Crouch marks four decades of gospel career

05/21/2006 4:02 PM, Reuters
Deborah Evans Price

Andrae Crouch is celebrating his 40th anniversary in gospel music by releasing his first new studio album in eight years.

"Mighty Wind," due May 30 on Verity, showcases a veteran artist still at the forefront of contemporary gospel music. "I started when I was 14 years old, and time has gone by so fast," says Crouch, who wrote the gospel classic "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power" for the junior choir at his father's church when he was only 14.

Over the years, Crouch has gained worldwide acclaim as a songwriter, producer, arranger and minister. Not only has he shaped the face of contemporary gospel music, but he has worked with numerous high-profile mainstream artists, among them Madonna, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones and Elton John. Crouch is the only living gospel artist to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He's a member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and is a recipient of the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award, presented last year at the organization's inaugural Salute to Gospel Music.

Crouch recorded "Mighty Wind" -- co-produced with Luther "Mano" Hanes -- on his own before signing with Verity. "I just wanted to do what I felt the Lord was telling me to do without anyone giving me (direction) as to what the industry wanted," Crouch says.

In addition to his music career, Southern California-based Crouch serves as a pastor of the New Christ Memorial Church of God in Christ, a post he has held since the late '90s. "When God calls you to do something, you're not happy if you run away from it," he says.

Reuters/Billboard