Bob Kilpatrick
Encyclopedia
Bob Kilpatrick is a Scottish-American singer/songwriter
/producer
/broadcaster
, born in Louisville, Kentucky
.
.
His live musical output is a mix of folk
, gospel
and progressive rock
. Beginning in the early 70’s with his wife Cindy (similar in style to Richard & Linda Thompson) and touring through much of the 1980s and 1990s predominantly as a solo artist. His self-effacing live demeanor could be likened to a "born-again" Loudon Wainwright III
The remainder of the 1990s and the start of the following decade saw him develop into an eminent Christian music producer, working with the likes of Randy Stonehill
, Phil Keaggy
, Sara Groves
and Noel Stookey
.
In 2006, Kilpatrick released his most innovative project to date entitled This Changes Everything. This was inspired by the passing of one of his spiritual mentors and also contains direct and powerful references to his Christian faith. In many ways the thematic scope of This Changes Everything is reminiscent of the Larry Norman
album So Long Ago the Garden
or the Jackie Leven
comeback release The Mystery of Love Is Greater Than the Mystery of Death.
As a songwriter, he has garnered critical and popular acclaim for his work. Beginning with In My Life Lord Be Glorified and following up with other favorites such as Won By One, I Will Not Be Ashamed, Here Am I and Tell Me the Story. His 2003 compilation album Think Pray Groove documents his many musical influences that are highlighted with a live version of In My Life Lord, Be Glorified (he sends up his own song by performing it in the style of Frank Sinatra
, Elvis Presley
and The Beatles
).
When he is not either playing, writing or producing, Bob Kilpatrick is a national spokesman for the Colorado
-based children's charity Compassion International
, he travels extensively for musical and Christian ministry purposes (Kilpatrick is also an ordained minister) and is a regular contributor to the Christian musician Summits that occur in the Pacific Northwest
.
"Within a matter of years after that, "Lord, Be Glorified" was on millions of albums, in millions of hymnals, and had made its way around the world. Long before I went overseas the first time to minister, the song had preceded me. I had reports from people that they were singing it in South America, Asia, Russia, China, Australia—virtually everyplace the word of God had found acceptance."(from the article Songwriting)
"Sometimes they watch me succeed and they learn. Other times they see me fail and they learn. Sometimes I'm so good, I'm floating. Sometimes I'm drowning. But, hey, this is the deep end. And when the day is done, I can always go home and listen to Ray sing. That's how Van did it." (from the article Listening To Ray Sing)
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Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
/producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
/broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
, born in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
.
Musical history
He is best known for composing the gospel standard "In My Life Lord Be Glorified", being the driving force behind Fair Oaks Records in Sacramento, CA and for presenting a regular Time Out With Bob Kilpatrick on the K-Love Radio NetworkK-LOVE
K-LOVE is a Contemporary Christian music radio programming service in the United States operated by the Educational Media Foundation. As of January 2011, K-LOVE's programming is carried on over 440 FM stations and translators in 45 states. K-LOVE claims an audience of 250,000 people each week via...
.
His live musical output is a mix of folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
and progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
. Beginning in the early 70’s with his wife Cindy (similar in style to Richard & Linda Thompson) and touring through much of the 1980s and 1990s predominantly as a solo artist. His self-effacing live demeanor could be likened to a "born-again" Loudon Wainwright III
Loudon Wainwright III
Loudon Snowden Wainwright III is a Grammy Award-winning American songwriter, folk singer, humorist, and actor. He is the father of musicians Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche, brother of Sloan Wainwright, and the former husband of the late folk singer Kate McGarrigle.To...
The remainder of the 1990s and the start of the following decade saw him develop into an eminent Christian music producer, working with the likes of Randy Stonehill
Randy Stonehill
Randall Evan "Randy" Stonehill is an American singer-songwriter from Stockton, California, best known as one of the so-called "fathers of contemporary Christian music". His music is primarily folk rock in the style of James Taylor, but he has assayed other styles, with various albums focused on...
, Phil Keaggy
Phil Keaggy
Phil Keaggy is an American acoustic and electric guitarist and vocalist who has released more than 50 albums and contributed to many more recordings in both the contemporary Christian music and mainstream markets...
, Sara Groves
Sara Groves
Sara Groves is an American Contemporary Christian singer, record producer, and author....
and Noel Stookey
Noel Stookey
Noel Paul Stookey is a singer-songwriter best known as "Paul" in the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary. He took the stage name "Paul" as part of the trio Peter, Paul and Mary, but he has been known as Noel otherwise, throughout his life...
.
In 2006, Kilpatrick released his most innovative project to date entitled This Changes Everything. This was inspired by the passing of one of his spiritual mentors and also contains direct and powerful references to his Christian faith. In many ways the thematic scope of This Changes Everything is reminiscent of the Larry Norman
Larry Norman
Larry David Norman was an American Christian musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer, who worked with Christian rock music...
album So Long Ago the Garden
So Long Ago the Garden
So Long Ago the Garden is an album recorded by Larry Norman, released in 1973. It is the second album in what came to be known as his "trilogy," which began with the album Only Visiting This Planet and concluded with In Another Land. So Long Ago the Garden was controversial because Norman's...
or the Jackie Leven
Jackie Leven
Jackie Leven was a Scottish songwriter and folk musician. After starting his career as a folk musician in the late 1960s, he first found success with new wave band Doll by Doll...
comeback release The Mystery of Love Is Greater Than the Mystery of Death.
As a songwriter, he has garnered critical and popular acclaim for his work. Beginning with In My Life Lord Be Glorified and following up with other favorites such as Won By One, I Will Not Be Ashamed, Here Am I and Tell Me the Story. His 2003 compilation album Think Pray Groove documents his many musical influences that are highlighted with a live version of In My Life Lord, Be Glorified (he sends up his own song by performing it in the style of Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
).
When he is not either playing, writing or producing, Bob Kilpatrick is a national spokesman for the Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
-based children's charity Compassion International
Compassion International
Compassion International is a Christian child sponsorship organization dedicated to the long-term development of children living in poverty around the world. Compassion International, headquartered in Colorado Springs, functions in 26 countries such as Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, Haiti, Kenya, and...
, he travels extensively for musical and Christian ministry purposes (Kilpatrick is also an ordained minister) and is a regular contributor to the Christian musician Summits that occur in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
.
Quotes
"I love the Church because Jesus calls us to gather around Him. Apart from Him, church is meaningless. Worse than that, it is fakery" (from the article I Renounce Christianity)"Within a matter of years after that, "Lord, Be Glorified" was on millions of albums, in millions of hymnals, and had made its way around the world. Long before I went overseas the first time to minister, the song had preceded me. I had reports from people that they were singing it in South America, Asia, Russia, China, Australia—virtually everyplace the word of God had found acceptance."(from the article Songwriting)
"Sometimes they watch me succeed and they learn. Other times they see me fail and they learn. Sometimes I'm so good, I'm floating. Sometimes I'm drowning. But, hey, this is the deep end. And when the day is done, I can always go home and listen to Ray sing. That's how Van did it." (from the article Listening To Ray Sing)
Partial discography
- This Changes Everything 2006
- The Studio Collection 2005
- The Live Collection 2005
- Let It Shine Like That 2003
- Think, Pray, Groove 2003
- Face to Face 2000
- Find It Here 1999
- Songs For God 1998 (Featuring Geoff Thurman, Chris Falson & Will Derryberry)
- An Evening In Sacramento 1998
- Prints 1997
- Lord Be Glorifed 1996
- Won By One 1992
- The Long March...plus some 1990
Professional connections
Compassion InternationalCompassion International
Compassion International is a Christian child sponsorship organization dedicated to the long-term development of children living in poverty around the world. Compassion International, headquartered in Colorado Springs, functions in 26 countries such as Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, Haiti, Kenya, and...
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