| Karl Messner | |
|---|---|
Karl Messner on the Road |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Karl Vaughn Messner |
| Born | March 21, 1970 |
| Origin | Pittsburgh, PA, United States |
| Genres | Rock, Pop, Country |
| Occupations | Record Producer, Guitarist, Singer |
| Instruments | Lead Guitar, Vocals, Piano, Harmonica , Drumstick |
| Years active | 1990 – Present |
| Website | MySpace.com/KarlMessner |
Karl Messner (born March 21, 1970) is a Contemporary Christian Music artist most notably known as lead guitarist and co-founder of Christian parody band ApologetiX, with whom he played nearly 1,000 concerts in all 50 states over the course of fifteen years.[1] He produced and performed on 14 albums for the group before leaving the band in September 2007.[2] His first solo project, "Liberty," is scheduled to drop in late 2009.[1]
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Karl was born on March 21, 1970 in Pittsburgh, PA. He attended public school until 6th grade when he was transferred to Sewickley Academy, a private coeducational college preparatory school, for the remainder of his primary education.[3] Born into a musical family, Karl began playing the guitar at the age of 12. He never took lessons and is completely self-taught.[4]
After graduating high school he attended Duquesne University pursuing his Ph. D. in Applied Physics, however he dropped out just before graduation after deciding that teaching at a university wasn't his calling.[4]
In 1992 Karl co-founded the Christian parody band ApologetiX, which is often referred to as a Christian version of "Weird Al" Yankovic,[5] with J. Jackson. The pair began to compose parodies of popular songs while attending a Bible study together to help them memorize scripture verses.[6] Within a short time they were being asked to perform their parodies for larger and larger groups. They eventually formed an official band which they called ApologetiX, a name derived from the Greek word apologetics, a reference to the defense of the faith.[7]
Over the course of 15 years with ApologetiX, Karl produced 14 albums for the band, helping them to receive many awards and reach #1 in several Christian chart categories including Christian Rap/Hip Hop Singles and Christian Alternative/Modern Singles.[8] During his time with ApologetiX Karl played nearly 1,000 concerts in all 50 states and Canada. In September 2007 Karl left the band to pursue other interests, including a possible solo career.
Karl was also an early adopter of the digital music revolution and was instrumental in getting ApologetiX onto iTunes.[9] In addition, he created a computer program called Dexter that handles the booking, online sales, and other aspects of the band.[10]
In March 2009, after a 2-year hiatus, Karl announced his impending return to the Christian music scene with his first solo project. The album, tentatively called Liberty, is expected to be released in late 2009 or early 2010.[11]