Randy Stonehill
Encyclopedia
Randall Evan "Randy" Stonehill (born March 12, 1952) is an American singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...

 from Stockton, California
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...

, best known as one of the so-called "fathers of contemporary Christian music". His music is primarily folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...

 in the style of James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....

, but he has assayed other styles, with various albums focused on new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...

, pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...

, roots rock
Roots rock
Roots rock is a term now used to describe rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid sub-genres from the later 1960s including country rock and Southern rock, which have been seen as responses to the...

, and children's music
Children's music
Children's music is used here to refer to music composed and performed for children by adults. In European influenced contexts this means music, usually songs, written specifically for a juvenile audience. The composers are usually adults. Children's music has historically held both entertainment...

. His live concerts, more so than most of his albums, have a strong comedic element in the manic vein of Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...

.

Early life

Randall Evan Stonehill was born in Stockton, California
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...

 on March 12, 1952, the son of Leonard N. Stonehill (born September 19, 1920), a high school teacher, and his wife, Pauline Correia (born February 18, 1921), a school teacher of Azorean Portuguese heritage, and the younger brother of Jeffrey Dean Stonehill (born October 28, 1949 in Alameda County, California). While he was young, the Stonehill family relocated to 4920 Anna Drive, San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...

. In June 1970, after Stonehill graduated from Leigh High School
Leigh High School
Leigh High School is a secondary school located in San Jose, California. Opening in September 1962, it was the fifth school to be established within the Campbell Union High School District. The school has twice been awarded the California Distinguished School award, in 1999 and 2003. , the...

, in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...

, he moved to Los Angeles where he stayed with pioneer Christian Rock singer, Larry Norman
Larry Norman
Larry David Norman was an American Christian musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer, who worked with Christian rock music...

 in an attempt to launch his professional music career.

Religious background and conversion to Christianity

Stonehill described his religious upbringing as agnostic:
I grew up in kind of an agnostic home. My father is from a Jewish background, and my mother from a Catholic background, and both of them had disillusioning experiences in those churches. They came out raising my brother and myself with the idea that it didn’t look like there was any God as far as they could see, but if we wanted to explore it for ourselves at a point where we were old enough and curious enough, then they wouldn't have any objections. They both said they didn't want to place that burden on us at an early age . . . forcing us to go to church when we didn't understand what it was about. And of course they weren't involved in it anyway because they were pretty bitter about their own lives, and felt they hadn't received much from their religious experiences.


On August 12, 1970 Stonehill was led to Christ by Larry Norman
Larry Norman
Larry David Norman was an American Christian musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer, who worked with Christian rock music...

 in the kitchen of Norman's apartment at 1140 North Gower Street, Hollywood. Stonehill's self-composed song "Norman's Kitchen" released initially in 1971 on his Born Twice
Born Twice
Born Twice is the title of an album by Randy Stonehill, which was released in 1971.-Track listing:All Songs Written by Randy Stonehill, except "Hand in the Hand" by Gene MacLellan, "I Need You" by Jimmy Owens, and "He's Got the Whole World" and "He is a Friend of Mine" are Public Domain-Words & Arr...

, his debut album, describes the circumstances.

Career

Stonehill's first album, Born Twice
Born Twice
Born Twice is the title of an album by Randy Stonehill, which was released in 1971.-Track listing:All Songs Written by Randy Stonehill, except "Hand in the Hand" by Gene MacLellan, "I Need You" by Jimmy Owens, and "He's Got the Whole World" and "He is a Friend of Mine" are Public Domain-Words & Arr...

was released in 1971, with financial help from Pat Boone
Pat Boone
Charles Eugene "Pat" Boone is an American singer, actor and writer who has been a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He covered black artists' songs and sold more copies than his black counterparts...

. 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
The Blob
The Blob is an independently made 1958 American horror/science-fiction film that depicts a giant amoeba-like alien that terrorizes the small community of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania...

sequel, Beware! The Blob
Beware! The Blob
Beware! The Blob is a 1972 sequel to horror science-fiction film The Blob. The film was directed by Larry Hagman. The screenplay was penned by Anthony Harris and Jack Woods III, based on a story by Jack H. Harris and Richard Clair...

(also known as Son of Blob), with Cindy Williams
Cindy Williams
Cynthia Jane "Cindy" Williams is an American actress best known for starring in the television situation-comedy series Laverne & Shirley, in the role of "Shirley Feeney", and for her role as Laurie Henderson in the classic film American Graffiti.-Early life:Williams was born in Van Nuys,...

. Also that year, Stonehill with Todd Fishkind and Keith Green
Keith Green
Keith Gordon Green was an American gospel singer, songwriter, musician, and Contemporary Christian Music artist originally from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. Beyond his music, Green is best known for his strong devotion to Christian evangelism and challenging others to the same...

 wrote "Until Your Love Broke Through", which would be recorded by numerous artists over the years including Stonehill himself, Phil Keaggy
Phil Keaggy
Phil Keaggy is an American acoustic and electric guitarist and vocalist who has released more than 50 albums and contributed to many more recordings in both the contemporary Christian music and mainstream markets...

, Russ Taff
Russ Taff
Russell Taff is an American gospel singer who is originally from Farmersville, California. Taff later then moved to Arkansas where he graduated from Cutter-Morning Star High School in Hot Springs, Arkansas....

 and others. He made a cameo appearance in the 1973 Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...

 film Time to Run, performing his song I Love You.

In 1976, Stonehill released the Larry Norman
Larry Norman
Larry David Norman was an American Christian musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer, who worked with Christian rock music...

-produced Welcome to Paradise, with Andy Johns
Andy Johns
Andy Johns is an engineer and producer who worked on well-known rock albums such as Led Zeppelin's IV and The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street. His sound is exemplified by Free's album Highway, which he engineered and produced....

 (The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...

, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...

) 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
The Sky is Falling (album)
The Sky Is Falling is the title of an album by Randy Stonehill, released in 1980, on Solid Rock Records.-Side one:# "One True Love" – 4:10# "Through The Glass Darkly" – 5:50# "Teen King" – 4:25# "The Great American Cure" – 4:00...

, 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
Terry Scott Taylor
Terry Scott Taylor is an American songwriter, record producer, writer and founding member of the bands Daniel Amos and The Swirling Eddies . Taylor is also a member of the roots and alternative music group, Lost Dogs. He is currently based in San Jose, California, USA.Taylor is highly regarded for...

 (including the landmark, Equator
Equator (Stonehill album)
Equator is the title of an album by Randy Stonehill, released in 1983, on Myrrh Records.-Track listing:All Songs Written By Randy Stonehill, except "Light Of The World" By Randy Stonehill And Wayne Berry And "Hide Them In Your Love" By Randy Stonehill And Gary Morris.-Side one:# "Light Of The...

), two albums with Barry Kaye, two albums with Dave Perkins, two albums with Mark Heard
Mark Heard
John Mark Heard was a record producer, folk-rock singer, and songwriter originally from Macon, Georgia, USA....

, 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
Daniel Amos
Daniel Amos is a rock band formed in 1974 by Terry Scott Taylor on guitars and vocals, Marty Dieckmeyer on bass guitar, Steve Baxter on guitars and Jerry Chamberlain on lead guitars. Current members include bassist Tim Chandler, guitarist Greg Flesch and drummer Ed McTaggart...

(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
Between the Glory and the Flame
Between the Glory and the Flame is the title of an album by Randy Stonehill, released in 1981, on Myrrh Records.-Track listing:All Songs Written by Randy Stonehill, except "Givin' It Up For Love" and "Farther On" which were written by Randy Stonehill and Tom Howard.-Side one:# "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
Doppelgänger (Daniel Amos album)
Doppelgänger is the title of a 1983 album by rock band Daniel Amos, released on Alarma! Records.Doppelgänger was a much darker, more haunting album than the album that preceded it, ¡Alarma!....

and would join DA's lead singer, Terry Taylor, for a duet on his first solo project, Knowledge & Innocence
Knowledge & Innocence
Knowledge & Innocence is the title of the first solo album by Daniel Amos frontman, Terry Scott Taylor, released in 1986 on Shadow Records....

, entitled A Song of Innocence. According to Jay R. Howard and John M. Streck, by 1981 Stonehill (like many other Contemporary Christian Music artists) had transitioned from an evangelistic focus to one of "encouragement, exhortation, and Christian accountability". In 1981 Stonehill that his "role in Christian seem[ed] to be one of an encourager to living a more committed life".

1984's Celebrate This Heartbeat
Celebrate This Heartbeat
Celebrate This Heartbeat is the title of an album by Randy Stonehill, released in 1984, on Myrrh Records.-Side one:# "Overture: Celebrate This Heartbeat" – 3:25# "Still, Small Voice" – 4:04...

teamed Stonehill with longtime friend Phil Keaggy
Phil Keaggy
Phil Keaggy is an American acoustic and electric guitarist and vocalist who has released more than 50 albums and contributed to many more recordings in both the contemporary Christian music and mainstream markets...

 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
Daniel Amos
Daniel Amos is a rock band formed in 1974 by Terry Scott Taylor on guitars and vocals, Marty Dieckmeyer on bass guitar, Steve Baxter on guitars and Jerry Chamberlain on lead guitars. Current members include bassist Tim Chandler, guitarist Greg Flesch and drummer Ed McTaggart...

bassist Tim Chandler
Tim Chandler
Tim Chandler is a bass guitar player, best known for his work with the rock bands Daniel Amos, The Swirling Eddies and The Choir....

 and Swirling Eddie's
The Swirling Eddies
The Swirling Eddies are a band that began as an anonymous spinoff from the band Daniel Amos, along with new drummer David Raven.-Career:For each Swirling Eddies release, band members adopted pseudonyms for the liner notes; "Camarillo Eddy" , "Berger Roy Al" , "Gene Pool" , "Arthur Fhardy" , "Spot"...

David Raven on drums. The tour was in support of Stonehill's Can't Buy A Miracle
Can't Buy A Miracle
Can't Buy a Miracle is the title of an album by Randy Stonehill, released in 1988, on Myrrh Records.-Side one:# "It's Now" – 4:03# "Don't Break Down" – 3:04# "Coming Back Soon" – 4:46# "O How The Mighty Have Fallen" – 4:10...

and Keaggy's all-star tribute to '60s rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...

, Phil Keaggy and Sunday's Child
Phil Keaggy and Sunday's Child
Phil Keaggy and Sunday's Child is the title of a 1988 album by guitarist Phil Keaggy, released on Myrrh Records and A&M Records simultaneously....

(which also featured Stonehill, Steve Taylor
Steve Taylor
Roland Stephen Taylor , is an American Christian singer, songwriter, record producer and film director.-Early life:Taylor, the eldest of three children, was born in Brawley, California. Taylor's father, Roland Taylor, was a Baptist minister. When Taylor was six years old, the family relocated to...

, Derri Daugherty
Derri Daugherty
Derri Daugherty is an American record producer, songwriter, guitarist and singer, best known as the lead singer and guitarist for band The Choir....

, Mark Heard
Mark Heard
John Mark Heard was a record producer, folk-rock singer, and songwriter originally from Macon, Georgia, USA....

 and others lending a hand). Keaggy and Stonehill would also team up with singer Margaret Becker
Margaret Becker
Margaret Becker is an American Christian rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She has had twenty-one No. 1 Christian radio hits, won four Dove Awards, and been nominated for four Grammy Awards.-Biography:...

, drummer Joe English (former member of Paul McCartney and Wings
Wings (band)
Wings were a British-American rock group formed in 1971 by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine and Linda McCartney that remained active until 1981....

) and others, in 1988 for the Compassion All Star Band's
Compassion International
Compassion International is a Christian child sponsorship organization dedicated to the long-term development of children living in poverty around the world. Compassion International, headquartered in Colorado Springs, functions in 26 countries such as Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, Haiti, Kenya, and...

album One by One.

Stonehill followed Heartbeat with 1985's Love Beyond Reason
Love Beyond Reason
Love Beyond Reason is an album by Randy Stonehill, released in 1985, on Myrrh Records.The album contained the hit single, "I Could Never Say Goodbye," which was a duet with singer Amy Grant...

, a pop-rock effort that teamed the artist with Amy Grant
Amy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...

 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
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...

.

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
Daniel Amos
Daniel Amos is a rock band formed in 1974 by Terry Scott Taylor on guitars and vocals, Marty Dieckmeyer on bass guitar, Steve Baxter on guitars and Jerry Chamberlain on lead guitars. Current members include bassist Tim Chandler, guitarist Greg Flesch and drummer Ed McTaggart...

, Tom Howard
Tom Howard (musician)
Tom Howard was an American pianist, musical arranger and orchestral conductor.In 1983, Howard helped the rock band Daniel Amos form the Alarma! Records label....

, The Swirling Eddies
The Swirling Eddies
The Swirling Eddies are a band that began as an anonymous spinoff from the band Daniel Amos, along with new drummer David Raven.-Career:For each Swirling Eddies release, band members adopted pseudonyms for the liner notes; "Camarillo Eddy" , "Berger Roy Al" , "Gene Pool" , "Arthur Fhardy" , "Spot"...

, Amy Grant
Amy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...

, Michael W. Smith
Michael W. Smith
Michael Whitaker Smith is a Billboard top ten Billboard Hot 100 recording artist and Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. He is one of the best-selling and most influential artists in Contemporary Christian music. Smith also has achieved a considerable amount of...

, and Russ Taff
Russ Taff
Russell Taff is an American gospel singer who is originally from Farmersville, California. Taff later then moved to Arkansas where he graduated from Cutter-Morning Star High School in Hot Springs, Arkansas....

. 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
Pat Boone
Charles Eugene "Pat" Boone is an American singer, actor and writer who has been a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He covered black artists' songs and sold more copies than his black counterparts...

, Jerry Houser
Jerry Houser
Jerry Houser is an American character actor and voice actor in film and television.-Career:Houser was born in Los Angeles, California. Since 1971, he has appeared in countless films, TV series, animated series, and commercials...

, Michele Pillar
Michele Pillar
Michele Diane Pillar is a three-time Grammy-nominated Christian singer, songwriter and occasional actress. Despite only a short list of studio albums recorded, she has been a strong influence in contemporary Christian music for three decades.-Early career:In 1987, aged 32, she married the jazz...

, Gary Chapman
Gary Chapman (musician)
Gary Chapman is an American Contemporary Christian music singer-songwriter and former television talk show host.-Early life and music career:...

, Bryan Duncan
Bryan Duncan
Bryan Duncan is an American CCM musician. he is best known for his role in the Sweet Comfort Band and subsequent solo career that, combined, spanned more than twenty-five years...

 and others, all recounting some of their favorite memories of Stonehill. That same year, Stonehill released Until We Have Wings
Until We Have Wings
Until We Have Wings is the title of an album by Randy Stonehill, released in 1990, on Myrrh Records.-Side One :# "Faithful" – 3:24# "Didn't It Rain" – 6:11# "Born to Love" – 4:27...

, 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" reunion concert at Cornerstone 90
Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival is a Christian music festival put on by Jesus People USA and held annually around the 4th of July near Bushnell, Illinois. In a given year, many artists that play at Cornerstone also play at other events such as Creation Festival and mainstream festivals and tours such as the...

. Stonehill closed the show by joining The Swirling Eddies
The Swirling Eddies
The Swirling Eddies are a band that began as an anonymous spinoff from the band Daniel Amos, along with new drummer David Raven.-Career:For each Swirling Eddies release, band members adopted pseudonyms for the liner notes; "Camarillo Eddy" , "Berger Roy Al" , "Gene Pool" , "Arthur Fhardy" , "Spot"...

 onstage for some covers of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

' I Want to Hold Your Hand
I Want to Hold Your Hand
"I Want to Hold Your Hand" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles. Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and recorded in October 1963, it was the first Beatles record to be made using four-track equipment....

, The Animals
The Animals
The Animals were an English music group of the 1960s formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade, and later relocated to London...

 We Gotta Get Out Of This Place, and Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....

's What a Wonderful World
What a Wonderful World
"What a Wonderful World" is a song written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss. It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released as a single in 1968. Thiele and Weiss were both prominent in the music world . Armstrong's recording was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999...

.

For his next project, Stonehill chose to reunite once again with producer Terry Scott Taylor for the Wonderama
Wonderama (album)
-Track listing:All songs written by Randy Stonehill except as otherwise noted.# "Wonderama" – 6:20# "I Will Follow" – 3:00# "Barbie Nation" – 4:57...

concept album in 1991. Stories, a "best of" collection released in 1993, teamed Stonehill with the Lost Dogs
Lost Dogs
Lost Dogs are an American musical supergroup formed in 1991, comprising vocalists, songwriters, and guitarists from multiple Christian alternative rock bands. Their current lineup includes Terry Scott Taylor , Michael Roe , Derri Daugherty and Steve Hindalong . The original lineup included Gene...

 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
Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival is a Christian music festival put on by Jesus People USA and held annually around the 4th of July near Bushnell, Illinois. In a given year, many artists that play at Cornerstone also play at other events such as Creation Festival and mainstream festivals and tours such as the...

. Stonehill contributed his rendition of Heard's Look Over Your Shoulder for the CD Strong Hand of Love
Strong Hand of Love
Strong Hand of Love: A Tribute to Mark Heard is a compilation of songs by various artists in tribute to songwriter, Mark Heard.Recorded and released in 1994, after Heard's death in 1992. Proceeds benefit the Heard Family Fund....

(later reissued on the double disc collection, Orphans of God
Orphans of God
Orphans of God is a 2 CD compilation of songs performed by various artists in tribute to songwriter Mark Heard.Recorded and released after Heard's death in 1992, proceeds benefit the Heard Family Fund....

.)
In 1994, Stonehill started StreetLevel Records. The label released Julie Miller
Julie Miller
Julie Miller is a songwriter, singer, and recording artist currently living in Nashville, Tennessee. She married Buddy Miller in 1981...

s' 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
Uncle Stonehill's Hat
Uncle Stonehill's Hat is a children's album by Randy Stonehill recorded in 2001 and produced by Terry Scott Taylor. The album is a blend of songs and stories narrated by Stonehill, featuring voice acting from Noelle Taylor & Pj Clarke....

on the Holy Sombrero label. Also that year, Stonehill embarked on the "Legends Tour", with Daniel Amos
Daniel Amos
Daniel Amos is a rock band formed in 1974 by Terry Scott Taylor on guitars and vocals, Marty Dieckmeyer on bass guitar, Steve Baxter on guitars and Jerry Chamberlain on lead guitars. Current members include bassist Tim Chandler, guitarist Greg Flesch and drummer Ed McTaggart...

, The 77s
The 77s
The 77s are an American rock band consisting of Michael Roe on vocals/guitar, Mark Harmon on bass, and Bruce Spencer on drums.-Scratch Band:...

and Sweet Comfort Band
Sweet Comfort Band
Sweet Comfort Band was a Christian rock band that first performed in 1973 in Riverside, California, and were active until 1984. The band was initially composed of keyboardist/lead vocalist, Bryan Duncan, and brothers Kevin and Rick Thomson. The band was the brainchild of the Thomson brothers...

. During the tour's performance at Cornerstone '01
Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival is a Christian music festival put on by Jesus People USA and held annually around the 4th of July near Bushnell, Illinois. In a given year, many artists that play at Cornerstone also play at other events such as Creation Festival and mainstream festivals and tours such as the...

, Stonehill was joined on stage by Larry Norman for the song Good News. 2002's Edge of the World
Edge of the World (Randy Stonehill album)
-Track listing:#Dare To Believe-3:30#That's The Way It Goes-3:22#We Were All So Young-5:21#Jayney-4:34#Take Me Back-4:42#All I Know-4:29#Hey, Pauline-5:14#Edge of the World-3:27#Last Song For Michael-2:40#Far, Far-4:32#Prisoner of Hope-4:48-Personnel:...

(this time on Fair Oaks Records) followed, which brought together a number of musical friends including Phil Keaggy
Phil Keaggy
Phil Keaggy is an American acoustic and electric guitarist and vocalist who has released more than 50 albums and contributed to many more recordings in both the contemporary Christian music and mainstream markets...

, Barry McGuire
Barry McGuire
Barry McGuire is an American singer-songwriter best known for the hit song "Eve of Destruction", and later as a pioneering singer and songwriter of Contemporary Christian Music.-Early life:...

, Noel Paul Stookey, Love Song
Love Song (band)
Love Song was one of the main Jesus music bands, one of the first Christian rock bands. It was founded in 1970 by Chuck Girard, Tommy Coomes, Jay Truax, and Fred Field. Additionally, the earliest members included David Ingram on keyboards, Ernie Earnshaw on drums and Jack Schaeffer on bass. It was...

, Phil Madeira
Phil Madeira
Phil Madeira is an American songwriter, producer, musician and singer from Nashville, Tennessee. He was raised in Barrington, Rhode Island and attended Taylor University, which he graduated from in 1975....

, Mike Roe, Russ Taff
Russ Taff
Russell Taff is an American gospel singer who is originally from Farmersville, California. Taff later then moved to Arkansas where he graduated from Cutter-Morning Star High School in Hot Springs, Arkansas....

, and Sara Groves
Sara Groves
Sara Groves is an American Contemporary Christian singer, record producer, and author....

, and Larry Norman
Larry Norman
Larry David Norman was an American Christian musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer, who worked with Christian rock music...

. 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
Compassion International
Compassion International is a Christian child sponsorship organization dedicated to the long-term development of children living in poverty around the world. Compassion International, headquartered in Colorado Springs, functions in 26 countries such as Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, Haiti, Kenya, and...

 Christian relief agency with which both men had long been associated.

In 2006, Stonehill continued to record and tour 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
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. That year Randy was encouraged by Phil Keaggy
Phil Keaggy
Phil Keaggy is an American acoustic and electric guitarist and vocalist who has released more than 50 albums and contributed to many more recordings in both the contemporary Christian music and mainstream markets...

 to team up with Phil's childhood friend Mike Pachelli and formed Stonechelli Productions. They work out of Mike's Los Angeles based recording studio, Fullblast Recordings, producing like-minded artists from around the world.

In 2007, Randy Stonehill was involved in a number of different projects. Perhaps the most eventful was the return after more than 20 years of a band to back up Randy at select dates. The Randy Stonehill Band consisted of Mike Pachelli (lead guitar), Ronnie Ciago (drummer), and Baba Elefante (bass guitar). Randy and Mike Pachelli also toured frequently in a duet setting. Stonehill also spent time writing country music with a number of veteran songwriters in Nashville, including the Warren Brothers.

In 2008 Stonehill & Pachelli completed Paradise Sky, a re-make of eleven of his classic songs from the '70s that were used in the film Fallen Angel: The Outlaw Larry Norman directed by David Di Sabatino.

Stonehill finished an album with Phil Keaggy
Phil Keaggy
Phil Keaggy is an American acoustic and electric guitarist and vocalist who has released more than 50 albums and contributed to many more recordings in both the contemporary Christian music and mainstream markets...

, mixed by Mike Pachelli titled Mystery Highway
Mystery Highway
- Track listing :...

that was released in June 2009.

2010 Spirit Walk
Spirit Walk
Spirit Walk is Randy Stonehill's twenty-third studio album. The song "Life is Tough" is a current concert staple. The CD was released on September 20, 2011....

produced by Mike Pachelli & Randy Stonehill released.

Marriages and family

Stonehill has been married three times, with the first two marriages ending in divorce. His second marriage lasted 30 years. He has one daughter, Heather.

Sarah Mae Finch

After a four month dating relationship, on 2 August 1975 Stonehill married Sarah Mae Finch (born 18 February 1953 in Los Angeles, California), a school teacher, the sister-in-law of Stephen J. Cannell
Stephen J. Cannell
Stephen Joseph Cannell was an American television producer, writer, novelist and occasional actor, and the founder of Stephen J. Cannell Productions.-Early life:...

, at the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

, In a 1978 interview Stonehill explained how he met Sarah Finch. This marriage ended in divorce on 22 September 1980. Finch subsequently married Larry Norman
Larry Norman
Larry David Norman was an American Christian musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer, who worked with Christian rock music...

 on April 27, 1982.

Sandra Jean Warner

On 22 December 1980 Stonehill married Sandra (Sandi) Jean Warner (born 1953). Stonehill and his second wife, Sandi, have one daughter named Heather Noèl Stonehill, who was born in February 1982.

On June 24, 2010, Sandi's Facebook page indicated that their divorce would be final at noon the following day.

Leslie Stonehill

Stonehill remarried in 2010, and his third wife, Leslie, often travels with him as he tours.

Relationship with Larry Norman

The relationship between pioneer Christian rock musicians Larry Norman
Larry Norman
Larry David Norman was an American Christian musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer, who worked with Christian rock music...

 and Randy Stonehill, sometimes described as the Lennon/McCartney
Lennon/McCartney
The Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership is one of the best-known and most successful musical collaborations in history...

 of Christian rock, was a controversial one during its more than forty years from its inception in 1967 until Norman's death in February 2008. For over a decade Stonehill was Norman's protégé, colleague, collaborator, and one of his best friends, but disagreements about finances and relationships resulted in a twenty-year estrangement, and a brief reconciliation.

Discography

  • Born Twice
    Born Twice
    Born Twice is the title of an album by Randy Stonehill, which was released in 1971.-Track listing:All Songs Written by Randy Stonehill, except "Hand in the Hand" by Gene MacLellan, "I Need You" by Jimmy Owens, and "He's Got the Whole World" and "He is a Friend of Mine" are Public Domain-Words & Arr...

    , 1971 debut album
  • Get Me Out of Hollywood
    Get Me Out of Hollywood
    Get Me Out of Hollywood is the title of an album recorded by Randy Stonehill in 1973, but not released until 2003. A handful of LPs and test pressings reportedly leaked out, and the album was traded and bootlegged for years until Solid Rock Records released it officially for the first time in...

    , recorded 1973, not officially released until 2003
  • Welcome to Paradise, 1976, produced by Larry Norman
    Larry Norman
    Larry David Norman was an American Christian musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer, who worked with Christian rock music...

  • The Sky Is Falling
    The Sky is Falling (album)
    The Sky Is Falling is the title of an album by Randy Stonehill, released in 1980, on Solid Rock Records.-Side one:# "One True Love" – 4:10# "Through The Glass Darkly" – 5:50# "Teen King" – 4:25# "The Great American Cure" – 4:00...

    , recorded 1977, released 1980, produced by Larry Norman
  • Between the Glory and the Flame
    Between the Glory and the Flame
    Between the Glory and the Flame is the title of an album by Randy Stonehill, released in 1981, on Myrrh Records.-Track listing:All Songs Written by Randy Stonehill, except "Givin' It Up For Love" and "Farther On" which were written by Randy Stonehill and Tom Howard.-Side one:# "Glory and the Flame"...

    , 1981, produced by Terry Scott Taylor
    Terry Scott Taylor
    Terry Scott Taylor is an American songwriter, record producer, writer and founding member of the bands Daniel Amos and The Swirling Eddies . Taylor is also a member of the roots and alternative music group, Lost Dogs. He is currently based in San Jose, California, USA.Taylor is highly regarded for...

  • Equator
    Equator (Stonehill album)
    Equator is the title of an album by Randy Stonehill, released in 1983, on Myrrh Records.-Track listing:All Songs Written By Randy Stonehill, except "Light Of The World" By Randy Stonehill And Wayne Berry And "Hide Them In Your Love" By Randy Stonehill And Gary Morris.-Side one:# "Light Of The...

    , 1982, produced by Terry Scott Taylor
  • Celebrate This Heartbeat
    Celebrate This Heartbeat
    Celebrate This Heartbeat is the title of an album by Randy Stonehill, released in 1984, on Myrrh Records.-Side one:# "Overture: Celebrate This Heartbeat" – 3:25# "Still, Small Voice" – 4:04...

    , 1984, produced by Barry Miller Kaye
  • Stonehill, 1984 EP, produced by Barry Miller Kaye
  • Love Beyond Reason
    Love Beyond Reason
    Love Beyond Reason is an album by Randy Stonehill, released in 1985, on Myrrh Records.The album contained the hit single, "I Could Never Say Goodbye," which was a duet with singer Amy Grant...

    , 1985, produced by Barry Miller Kaye
  • The Wild Frontier
    The Wild Frontier
    The Wild Frontier is the title of an album by Randy Stonehill, released in 1986, on Myrrh Records.-Side one:# "The Wild Frontier" – 4:07# "Here Come the Big Guitars" – 3:41# "The Dying Breed" – 4:15# "Words on the Wind" – 5:44...

    , 1986, produced by Dave Perkins
  • Can't Buy a Miracle
    Can't Buy A Miracle
    Can't Buy a Miracle is the title of an album by Randy Stonehill, released in 1988, on Myrrh Records.-Side one:# "It's Now" – 4:03# "Don't Break Down" – 3:04# "Coming Back Soon" – 4:46# "O How The Mighty Have Fallen" – 4:10...

    , 1988, produced by Dave Perkins
  • Return to Paradise
    Return to Paradise (Stonehill album)
    Return to Paradise is the title of an album by Randy Stonehill, released in 1989, on Myrrh Records. The title is a reference to Stonehill's earlier album, Welcome to Paradise....

    , 1989, produced by Mark Heard
    Mark Heard
    John Mark Heard was a record producer, folk-rock singer, and songwriter originally from Macon, Georgia, USA....

  • Until We Have Wings
    Until We Have Wings
    Until We Have Wings is the title of an album by Randy Stonehill, released in 1990, on Myrrh Records.-Side One :# "Faithful" – 3:24# "Didn't It Rain" – 6:11# "Born to Love" – 4:27...

    , 1990 live album, produced by Mark Heard
  • Wonderama
    Wonderama (album)
    -Track listing:All songs written by Randy Stonehill except as otherwise noted.# "Wonderama" – 6:20# "I Will Follow" – 3:00# "Barbie Nation" – 4:57...

    , 1991, produced by Terry Scott Taylor
  • Stories, 1993 compilation, with 3 new tracks produced by Terry Scott Taylor
  • Lazarus Heart, 1994, produced by Jimmy Lee Sloas
  • Our Recollections, 1996 compilation
  • Thirst, 1998, produced by Rick Elias
    Rick Elias
    Rick Elias is a Nashville based singer and songwriter.From 1993 to 2002, Elias was a member of Rich Mullins' A Ragamuffin Band.Rick was a founding member of Rich Mullins and a Ragamuffin Band. Today Rick spends his time writing and producing music in Nashville TN., and continues to perform solo...

  • Edge of the World
    Edge of the World (Randy Stonehill album)
    -Track listing:#Dare To Believe-3:30#That's The Way It Goes-3:22#We Were All So Young-5:21#Jayney-4:34#Take Me Back-4:42#All I Know-4:29#Hey, Pauline-5:14#Edge of the World-3:27#Last Song For Michael-2:40#Far, Far-4:32#Prisoner of Hope-4:48-Personnel:...

    , 2002, produced by Bob Kilpatrick
    Bob Kilpatrick
    Bob Kilpatrick is a Scottish-American singer/songwriter/producer/broadcaster, born in Louisville, Kentucky.-Musical history:He is best known for composing the gospel standard "In My Life Lord Be Glorified", being the driving force behind Fair Oaks Records in Sacramento, CA and for presenting a...

     and Stonehill
  • Together Live, 2006 live album recorded with Phil Keaggy
  • Touchstone, 2007
  • Paradise Sky, 2008, produced by Randy Stonehill and Mike Pachelli
  • Mystery Highway
    Mystery Highway
    - Track listing :...

    , 2009, produced by Phil Keaggy and Randy Stonehill
  • Spirit Walk, 2011, produced by Mike Pachelli and Randy Stonehill

Compilations and productions

  • Time to Run, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 1973 album, produced by Anthony Harris (Stonehill performs on three tracks)
  • Strong Hand of Love
    Strong Hand of Love
    Strong Hand of Love: A Tribute to Mark Heard is a compilation of songs by various artists in tribute to songwriter, Mark Heard.Recorded and released in 1994, after Heard's death in 1992. Proceeds benefit the Heard Family Fund....

    , tribute to Mark Heard
    Mark Heard
    John Mark Heard was a record producer, folk-rock singer, and songwriter originally from Macon, Georgia, USA....

    , 1994
  • Orphans of God
    Orphans of God
    Orphans of God is a 2 CD compilation of songs performed by various artists in tribute to songwriter Mark Heard.Recorded and released after Heard's death in 1992, proceeds benefit the Heard Family Fund....

    , tribute to Mark Heard
    Mark Heard
    John Mark Heard was a record producer, folk-rock singer, and songwriter originally from Macon, Georgia, USA....

    , 1996
  • First Love: a Historic Gathering of Jesus Music Pioneers
    First Love: a Historic Gathering of Jesus Music Pioneers
    First Love is a documentary that looks back into the Jesus Music of the 1970s. In 1997, a group of Jesus Music pioneers gathered in southern California for a memorable 3 days of music and fellowship . The event was both recorded and filmed, and was released in a 2-CD/2-DVD set simply titled “First...

    , Jesus Movement
    Jesus movement
    The Jesus movement was a movement in Christianity beginning on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s and spreading primarily through North America and Europe, before dying out by the early 1980s. It was the major Christian element within the hippie counterculture,...

     artist reunion album, 1998
  • Surfonic Water Revival
    Surfonic Water Revival
    Surfonic Water Revival is the title of a various artists compilation album which was recorded and released in 1998 by KMG Records. The album pays tribute to the pioneers of Surf music like Brian Wilson, Jan and Dean, the Belairs, the Hondells, the Surfaris, the Ventures, Beach Boys, Dick Dale and...

    , tribute to surf music
    Surf music
    Surf music is a genre of popular music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Orange County and other areas of Southern California. It was particularly popular between 1961 and 1965, has subsequently been revived and was highly influential on subsequent rock music...

    , 1998
  • When Worlds Collide: A Tribute to Daniel Amos
    When Worlds Collide: A Tribute to Daniel Amos
    When Worlds Collide: A Tribute to Daniel Amos is an indie tribute album by a variety of artists that pays musical tribute to the band Daniel Amos and its chief songwriter Terry Scott Taylor. It was released in July 2000 by Ferris Wheel....

    , Daniel Amos
    Daniel Amos
    Daniel Amos is a rock band formed in 1974 by Terry Scott Taylor on guitars and vocals, Marty Dieckmeyer on bass guitar, Steve Baxter on guitars and Jerry Chamberlain on lead guitars. Current members include bassist Tim Chandler, guitarist Greg Flesch and drummer Ed McTaggart...

     tribute album, 1999
  • Making God Smile: An Artists' Tribute to the Songs of Beach Boy Brian Wilson
    Making God Smile: An Artists' Tribute to the Songs of Beach Boy Brian Wilson
    Making God Smile: An Artists' Tribute to the Songs of Beach Boy Brian Wilson is a compilation of cover songs by various artists in tribute to Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys. The album was released as a single album. A second double album was released for sale only on the Internet through...

    , Brian Wilson
    Brian Wilson
    Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...

     tribute album, 2002
  • Come As A Child Or Not At All, 2003 Compilation memorial with Theo Obrastoff
  • "Peace Dove", CD by Eric John Sawyer (Produced by Randy Stonehill) 2007
  • "Ted Aukerman, 'Faithwalk Again' Full Length CD" (Featuring Randy Stonehill on several tracks) Released December 2009
  • "Brian Rennick EP" (Produced by Randy Stonehill) 2007
  • Moments, Richard Cummins, (Track: "Gameshow of Life" Produced by Randy Stonehill & Mike Pachelli). Also featuring Randy and Phil Keaggy
    Phil Keaggy
    Phil Keaggy is an American acoustic and electric guitarist and vocalist who has released more than 50 albums and contributed to many more recordings in both the contemporary Christian music and mainstream markets...

    , 2008
  • "Heaven At Highway's End" by John Wilkerson (Produced by Randy Stonehill) 2009
  • "Carry Me" EP by Alice Bartels (Produced by Randy Stonehill) 2009

Uncle Stonehill

  • Uncle Stonehill's Hat
    Uncle Stonehill's Hat
    Uncle Stonehill's Hat is a children's album by Randy Stonehill recorded in 2001 and produced by Terry Scott Taylor. The album is a blend of songs and stories narrated by Stonehill, featuring voice acting from Noelle Taylor & Pj Clarke....

    Uncle Stonehill, 2001 children's album produced by Terry Scott Taylor
    Terry Scott Taylor
    Terry Scott Taylor is an American songwriter, record producer, writer and founding member of the bands Daniel Amos and The Swirling Eddies . Taylor is also a member of the roots and alternative music group, Lost Dogs. He is currently based in San Jose, California, USA.Taylor is highly regarded for...


Videography

  • Beware! The Blob
    Beware! The Blob
    Beware! The Blob is a 1972 sequel to horror science-fiction film The Blob. The film was directed by Larry Hagman. The screenplay was penned by Anthony Harris and Jack Woods III, based on a story by Jack H. Harris and Richard Clair...

    (also known as Son of Blob). Motion Picture, 1972.
  • Time to Run, World Wide Pictures
    World Wide Pictures
    World Wide Pictures is a film distributor and production company established as a subsidiary of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in 1951...

    . Motion Picture, 1973
  • 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
    Jesus movement
    The Jesus movement was a movement in Christianity beginning on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s and spreading primarily through North America and Europe, before dying out by the early 1980s. It was the major Christian element within the hippie counterculture,...

    , Volume 2
    , VHS, 1998; Re-released on DVD, 2005
  • Together Live in concert with Phil Keaggy
    Phil Keaggy
    Phil Keaggy is an American acoustic and electric guitarist and vocalist who has released more than 50 albums and contributed to many more recordings in both the contemporary Christian music and mainstream markets...

    , DVD, 2006

Further reading

  • McNeil, W.K. "Stonehill, Randy", in Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music (Routledge, 2005):377-378.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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