Rock & Roll Preacher (Paperback or Softback)

After years of searching for meaning through drugs, Buddhism, sex, and Eastern philosophy, a long-haired hippie musician walked his bare feet into a little country church and encountered the living God. Confounded by the simplicity of the gospel, a young Chuck Girard dedicated his life to Jesus during the height of the sexual revolution and civil unrest that characterized the decade of the '60s. Along with thousands of other "Jesus Freaks" who came to be known as the Jesus Movement, Chuck's story was only just getting started.

From drugged-out hippie to pioneer of Contemporary Christian Music, Rock & Roll Preacher chronicles the true story of Chuck Girard, founder of the iconic band, Love Song. Told through his own eyes, he documents the history of the Jesus Movement, the growth of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, Love Song, and the CCM industry.

Yet at the pinnacle of success as a Contemporary Christian music artist in the '80s, alcoholism threatened to end his successful ministry, reputation, and family. What happens when a famous Christian singer struggles with addiction? Where is God when his followers are less than perfect? Can God heal, deliver, and restore?

This raw and honest memoir is both refreshing and convicting. Pulling no punches, Chuck draws from his deep well of experience following Jesus for over 40 years, through the highs and lows of real life. From losing his father at the age of five, walk with Chuck as he searched for God, and found so much more... a Father who would heal his deepest wounds, and walk with him for a lifetime.

CHUCK GIRARD, born in Los Angeles, CA, moved to Santa Rosa, CA in his young teens and became a member of the pop vocal group, The Castells. In his early 20s, he joined the surf-rock band, The Hondells. Both groups had national top 20 hits. In the mid-60s, Chuck joined the growing "hippie" drug culture and became a spiritual seeker until his conversion to Christianity in 1970. It was at that point that he became a founding member of LoveSong, arguably the first Christian rock band to become well-known. The group was instrumental in paving the way for what became known as the "Jesus Movement" and, ultimately, Contemporary Christian music. His ministry, through music, worship, teaching and street evangelism, spans 50 years. He is a father, grandfather, and has been married to his wife, Karen, since 1971.