Filmmakers touch on the public struggles of CCM's most well-known names, including Grant's divorce, Taff's alcoholism and the untimely death of TobyMac's 21-year-old son, Truett. It also doesn't gloss over some of the darker moments in the personal lives of its subjects. It highlights how Franklin, a renowned gospel artist, first found success in secular music before CCM accepted him. "I just pray that music that is truly authentic and sincere and meets with the heartbeat of Jesus and goes forth and sees greater levels of acceptance and culture," she added.Ī candid and unapologetic look at the industry, "The Jesus Music" doesn't shy away from controversies in CCM, including the predominantly white genre's struggle to embrace diversity. "Now, as Christian music goes forward, and as music goes straight to platforms, there's more opportunity than ever before for great artists that also have a very sincere love for Jesus to get their work out there." "I feel like I was very blessed to be at a point in Christian music where there was a lot of development of a lot of different kinds of artistry," she said. James, whose songs topped charts throughout the late 90s, reflected on being part of that pivotal moment in CCM history. In its adolescence in the '90s and early 2000s, the genre found popularity in the Christian world and with mainstream audiences, propelled by bands like DC Talk, Audio Adrenaline and Jars of Clay. I hope that it continues, and I hope the next generation of artists have the courage to be the Christians that they need to be to get the message out in a clear, precise way." "Now, there are so many doors that are open for artists. "I'm almost jealous of artists today because it was so much harder back then," Petra's John Schlitt told CP. However, the larger Church was hesitant to embrace Christian music, with influential televangelists like Jimmy Swaggart condemning the genre as the work of the devil. Initially, Christian music found success with a relatively small, evangelical audience, led by artists like Larry Norman and Keith Green. "I remember when the whole thing kicked off with the success with Amy, I knew that there was probably a better chance of us being a casualty than not until we just said, 'We're not going to be a casualty.' So we just kind of set up all these rules, taking sabbaticals, staying close with our pastors," he said. When asked about his staying power - Smith has been in CCM for nearly four decades - the artist said he's continually surrounded himself with positive influences that keep him grounded and his music theologically sound. You can't orchestrate this kind of stuff. And her audience seemed to like my music, and that's how things started opening up for me. "Amy and I just started making this music, and we didn't know if it would fly," he recalled. In a red carpet interview with The Christian Post at the film premiere, Smith reflected on his rise to stardom in the 1980s and the role Grant, the girl-next-door CCM artist who found huge crossover success, played in his life, both personally and professionally. Smith, the documentary features archival footage and interviews with trailblazers including Russ Taff and Bill Gaither, artists with crossover appeal like DC Talk and Kirk Franklin, and relative newcomers such as Lauren Daigle and Hillsong's Joel Houston. NASHVILLE - Contemporary Christian music pioneers and newcomers alike gathered on Monday for the premiere of "The Jesus Music," a documentary spanning the remarkable rise of the industry's most overlooked genre.įrom filmmaking brothers Andrew and Jon Erwin, "The Jesus Music" follows Christian music's story from its inception in the 1960s at Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California, to the multibillion-dollar industry it is today.Įxecutive produced by CCM veterans Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, TobyMac, Jason Crabb, Michael Tait and Bart Millard attend the red carpet premiere of "The Jesus Music" in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sept.