Randy Stonehill

Randy Stonehill
In concert May 2014 in Fremont, California
Background information
Birth name	Randall Evan Stonehill
Born	(1952-03-12) March 12, 1952 (age 72) Stockton, California, U.S.
Genres	Contemporary Christian, folk rock, rock
Years active	1971–present
Labels	Solid Rock, Myrrh, StreetLevel
Website	www.RandyStonehill.com
Signature

Randall Evan Stonehill (born March 12, 1952)^[1] is an American singer and songwriter from Stockton, California, best known as one of the pioneers of contemporary Christian music. His music is primarily folk rock in the style of James Taylor, but some of his albums have focused on new wave, pop, pop rock, roots rock, and children's music.^[2][3]

Early life

Randy Stonehill was born in Stockton, California.^[1] the son of Leonard N. Stonehill and his wife, Pauline Correia and is the younger brother of Jeffrey Dean Stonehill.

He graduated from Leigh High School, in San Jose, California, then moved to Los Angeles where he stayed with Christian rock singer, Larry Norman.^[4]

Career

Stonehill's first album, Born Twice was released in 1971, with financial help from Pat Boone. The album—one side a live performance, the other recorded in a studio—was recorded for a mere $US 800, and according to Stonehill, "sounds like every penny of it."^[5]

A year later, Stonehill made his film acting debut in The Blob sequel, Beware! The Blob (also known as Son of Blob), with Cindy Williams, in which he performed the unreleased song "Captain Coke".^[6] He also made a cameo appearance in the 1973 Billy Graham film Time to Run, performing his song "I Love You".^[7]

In 1976, Stonehill released the Larry Norman-produced Welcome to Paradise, for which Andy Johns did the engineering. This became a landmark album for the songwriter and was voted the "third most important contemporary Christian album" in a mid-1980s poll of Christian music critics.

In the late 1970s, Stonehill joined forces with rock band Daniel Amos for the "Amos 'n' Randy Tour". Daniel Amos went on to be Stonehill's band for his next two releases, and Stonehill later provided backing vocals on a number of Daniel Amos' projects.

1983 saw Stonehill's popular album Equator debut and go very rapidly out-of-print. The album is still widely sought-after in both vinyl and cassette form. No re-releases on CD were issued.^{[citation needed]}

1984's Celebrate This Heartbeat teamed Stonehill with longtime friend Phil Keaggy for the song "Who Will Save The Children?" In 1989 they formed The Keaggy/Stonehill Band with Daniel Amos bassist Tim Chandler and The Swirling Eddies' David Raven on drums. Keaggy and Stonehill also teamed up several other times, both live in concert and in the studio. They recorded and performed as Phil Keaggy and Sunday's Child in 1988. They also joined singer Margaret Becker, drummer Joe English (former member of Paul McCartney and Wings) and several others that same year for the Compassion All Star Band's album One by One.

Marriages and family

Stonehill has been married three times, to Sarah Mae Finch, Sandra Jean Warner, and Leslie Sealander,^[8] with the first two marriages ending in divorce. His second marriage produced one daughter, Heather. Finch later married Larry Norman.^[9]

Discography

• Born Twice, 1971 debut album
• Get Me Out of Hollywood, recorded 1973, not officially released until 1999
• Welcome to Paradise, 1976, produced by Larry Norman
• The Sky Is Falling, recorded 1977, released 1980, produced by Larry Norman
• Between the Glory and the Flame, 1981, produced by Terry Scott Taylor
• Equator, 1983, produced by Terry Scott Taylor
• Celebrate This Heartbeat, 1984, produced by Barry Miller Kaye
• Stonehill, 1984 EP, produced by Barry Miller Kaye
• Love Beyond Reason, 1985, produced by Barry Miller Kaye
• The Wild Frontier, 1986, produced by Dave Perkins
• Can't Buy a Miracle, 1988, produced by Dave Perkins
• Return to Paradise, 1989, produced by Mark Heard
• Until We Have Wings, 1990 studio/live album, produced by Mark Heard
• Wonderama, 1991, produced by Terry Scott Taylor
• Stories, 1993 compilation, with 3 new tracks produced by Terry Scott Taylor
• Lazarus Heart, 1994, produced by Jimmie Lee Sloas
• Our Recollections, 1996 compilation
• Thirst, 1998, produced by Rick Elias
• Uncle Stonehill's Hat Uncle Stonehill, 2001 children's album produced by Terry Scott Taylor
• Edge of the World, 2002, produced by Bob Kilpatrick 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, 2009, produced by Phil Keaggy and Randy Stonehill
• Spirit Walk, 2011, produced by Mike Pachelli and Randy Stonehill
• Stonehill and Storm – Breath of God, 2013, produced by Buck Storm
• Lost Art of Listening, 2020^[10]

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, tribute to Mark Heard, 1994
• Orphans of God, tribute to Mark Heard, 1996
• First Love: a Historic Gathering of Jesus Music Pioneers, Jesus Movement artist reunion album, 1998
• Surfonic Water Revival, tribute to surf music, 1998
• When Worlds Collide: A Tribute to Daniel Amos, Daniel Amos tribute album, 1999
• Making God Smile: An Artists' Tribute to the Songs of Beach Boy Brian Wilson, Brian Wilson tribute album, 2002
• There's a Rainbow Somewhere: The Songs of Randy Stonehill, Randy Stonehill tribute album, 2022

Videography

• Beware! The Blob (also known as Son of Blob). Motion Picture, 1972.
• Time to Run, World Wide Pictures. 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, Volume 2, VHS, 1998; Re-released on DVD, 2005
• Together Live in concert with Phil Keaggy, DVD, 2006
• Fallen Angel: The Outlaw Larry Norman. Documentary, 2009

Works

• "Married Strangers", Christianity Today (Spring 1999)^[11]

References

1. Source Citation: Birthdate: March 12, 1952; Birth County: San Joaquin. Source Information: Ancestry.com. California Birth Index, 1905–1995
2. Powell, Mark Allan (2002). Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers. pp. 878–883. ISBN 1-56563-679-1.
3. Chris Willman, "Randy Stonehill: Turning Twenty: Celebrates 20 Years of Humor, Humanity, & the Hope of Glory", CCM (August 1990), http://www.nifty-music.com/stonehill/ccm0890.html
4. W. K. McNeil, ed., Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music (Routledge: 2005):377.
5. Powell, Mark Allan (2002). Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers. p. 879. ISBN 1-56563-679-1.
6. "Beware! The Blob (1972) - IMDb". Retrieved January 27, 2021 – via www.imdb.com.
7. "Time to Run (1973) - IMDb". Retrieved January 27, 2021 – via www.imdb.com.
8. facebook^{[clarification needed]}
9. California Marriage Index, Brides 1980–1985, page 5,413.
10. ""Lost Art of Listening" CD (Released 11/24/20)". Randy Stonehill Store!. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
11. Randy Stonehill (July 25, 2010). "Married Strangers | Kyria". Christianitytoday.com. Retrieved June 22, 2013.

Further reading

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

References

• Official site
• Randy Stonehill interviews 1978–1998