Lanny Wolfe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lanny Wolfe (born February 2, 1942, In Columbus, Ohio) is a multiple award-winning U.S. songwriter in Gospel music, Southern Gospel, and Contemporary Christian music genres. He has won two Dove Awards (Gospel Music Association) in 1984 for Song of the Year, and Songwriter of the Year for his song, More than Wonderful, a song whose recording by gospel singer Sandi Patti earned her a Grammy award. He has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Gospel Music Association.

Contents

[edit] Influence on Gospel Music

Although his name is not a household name among Christian worshippers, Lanny Wolfe’s influence on gospel music is tremendous. Known mostly to only church worship leaders, other songwriters, and other Gospel music performers, he was nonetheless a pioneer in progressing modern church music in Pentecostal and Charismatic churches from traditional hymns or folk-style singing to more sophisticated worship styles with arranged or pre-recorded music, using styles of music influenced by pop-culture and black gospel music.

Though he heavily influenced the greater world of gospel music during the 1970’s and 1980’s, it was through his work within his own particular religious denomination, the United Pentecostal Church, International, that this work was accomplished. While people throughout Christianity may be able to hum a Wolfe tune, most of his day-to-day career was spent as the Dean of the School of Music at a Pentecostal bible school, Jackson College of Ministries.

Lanny Wolfe influenced gospel music in two ways: 1) through recordings of original music, and 2) through his once-popular National Music Ministry Conference, an annual conference hosted by the aforementioned bible school and the First Pentecostal Church of Jackson, Mississippi, where Wolfe worked from 1974 until 1993. He was a brilliant composer – using his education in music to introduce more sophisticated music styles to church audiences more familiar with southern or folk gospel. Using a tantalizing mix of Southern gospel song formulas, emotionally expressive musical phrasings more common in black churches, and classical, popular, or even “jazzy” music arrangements, he played an integral part in elevating the type and styles of music performed in worship services in the United Pentecostal Church and among many other Christian congregations.

His original music was performed and released by his trio, the Lanny Wolfe Trio, originally comprised of himself, his then-wife, Marietta Wolfe, and Dave Peterson. During the 80’s, the group added others as Dave Peterson departed, followed by his wife who left to raise their children. Eventually, the group performed as Lanny Wolfe and the Lanny Wolfe Trio – the trio itself being comprised of young talent mostly taken from the student body of the Jackson College of Ministries. His last three albums listed the troupe simply as The Lanny Wolfe Singers. On his last album, the “Singers” were from a local church where he ministered at, since he was no longer affiliated with JCM.

He founded the National Music Ministry Conference as an effort to improve worship music in churches within the United Pentecostal Church, although it’s influence eventually expanded outside of that denomination. Each annual conference, held in the spring, offered classes in the many aspects of church worship, musicianship, sound control and production, and taught ordinary church musicians important tools in creating a professional sound in church worship. Each conference was capped at the end of the week by the performance of the National Music Ministry Conference Mass Choir (later dubbed Jackson Mass Choir) – made up of select participants in the conference, and notable musicians and singers from within the United Pentecostal Church. It was considered an honor among UPCI musical artists to be asked to perform by Wolfe during this concert. Songs made popular by these Mass Choir concerts were often copied by worship teams in the UPCI and other Pentecostal-style churches coast-to-coast. These recordings also brought to the attention of other worship leaders of different faiths this music that Wolfe was introducing to the Pentecostal/Charismatic community – some songs presented there would invariably end up being recorded by more prestigious artists or choirs, such as the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.

[edit] His Music

Like his method of musical contribution, music styles attributed to Lanny Wolfe were also varied. His original music picked up on styles within pop culture, and often included the soft, symphonic style of pop music during the ‘70’s. In his song, I Feel Good, he even pulled off adapting a little bit of the “James Brown Sound” to that up-tempo song. His trio often recorded using London-based orchestras, often arranged by the famed gospel music producer, Lari Goss.

Music at his conference, except for a few select songs, was not original to him. He busily mined other non-mainstream gospel genres for material, often using music recorded by black gospel choirs (such as Mississippi Mass Choir, or Rev. Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Singers) for material. The spirited style of these songs went over well in a denomination known for expressive worship and spiritual dance, which seemed a bit odd considering that many congregations within the United Pentecostal Church at that time were all-white or nearly all-white. The mixture was ingenious, and a natural fit, since the expressive worship styles of white Pentecostals themselves were inherited from the beginnings of the Pentecostal movement, which started off as an inner-city, inter-racial religious movement.

His influence remains in Pentecostal/Charismatic worship music since many worship leaders are well adept at finding or creating the same sound. Many Christian recording artists studied under his leadership within the UPCI, such as Geron Davis (“Standing on Holy Ground”), Mark Carouthers (“Mercy Seat”), among others.

[edit] Biography

Lanny Wolfe, according to his website, learned how to play the piano by ear, a talent that was used in his local church growing up. He went to Ohio State University and received his baccalaureate degree in Business education, and began teaching public schools. Going to night school, he finished his MBA there as well.

Being a talented church musician, he was offered a job a Pentecostal bible school in California to teach worship music – which led him to return to a traditional learning atmosphere where he eventually received his bachelor’s degree in Music Education from San Jose State University. He eventually finished a second Master’s in the same field.

He headed the music departments at the following bible schools affiliated with the United Pentecostal Church, International: Christian Life College in Stockton, California from 1965 to 1966; Gateway College of Evangelism in St. Louis, Missouri from 1968 to 1974; and at Jackson College of Ministries in Jackson, Mississippi from 1974 to 1993.

Currently, he serves as the music director at a charismatic non-denominational church in Houston, as well as being a music instructor at South Texas Bible Institute, also in Houston, Texas.

He married Marietta Wolfe Webster in 1963; they divorced in 1993. Their marriage produced two daughters: Lanna-Marie (1968) and Lanita (1970).

[edit] Controversy

Controversy plagued Lanny Wolfe throughout most of his career within congregations of the United Pentecostal Church. Despite his marriage, which produced two musically talented daughters, rumors followed him regarding his sexuality. In 1993, the controversy came to a boiling point with church officials, and Lanny Wolfe left his employment at Jackson College of Ministries, and the First Pentecostal Church of Jackson.

Nothing was ever published about the incident by the UPCI, the local church or college, but rumors ran rampant throughout the denomination either stating that his alleged homosexuality had been exposed, or that he had allegedly committed felonious acts with minors. His marriage dissolved shortly thereafter, further flaming Pentecostal rumor mills. Lanny Wolfe has also never publicly acknowledged any wrongdoing, or to being homosexual.

He emerged from the incident a changed man. He was able to regain some credibility within the gospel music industry, and he also continues to offer choir clinics to church congregations in many faiths. His recording career has never recovered, however, and he was only able to publish his last album under his own label in 2000. Other than a featured original song from that last album being recorded by Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir around the same time, his influence in gospel music ended with his tenure at Jackson College of Ministries.

Other recording artists have left that religious denomination, though – these circumstances were not unique to Lanny Wolfe. The insular nature of that tight denomination often creates conflict when members of that group experience any sort of success or notoriety outside of their denominational boundaries. Former UPCI members and fellow recording artists Geron Davis and Dottie Rambo also had a difficult time in that faith when their own work transcended that sect.

The influence of Jackson College of Ministries and the National Music Ministry Conference on Pentecostal and gospel music tanked following his departure. The school closed in 2005, and will remain so, pending restructuring -- according to their website. No central talent dominates music within that denomination as Wolfe did. It is ironic that although he never left his strict religious beliefs while his impact on Christian music grew, his influence on that greater scope of music waned after leaving the confines of that sect.

[edit] Discography

Studio & Live Recordings (Albums)

  • There’s Something in the Air
  • Let’s Sing a Song About Jesus
  • Come On, Let’s Praise Him
  • Shout It, Jesus is Coming!
  • A Brand New Touch
  • Have A Nice Day
  • Rejoice with Exceeding Great Joy
  • Can’t Stop the Music
  • Through the Years
  • I’m Gonna Praise the Lord (Anyway that I can)
  • Children of Azusa Street
  • Just Keep Praising Him
  • Father Love
  • Never Have to Say Goodbye Again
  • Rejoice . . . LIVE
  • An Evening with the Lanny Wolfe Trio
  • Make a Joyful Noise
  • Lanny Wolfe and the Lanny Wolfe Trio LIVE


Significant Songs of Interest

  • Surely the Presence (of the Lord is in this Place)
  • More than Wonderful
  • Someone is Praying for You
  • Whatever it Takes
  • God’s Wonderful People
  • Only Jesus Can Satisfy Your Soul
  • Children of Azusa Street
  • Precious Blood
  • Greater is He that is in Me


[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../l/a/n/Lanny_Wolfe_c686.html"