Monthly Articles

Behind the Songs

It Started On a Keyboard Made of Paper

Scripture: I Peter 1:13-25
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from you vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without spot and without blemish.

Andrae Crouch wears many hats -- singer, musician, composer, and pastor, just to name a few. He presently leads the ministry of the New Christ Memorial Church in Los Angeles, California. His compositions have cut a wide path across Christianity for many years, and have influenced several catagories of sacred music.

Andrae and his twin sister, Sandra, were born in Los Angeles, California, into a dedicated Christian home. His dad, Ben Crouch, at that time a lay preacher, saw to it that his family was always active in Christian ministry. While young Crouch was growing up the family attended the Emmanuel Church of God in Christ, pastored by Rev. Samuel M. Crouch, Andrae's great uncle, with a congregation of approximately 2,000 people.

Andrae told me, “My parents had two dry-cleaning establishments; dad managed one and mom the other. When the opportunity presented itself they shared their faith with those who frequented their businesses. I grew up in that kind of environment, where we were always aware of the blessings of the Lord, and wanted to win souls for Him.”

One day the call came to Andrae's father to preach at Macedonia Church, a small congregation about sixty miles from Los Angeles. We had never heard my dad preach in a church, -- on street corners, in hospitals, and in other places -- but not in a real pulpit in a church. Mom packed us a lunch and we all loaded into the car, my sister, my older brother, my parents and I, and headed off to hear daddy preach. I remember that mom put the lunch in the trunk of the car, including the jello, which was like kool-aid when lunch time came. After the service we all said, ‘Ooo Daddy, you really preached!'

My dad had been urged to preach at this little church on an interim basis, until they could secure a pastor. He was hesitant to do so, but began to bargain with the Lord, ‘If you will give Andrae the gift of playing the piano, I will be a full-time minister, and figure out some other way to provide for my family.' I was dyslexic and stuttered very badly, so my dad knew that I wasn't a speaker, but maybe music was in me somewhere. He thought that there was not much chance of that prayer being answered and maybe he would not have to pastor that little church.
During that first service my dad had called me up from the audience and asked, “Andrae, if God gave you music, would you use it for His glory in your life?' I was only eleven years old and had never thought about it. There were no musicians in our immediate or extended family. I wouldn't have been more shocked if he had asked, ‘Would you like to be an astronaut?' Well, my mother believed so strongly in my dad's prayers that she went to a music store and bought a cardboard piano keyboard for me to practice fingering on. When she first showed it to me she had placed it on top of a sewing machine stand at the dry cleaning store. I immediately began to bang on the keyboard, pretending to play music that I had heard on the radio

Three weeks later, during a service in that little church, as we were about to sing ‘What a Friend We Have In Jesus,' my dad called out to me, ‘Andrae, come up here.' He motioned to an upright piano nearby and said, ‘Okay, if you're gonna play, play.' I said to myself, ‘What!?' He even took the time to show me the soft pedal and the expression pedal -- I haven't to this day figured out what the middle pedal is for. When the congregation began to sing, I found the right key and began to play with both hands! About two weeks later my father gave up his business and that was the beginning of the ministry of our entire family.”

At that point in the interview I asked Rev. Crouch to give me the story behind his song, “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power.” Following is his incredible story:
“I was only fourteen years of age, three years following my initiation to the piano, and had been invited to a friend's home. It was Memorial Day and there was to be a party with most of the guests being choir members. When I arrived the people were in the back yard barbecuing and generally having a good time. I was so shy and little -- I was only four feet, eleven inches tall until I was sixteen -- I didn't want to go out there. I had seen some of them with cigarettes in their hands and generally acting in ways that were not Christ-like. I didn't understand that, and was so disappointed I began to weep.

I then said to the Lord, ‘God, I really love you. How can this be? I would love to write songs for You. If you would give me a song, I will live for you forever.' There was a large piano in the living room and I began to play. The group in the backyard couldn't hear me. I then glanced toward the crowd and saw something that made time, it seemed, go into slow motion. I watched as they slowly poured red sauce onto the meat they were cooking. I couldn't hear for a few moments.

Suddenly, in my minds eye I could see Jesus carrying his cross up to Calvary, and I saw His blood. I saw people following Him up the hill where He was to be crucified. As I saw this scene, that had been prompted by the activities in the back yard, I said, ‘Oh, the blood!' I then turned to my friend, Billy Preston, also a pianist, and said, ‘Play these chords.' And I began to sing, ‘The blood that Jesus shed for me...' The people in the backyard heard me singing and came into the house. They began to weep as they came, and joined in my song. We sang for about an hour and a half. That was the writing of my first song, ‘The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power.'”
After interviewing songwriters for more than four decades, and researching the history of our Christian songs, I have come to realize that only a few individuals have made a greater contributions to the singing of church folks across America.

Reflection:
After multiplied thousands of men were crucified, over a period of nearly one thousand years, the only One who died in this manner and then rose again, is the One who has redeemed you and me -- our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank Him today for His precious blood, the blood that daily has the power to take away our sins -- blood that will never lose its power.