Well, I’m a believer. But it always surprises me how many of the musicians and artists in my collection have spoken of, or recorded music about their belief in Jesus’ teaching and his death and resurrection and the way it changed everything. I decided to brainstorm and then sort the list into alphabetical order:

Alex Acuna (percussionist from Koinonia and everywhere else)

Justo Almario (great on the wind instruments)

Steve Arrington (from the band Slave, and then a solo career, and then a pastor)

Brian Blade (jazz drumer and percussionist)

Blessid Union of Souls (led by Eliot Sloan)

Dave Brubeck (jazz pianist, who recorded some sublime works influenced by his faith, and choral works)

T-Bone Burnett (from the Alpha Band, and some great solo works)

Larry Carlton (amazing jazz guitarist, noted for his sessions with Steely Dan as well as his solo work)

Ron Carter – the most recorded jazz bassist in history

Paul Cookson (of the Occasional Flames, and many poetry books)

Alice Cooper (you know who that is)

Charlie Daniels (Great violins, guitars, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist)

Deacon Blue (Ricky Ross and the band)

Dion Dimucci (of the Belmonts, inspirational and gospel musical and some great blues recordings)

Jessy Dixon (one of the great gospel artists of his generation)

Duke Ellington (big band leader, with some great gospel and church related pieces)

Bob Dylan (whatever else he was working through before, he became an official member of the God-bothering group in 1979 with Slow Train Coming, really hasn’t stop being being influenced by the Bible and the Messiah since)

Tommy Funderburk (great vocalist)

Richie Furay (Buffalo Springfield, Poco, Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, solo career, became a pastor, retired, and took up the threads of his solo career again)

Michael Georgiades (of the Bernie Leadon-Michael Georgiades group, then formed a gospel band with Leadon and Tommy Funderburk)

Al Green (soul-gospel-soul singer, and the Pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacle of Memphis, Tennesee)

Steve Harley (of Cockney Rebel)

Mark Heard (late great solo artist and songwriter)

Chris Hillman (of the Byrds, and a long solo career, and a short lived band called Ever Call Ready, has been variously involved with the Orthodox church and the evangelical church – some great gospel bluegrass out there)

Linda Hoover. (Worked with Donald Fagen and Walter Becker)

Larry Howard (once of Grinderswitch, and some nice bluesy solo recordings)

Ideola (okay, this was just Mark Heard in disguise)

Koinonia (already mentioned. included Justo Almario, Abraham Laboriel, Alex Acuna, Dean Parks and many more. Contemporary jazz)

Bernie Leadon (of the Eagles, Ever Call Ready, Flying Burrito Brothers)

Little Richard (Richard Penniman. His faith fluctuated, but isn’t that true of all of us)

David Mansfield (of Ever Call Ready, Alpha Band, Rolling Thunder Revue)

Randy Matthews (Great, great gospel artist)

Kristen May (did some solo stuff, and did an innings in Flyleaf)

Roger McGuinn (The Byrds, a lengthy solo career, the Folk Den)

Andy McKay (of Roxy Music)

David Miner (worked with Tommy Funderburk,T-Bone Burnett)

Larry Norman (kinda defined gospel rock)

Michael Omartian (studio sessions with Steely Dan, great keyboardist, some gospel records)

John Patitucci – jazz bassist

Dan Peek (of America, some nice solo records)

Danilo Perez – Panamanian jazz pianist

Al Perkins (worked on gospel music, bluegrass music, amazing pedal steel guitarist. Flying Burrito Brothers, Ever Call Ready)

Andy Piercy (worship music, of After the Fire)

Maddy Prior (Steelyeye Span, Carnival Band)

Cliff Richard (not always my cup of tea, but he has his moments)

Robby Robinson (from Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons)

Saviour Machine (some kind over ambitious heavy goth thing)

Steve Scott (poet, musician, rock star)

Steven Soles (another from the Alpha Band)

Ralph Stanley (amazing bluegrass musician and singer)

Mavis Staples (of the Staples singers)

Alvin Stardust (if we must have glam rock, then it might has well wear black)

Lacey Sturm (of Flyleaf, and solo)

Donna Summer (The jury is still out on whether the gospel hope enriched or detracted from her later material, but not doubt it helped the way she lived)

Steve Turner (okay, a poet and biographer really, but I’ve heard some recordings {“I look down” on Strait Tapes long, long ago} and he got a sales award of some kind for composing for Cliff Richard)

U2 (you know who they are)

Tara Vanflower (dark, mysterious and influenced by the gospel)

Joe Vitale (drummer, percussionist, sideman for the Eagles)

Rick Wakeman (began to develp his keyboard skills in the church, and never really got away)

Kirk Whalum (worked with Bob James, made some great solo albums and some poor ones)

Bernie Williams (plays great guitar, former baseball player with the New York Yankees. I had to get baseball in here somewhere)

Hank Williams (troubled soul, Luke the Drifter, man of faith)

Quite a list. There’s more I could have included if I had gone through my over 4000 albums but these are the ones who came to mind.

Not meant to be exhaustive. Doesn’t include people I don’t normally listen to.

One of my favourite Good Friday / Easter Sunday songs is Bob Dylan’s “In the Garden”. Here’s a version from his Gospel tours, a second with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, a third with Neil Young. The last is badly filmed.