were involved in these scenes, including those who have indirectly influenced my sojourn journey, such as Lonnie Frisbee, Chuck Smith, Kenn Gulliksen, and many others. This book explores the way it was for Chuck and the Jesus People movement.
Personally, I connect with stories from individuals like this, because I was someone who went on a similar spiritual sojourn in my twenties, with my own musical endeavors as a companion, before I ended up finding transformative encounters with God in the Vineyard Church movement. I admit that I am always inspired by those who also sojourned in a similar way, a few generations before me, but I can still highly recommend reading this written journey. Sadly, I remember walking by Chuck Girard during a musical event, and never took the time to introduce myself. Perhaps our paths will cross once again on this side of eternity.
February 5, 2024
Welcome Back
Not only a nice trip down memory lane; but also a great encouragement toward Jesus and his power to change what no one or nothing else can.
Not only a nice trip down memory lane; but also a great encouragement toward Jesus and his power to change what no one or nothing else can.
December 5, 2021
Chuck Girard was there at several beginnings...the first was as a founding member in the early wave of Southern California surf and hot rod music that exploded in the early 1960s. But success was fleeting and a search for something more took him into religions of the world and drug addiction. This long and winding road would take a turn where he found himself at a "little country church on the edge of town" where an unknown preacher with a big heart for lost young people opened his arms to a smelly, long haired hippie and his friends. Out of that relationship, and Chuck's surrendering to Jesus, a tidal wave was about to hit the Gospel music industry through the music of Love Song and the Christian rock bands that would follow them. But the path was not easy and the demon of addiction would once again raise its destructive head, resulting in Chuck almost losing everything.
"Rock & Roll Preacher" is a from-the-heart, no-holds-barred look at the life of one man whose extreme talent touched the souls of millions around the world while behind the scenes his past and the addictions of his body almost took all of that away. If not for his faith in God and the love of Calvary Chapel's senior pastor Chuck Smith, the journey would not have ended well. "Rock & Roll Preacher" addresses issues not very often openly talked about in church and should be. It's a fascinating look into the early days of the Jesus Movement, the music that developed out of it, the burgeoning Contemporary Christian music industry, and the realization that addiction exists even in the body of Christ. A highly recommended read for those interested in that time and its music.
"Rock & Roll Preacher" is a from-the-heart, no-holds-barred look at the life of one man whose extreme talent touched the souls of millions around the world while behind the scenes his past and the addictions of his body almost took all of that away. If not for his faith in God and the love of Calvary Chapel's senior pastor Chuck Smith, the journey would not have ended well. "Rock & Roll Preacher" addresses issues not very often openly talked about in church and should be. It's a fascinating look into the early days of the Jesus Movement, the music that developed out of it, the burgeoning Contemporary Christian music industry, and the realization that addiction exists even in the body of Christ. A highly recommended read for those interested in that time and its music.
March 28, 2021
What an excellent book! The beginning was a little rough but once Girard caught his stride - he did a great job on the writing and choosing which stories to tell. I first knew of Love Song after they published their first album and went on tour. I saw them in Portland, Oregon. Although I knew that they had been saved out of the drug world, I was really surprised at how deep and extended their involvement was which made their conversions all the more wonderful. I loved how Chuck described his conversion and his thoughts on modern day evangelism compared to how it was in the Jesus Movement with a much stronger emphasis on sin and the reality of heaven and hell. The amount of people saved in the Jesus Movement was bigger and broader than I ever knew and so it was such a joy to read this book! I loved the fact that none of the early Christian musicians were in it for the money but solely to tell the Good News. I'm so thankful to Chuck for his amazing transparency about his alcoholism and I felt that his views were so wise and well thought out. He is very well spoken on the topic -not making excuses yet extending much mercy. I highly recommend this book!
February 17, 2024
I loved this book. It takes us back to the early days of the Jesus Movement and the genesis of Jesus music that occurred in California, giving us a firsthand account of those days. I was struck by the simplicity of the message that brought so many to a saving relationship with Jesus…today’s church could learn much from this. I so appreciate Chuck’s honesty with his struggles throughout his life because we all fail and we all CAN recover with the help of Jesus and His Holy Spirit. Great book and I highly recommend it.
October 10, 2025
I discovered LoveSong as a teenager in the early 70's. I remember seeing them play at Explo 72 and some other shows over the years. I also have enjoyed Chuck Girard's solo work and have seen him over the years live. But to get the back story has been amazing!
If you enjoy reading autobiographies and you want some insight into the Jesus Movement of the early 70's, then this is the book for you. Hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I did.
If you enjoy reading autobiographies and you want some insight into the Jesus Movement of the early 70's, then this is the book for you. Hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I did.
October 17, 2023
Inspiration
Great autobiography, this book is a great insight into a journey in faith and the struggles faced, Chuck is open and honest with his journey. It shows the grace and patience of the Lord and how He leads us even when a wrong turn or decision was made. It is also a glimpse into the music industry that most don't realize. Thanks Chuck for sharing your journey.
Great autobiography, this book is a great insight into a journey in faith and the struggles faced, Chuck is open and honest with his journey. It shows the grace and patience of the Lord and how He leads us even when a wrong turn or decision was made. It is also a glimpse into the music industry that most don't realize. Thanks Chuck for sharing your journey.
October 10, 2025
Even Better the 2nd Time!
I read this when it first came out, but the second time reading through it was even better! What a joy to hear how relentless and incredibly forgiving God was to Chuck. I had no idea he was so intelligent and tried so many things, as he kept seeking the one true God. Fascinating and refreshing! His music was an important part of my life!
I read this when it first came out, but the second time reading through it was even better! What a joy to hear how relentless and incredibly forgiving God was to Chuck. I had no idea he was so intelligent and tried so many things, as he kept seeking the one true God. Fascinating and refreshing! His music was an important part of my life!
April 19, 2025
I have had the good fortune of meeting Chuck 4 or 5 times over the years in Western Australia and so I knew some of the story. I loved learning about some of the early days in music.
Thanks Chuck for sharing your life with us, Mate!!
Thanks Chuck for sharing your life with us, Mate!!
September 3, 2025
Music and Life Journey
Excellent read. Very authentic, personal, and realistic in describing the author’s journey. Anyone who enjoys music, will find this book enjoyable and fascinating. Highly recommend.
Excellent read. Very authentic, personal, and realistic in describing the author’s journey. Anyone who enjoys music, will find this book enjoyable and fascinating. Highly recommend.
April 5, 2021
Very well written! I just love biographies.
November 28, 2023
One man’s journey from rock n roll, the drug scene of the 60’s to redemption and freedom in Jesus Christ. And he was on the front lines of the Jesus Revolution!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews