Over a storied career that spans over
three decades, John Schlitt has surely made his mark on
classic rock.
John first came to mainstream success with AOR stalwarts
Head East – whose hit ‘Never Been Any Reason’ from the
RIAA Certified Gold album “Flat as a Pancake”
charted for nine weeks on the Billboard Magazine Hot
100. John’s eight-year stint with Head East put him on
the map in terms of his career – the band was celebrated
for its raw energy and swagger. Described by one
newspaper as a "brash…cocky, (and) hard-fisted rock
band,” the five-piece group enjoyed a loyal following
with six albums and a string of hits throughout the ‘70s
that helped solidify their fan base.
John’s career seemed set but it all came to a
distressing end in 1980 when he was let go by the band.
The reason: John had an out-of-control drug and alcohol
addiction.
Poised for a long and fruitful career in music, John was
suddenly an abject failure, another casualty of rock ‘n
roll decadence, rejected by his peers and left to his
own drug-influenced devices.
As John battled his inner demons, God began working on
his wife Dorla, who met the Lord as John continued his
descent into despair. John’s initial reaction to the
Gospel was one of distaste, fighting every step of the
way. In his mind, suicide was the only way out of the
downward spiral that had so engulfed his life.
But Dorla’s persistent prayer and love led to John’s
spiritual awakening one extraordinary evening; letting
go of the addictions that held him captive for so many
years, John resolved to live for God and even forsake
music, if that was what God ordered.
But God wasn’t done with him musically. In fact, it
turned out that John’s days in Head East were a
precursor to something even greater. Five years after
firmly putting music behind him, God called John back to
fronting the Christian rock band Petra.
Arguably the most popular and acclaimed Christian Rock
band in history, Petra (with John at the helm) recorded
16 albums (including two Spanish versions) including two
RIAA Certified Gold albums, and notched 4 GRAMMY® and 10
Dove Awards.
With five solo albums to his credit (The Christmas
Project, The Greater Cause, The Grafting, Unfit for
Swine, and Shake), John tours throughout the world
in support of “The Greater Cause,” as well as
select reunion dates with Petra.
John Schlitt has been inducted into the Gospel Music
Hall of Fame as the lead singer of Petra and was
recently named the best rock singer in Christian music
history by GospelMusicChannel.com.
According to the
website, Schlitt “remains one of the most distinctive
and impactful men to ever stand behind a microphone.”
Today, a new chapter in the life of John Schlitt begins
with the formation of John Schlitt Ministries, a
501(c)3 non-profit entity. Destined to open new doors
and new Christian AND mainstream ventures, John
Schlitt Ministries is poised to further the spread
of the Gospel by offering support opportunities for tax
deductible donations. |