Larry, I miss you

A couple of months ago one of my favorite song writers passed away after a long illness. Larry Norman, the treasure of "Christian Music." Usually when someone I admire passes, I drag out the vinyl, search through the CD's and try to think what life would be without their music. It seems like calling Larry a pioneer is an understatement, the list of people he influenced is like a who's who list. U2, the pixies, every Christian artist. Whether today's CCM artist realizes it, they were influenced by Larry Norman or by someone that was influenced by Larry. Larry wasn't just a great songwriter, he gave people like me hope, by people like me, I mean guitar players, bass players, drummers. Being a rock musician in the late 70's and early 80's meant not having a place to play in church. If you were a Christian believer and wanted to contribute to your church's worship experience, well you didn't drag that electric up to the church and sit in with the organist, you were promised that lightning strikes would soon follow. But, there was Larry, with his guitar and his Rock n Roll, Jesus lyrics, and you just imagined...what if there was a place, a place that loved to worship with Rock n Roll, a place that almost every church is now. I've been asked to leave churches when the guitar came out, now I'm asked to go play churches and they ask for the guitar. So Larry, thanks for bringing the music in your heart and playing it with the band. You were the first and you'll always be the best. So thank you for the pretty story, I won't keep it to myself, I'll play your music for my children, as I tuck them into bed. I'll always "Sing that Sweet, Sweet Song of Salvation"