Phil Keaggy is one of the world’s great guitar players and a pioneer in contemporary Christian music (CCM). He’s released more than 50 albums and is a seven-time Dove Award winner. He also received two Grammy nominations for best rock gospel album. He’s frequently listed in Guitar Player magazine reader polls as one of the world’s top finger-picking guitar players. Keaggy began his career with the jazz rock band Glass Harp, which recorded its first album in 1970. About that time, though, Keaggy’s mother died in a car accident. It was a turning point in his life. Keaggy became a Christian. Even though he continued to perform with Glass Harp, he forged a solo career. He had his first contemporary Christian music hit with “What A Day,” released in 1973. I talked to Keaggy at the National Religious Broadcasters convention held recently in Nashville.
The Glass Harp started as a jazz trio in Ohio. Were any of you believers at the time? If you were to ask the three of us, were we believers, we’d all probably say we were all believers in God. We were all raised Catholic. Daniel Pecchio and John Sferra are both Italian Catholic, and I’m from Irish Catholic background. We all believed in God. What happened to me was I had a specific, very deep, profound experience where I was born again. It comes at a different time in believers’ lives. I personally believe that God puts faith in us. As a child, I prayed, I went to church with my mom and my brothers and sisters, and my dad, occasionally he went. I wanted to know God. I wanted to always be His child. The Holy Spirit came into my heart in February 1970 as a result of my mom’s passing from a car accident. It was truly a wonderful experience that I hold to that confession of faith to this day. That’s what happened. I started writing songs about my belief in Jesus, and I was reading Scripture. I was learning so much about God, and my relationship with Him was growing. I was introduced to the lady who became my wife just 11 months after I became a believer. We’ve been married almost 42 years now. My passion for the gospel was really, truly a big part of my life in communicating what I was going to sing. As a guitarist, I felt that I grew by leaps and bounds just by getting in touch with God that way.
I think the Holy Spirit loves music, and I think where the spirit of the Lord is, there’s liberty. I’ve spent all these years enjoying playing the guitar and making people happy, bringing hope to them, bringing good news to them
You’ve said that you prefer playing acoustic. Why is that? I really prefer the acoustic stuff because I could pull out any song out of the hat over my years if they’re rehearsed enough, if I’m cognizant of the words and the changes and things, I’ll step out on a limb and do it. If someone says, “Hey, Phil tonight would you play ‘Rise Up’ or ‘Let Everything Else Go?’” or maybe a song that I hadn’t done in a while? “Things I Will Do” or something like that … I’ll pull it out and I’ll do it. I know that somebody there wanted to hear that song. I like to see their faces. I like to communicate. I like to be able to relax and have some one-on-one time with the whole audience. … I’m there to serve, actually. I’m there to provide, I hope, a service of hope and joy and musicality. If I’m happy and relaxed, I think they will be, too. I’ve never been like, people up on their feet. I’ve been a different kind of artist. I have never been a pop sensation or anything like that. I’m just kind of who I am.
"Phil Keaggy on Christian music, then and now"
By Warren Cole Smith.