What was it like playing Christian rock music in the 70s, before there was a CCM “establishment”?
It was very rough. There weren’t many places to play and we were lucky to make our expenses when we did play. We also had to deal with the anti-rock message that many churches were giving out. I was really a wonder we survived at all. We weren’t full time till the late ’70’s and then it was “hand to mouth” for several years. We played mainly in places that had started during the “Jesus Movement”…coffeehouses, etc. How have you dealt with Petra’s various rises and falls from popularity over the years? Actually, there have been very few what I would call “stable” years for Petra. The peaks and valleys have let us know what a priviledge it is to serve God in this way and, I believe, they have kept us from getting complacent or conceited. How have you dealt with the major personnel changes over the years? (the early 80s, mid 80s, and recently?) When we lost Greg Volz as our singer, I didn’t know if Petra would still be popular, but John Schlitt was welcomed with open arms by our fans. It
