Keith Green
| Keith Green | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Keith Gordon Green |
| Born |
October 21, 1953 Sheepshead Bay, New York, U.S. |
| Died | July 28, 1982 (aged 28) Garden Valley, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | Contemporary Christian music, rock and roll |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, musician, minister |
| Instruments | Vocals, piano |
| Years active | 1965–82 |
| Labels | Decca, Sparrow, Pretty Good |
Keith Gordon Green (October 21, 1953 – July 28, 1982) was an American contemporary Christian music pianist, singer and songwriter originally from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. Beyond his music, Green is best known for his strong devotion to Christian evangelism and challenging others to the same. Often considered controversial for his frequently confrontational lyrics and spoken messages, he wrote some notable songs alone and with his wife, Melody Green, including "Your Love Broke Through", "You Put This Love in My Heart", and "Asleep in the Light". Green is also known for numerous popular modern hymns, including "O Lord, You're Beautiful" and "There Is a Redeemer", written by his wife, Melody.
Green took to music at a young age, beginning with the ukulele at the age of three, the guitar at five, and the piano at seven years of age. His talents were noted by a major newspaper by the time he was only eight years old. Following a performance of Arthur Laurents' The Time of the Cuckoo, a local review by the Los Angeles Times wrote that "roguish-looking, eight-year-old Keith Green gave a winning [character] portrayal" as "the little Italian street urchin, Mauro"; another review commented that he "stole the show". The show was Green's first appearance in live theater, which was held in Chatsworth, California, in September 1962. According to the LA Times, Green had already "done a number of television commercials and...made a TV pilot."
At 10 years of age, Green went on to play the role of "Kurt von Trapp" in a local community theatre production of The Sound of Music at the Valley Music Theater in Woodland Hills, California.
In February 1965, having written forty original songs already, Green and his father, Harvey, signed a five-year contract with Decca Records with Harvey as business manager. The first song released on disc was A Go-Go Getter in May 1965 (produced by Gary Usher), which he had earlier composed and published before signing with Decca. Upon publication of this song, Green, at 11 years of age, became the youngest person ever to sign with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).
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