Randy Stonehill

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Randy Stonehill

Background information
Birth name Randall Evan Stonehill
Born March 12, 1952 (1952-03-12) (age 56)
Origin Stockton, California, United States
Genre(s) Christian, Folk, pop
Years active 1971–present
Label(s) Solid Rock (1976–1980)
Myrrh (1981–1993)
StreetLevel
Website RandyStonehill.com

Randy Stonehill (born March 12, 1952) is an American singer/songwriter from Stockton, California, best known as one of the so-called "fathers of contemporary Christian music." His music is primarily folk rock in the style of James Taylor, but he has assayed other styles, with various albums focused on new wave, pop rock, roots rock, and children's music. His live concerts, more so than most of his albums, have a strong comedic element in the manic vein of Robin Williams.

Contents

[edit] Career

Stonehill's first album, Born Twice was released in 1971, with financial help from Pat Boone. The album, primarily a live performance, was recorded for a mere $US 800, and according to Stonehill, it "sounds like every penny of it!" (Interviewer in 1994: "When will Born Twice be released on CD?" Stonehill: "When someone in charge makes a grave error in judgment." The album was released on CD in 2005.)

A year later, Stonehill made his film acting debut in The Blob sequel, Beware! The Blob (also known as Son of Blob). Also that year, Stonehill with Todd Fishkind and Keith Green wrote Until Your Love Broke Through, which would be recorded by numerous artists over the years including Stonehill himself, Phil Keaggy, Russ Taff and others.

1976's "Welcome To Paradise"
1976's "Welcome To Paradise"

In 1976, Stonehill released the Larry Norman-produced Welcome to Paradise, with Andy Johns (The Who, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin) doing the engineering. This became a landmark album for the songwriter and was voted "3rd most important contemporary Christian album" in a mid-1980s poll of Christian music critics. Norman would also produce the followup, The Sky Is Falling, which would start a twenty year Stonehill tradition of recording two consecutive albums with any given producer. That tradition continued through two albums with Terry Scott Taylor (including the landmark, Equator), two albums with Barry Kaye, two albums with Dave Perkins, two albums with Mark Heard, and two more albums with Taylor until the routine was broken with 1995's Lazarus Heart.

In the late 1970s, Stonehill would join forces with rock band Daniel Amos (also known as DA) for the Amos n' Randy Tour. DA would go on to be Randy's band for the next two releases, 1981's Between the Glory and the Flame and 1982's Equator. The latter album introduced Stonehill fans to the concert favorites Shut De Do and American Fast Food. Stonehill would later provide backing vocals on a number of DA's projects including Doppelganger and would join DA's lead singer, Terry Taylor, for a duet on his first solo project, Knowledge & Innocence, entitled A Song of Innocence.

1984's Celebrate This Heartbeat teamed Stonehill with longtime friend Phil Keaggy for the song Who Will Save The Children? The two would frequently tour together over the years, even forming The Keaggy/Stonehill Band in 1989 with Daniel Amos bassist Tim Chandler and Swirling Eddie's David Raven on drums. The tour was in support of Stonehill's Can't Buy A Miracle and Keaggy's all-star tribute to '60s rock and roll, Phil Keaggy and Sunday's Child (which also featured Stonehill, Steve Taylor, Derri Daugherty, Mark Heard and others lending a hand). Keaggy and Stonehill would also team up with singer Margaret Becker, drummer Joe English, (former member of Paul McCartney and Wings) and others, in 1988 for the Compassion All Star Band's album One by One.

Stonehill followed Heartbeat with 1985's Love Beyond Reason, a pop-rock effort that teamed the artist with Amy Grant for the duet, I Could Never Say Goodbye. The album also contained Stonehill's own version of Your Love Broke Through. A video collection was also created for the album and released on VHS. A five song pop-rock EP entitled simply Stonehill was also recorded in 1984 with producer Kaye, with the intent of promoting Stonehill to the general music market, but very few copies were released. After a producer change to Dave Perkins, the next two albums The Wild Frontier (1986) and Can't Buy a Miracle (1988) featured a raw rock style similar to Bruce Springsteen.

Next Stonehill recorded Return to Paradise in 1989, produced by Mark Heard. The title referred back to Stonehill's acclaimed Welcome To Paradise album, which ostensibly put him on the map as a Christian artist. Return to Paradise included Stonehill's cover of the Mark Heard song "Strong Hand of Love."

In 1990, in honor of Stonehill's 20th anniversary in the music business, friends gathered for a special concert celebration. Musical performances included appearances by Daniel Amos, Tom Howard, The Swirling Eddies, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, and Russ Taff. Stonehill ended the night with a performance himself, which was filmed and released on the VHS-only One Night In 20 Years. In addition to the other performers listed above, the video also featured appearances by Pat Boone, Jerry Houser, Michele Pillar, Gary Chapman, Bryan Duncan and others, all recounting some of their favorite memories of Stonehill. That same year, Stonehill released Until We Have Wings, also produced by Mark Heard, an album that was split with half live material and half studio material. Likewise in 1990 Stonehill teamed up with Daniel Amos once again for an "Amos n' Randy" reuinion concert at Cornerstone 90. Stonehill closed the show by joining The Swirling Eddies onstage for some covers of The Beatles' I Want to Hold Your Hand, The Animals We Gotta Get Out Of This Place, and Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World.

For his next project, Stonehill chose to reunite once again with producer Terry Scott Taylor for the Wonderama concept album in 1991. Stories, a "best of" collection released in 1993, teamed Stonehill with the Lost Dogs for three new tracks.

In 1994, Stonehill teamed up with other artists to pay tribute to longtime friend Mark Heard who had died in 1992 after suffering a heart attack during a performance at the Cornerstone Festival. Stonehill contributed his rendition of Heard's Look Over Your Shoulder for the CD Strong Hand of Love (later reissued on the double disc collection, Orphans of God.)

Randy's signature and dedication; front cover of Welcome to Paradise
Randy's signature and dedication; front cover of Welcome to Paradise

In 1994, Stonehill started StreetLevel Records. The label released Julie Millers' Invisible Girl, and Stonehill's own Lazarus Heart.. By 1998, StreetLevel Records had been shuttered, inaugurating a period of label-hopping. Thirst was released on Brentwood Records. In 2001, Stonehill released a children's record using the name Uncle Stonehill, entitled Uncle Stonehill's Hat on the Holy Sombrero label. Also that year, Stonehill embarked on the "Legends Tour", with Daniel Amos, The 77s and Sweet Comfort Band. During the tour's performance at Cornerstone '01, Stonehill was joined on stage by Larry Norman for the song Good News. 2002's Edge Of The World (this time on Fair Oaks Records) followed, which brought together a number of musical friends including Phil Keaggy, Barry McGuire, Noel Paul Stookey, Love Song, Phil Madeira, Mike Roe, Russ Taff, and Sara Groves, and Larry Norman. This album marked the first time Stonehill and Norman appeared together on a recording since 1980's The Sky is Falling. In 2006, Keaggy and Stonehill released a live concert on DVD and CD in support of the Compassion International Christian relief agency with which both men had long been associated.

As of 2006, Stonehill continues to record and tour heavily around the world, primarily as a solo act with acoustic guitar. His sterling sense of humour comes through in his live performance as it does in studio recordings such as American Fastfood and Shut De Do. He also toured in Australia.

As of 2007, Randy Stonehill is involved in a number of different projects. Perhaps the most eventful is the return after more than 20 years of a band to back up Randy at select dates. The Randy Stonehill Band consists of "Mike Pachelli (lead guitar), Randi Scott (drummer), and Steve Mitchell (bass guitar). Randy has also been writing country music with a number of veteran songwriters in Music City, including the Warren Brothers and has a production company in Los Angeles (Stonehill Productions) with his partner Mike Pachelli.

[edit] Social

Stonehill and his wife, Sandi, have one daughter named Heather.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Compilations & Productions

[edit] Uncle Stonehill

[edit] Videography

  • Beware! The Blob (also known as Son of Blob). Motion Picture.
  • Love Beyond Reason: The Video Album, VHS, 1985
  • One Night In 20 Years, anniversary live concert, VHS, 1990
  • First Love: An Historic Gathering of Artists from the Jesus Movement, Volume 2, VHS, 1998; Re-released on DVD, 2005
  • Together Live in concert with Phil Keaggy, DVD, 2006

[edit] External links

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