Back to the 80's again this week to take a look at Wayne Watson, an American singer-songwriter who helped define the genre of contemporary Christian music, but he has not limited himself to the genre he helped create. Some of his songs have become CCM classics.
Watson originally planned to pursue a career playing baseball, but while in college he began dabbling in music, and after graduation regularly performed in area churches. While leading worship at a Christian youth camp, the father of one of the children videotaped Watson's performance and sent it to a record company.
Watson's connection with his audience has produced 23 No. 1 singles in Christian radio—including "Friend of a Wounded Heart", "When God's People Pray", "Almighty" (which we occasionally play in church today), "Touch of the Master's Hand" (a personal favorite), "Be in Her Eyes", "Watercolour Ponies", "More of You", "Another Time Another Place", and "Home Free" (which became the most played song on Christian radio in 1991).
His litany of career credits include a dozen Dove Awards wins –including those for Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of The Year (Friend Of A Wounded Heart), Pop Contemporary Song of the Year and Contemporary Album of The Year with Watercolour Ponies, and Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year with "Home Free." He has twice been nominated for the Grammy Award—both for his performance of "Watercolour Ponies", and for Best Pop Gospel Album with his stunning A Beautiful Place project. He shared a Grammy victory as a part of the team of other Christian artists for the “Tribute to Andre Crouch” project.
Wayne has the unique ability to simultaneously pioneer new territory, while remaining firmly grounded in his Southern, traditional roots. This was never better illustrated than the night he and Sandi Patty appeared on NBC-TV’s Tonight Show. It was the 1990s and Christian music had been historically relegated to Christian venues and Christian radio. But as America watched, two young Christian artists stepped onto that famous sound stage and gave a groundbreaking, emotionally charged performance of “Another Place, Another Time.” Without changing their customary worshipful performance, these two ambassadors for Christ sang to a most unexpected audience – late-night television viewers. The time slot, the medium, the show itself, set the stage for an event that was deemed a defining moment in Christian music’s move to wider audiences.
The momentum continued in the late 90s, when Wayne’s inspirational hit "For Such A Time As This" became a centerpiece theme of CBS-TV’s then highly rated series Touched By An Angel.
On January 1, 2011, Watson was among seven artists inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame.
For over 12 years Watson was the associate director of music at Chapelwood United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas and has recently retired at the end of March.
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