Mylon LeFevre (1944-2023) lived an extraordinary life—from Elvis recording one of his first songs to overcoming drug addiction to recording with the biggest names in rock music. However, LeFevre walked away from it all and decided to use his gifts for God. What role did LeFevre play in establishing Christian rock?
In the 1960s, church music consisted mostly of just the piano, organ, hymns, and a choir. Mylon LeFevre helped change that with his contemporary style and pioneered a type of music young Christians could connect to. In the process, his music was received by his secular contemporaries and critics globally first before eventually being accepted by the church. Over the course of many decades, he has used his platform to minister to millions worldwide.
LeFevre became known as one of the first Christian rock (or Jesus rock) artists. The Jesus Movement of the 1960s-1970s coincided with the rise of Mylon LeFevre’s music and contemporary Christian music. A tremendous amount of folk and rock music emerged from the 1960s and 70s and when musicians like LeFevre and others became Christian—they brought their music with them and sang about Jesus and Christianity. Eventually, Christian youth brought this music into their youth groups, camp retreats, and eventually the church at large.
This created opportunities for bands like Love Song and Petra, and for musicians like Barry McGuire and Michael Card. These artists often took a pastoral role in their music and performances, viewed it as a ministry, and used their platform to share the Gospel with their audiences. Many generations later, most American worship services incorporate some type of Christian rock.
LeFevre was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, in 1944. He was the youngest child, and his parents both played music professionally. At a young age, he started playing guitar and singing. In high school, he gained a reputation as a talented songwriter.
After joining the army after finishing high school in 1962, Elvis Presley recorded one of Mylon’s songs, “Without Him.” Hundreds of other artists would go on to record this song as well. At age 19, LeFevre wrote, performed, and produced his first solo album. Over the next six years, he performed with his family as The LeFevres.
In 1969, LeFevre signed with Atlantic Record and recorded one of the first Christian rock albums, Mylon - We Believe.
Over the next decade, LeFevre recorded and performed with rock stars like Billy Joel, Elton John, Duane Allman, the Who, and even Little Richard. However, amid tremendous success in the music business, LeFevre’s life started unraveling with drug addiction. He almost overdosed on cocaine in 1973 and finished a seven-month drug treatment program. He was overwhelmed with the constant pressure and isolation of touring and performing over 200 concerts annually. In addition, he was trying to write and record an album every year.
In 1980, at a 2nd Chapter of Acts concert, he decided to fully commit his life to Christ and no longer participate in the secular rock and roll scene. Instead, he worked as a janitor at his home church in Atlanta and took Bible study classes. However, his record contract said he could only be released “by an act of God.” LeFevre’s lawyer defended that “being born again” was an act of God, and the judge determined Leevre’s contract could legally be broken. In return, however, LeFevre relented to releasing all future royalties to his songs.
In 1991, LeFevre’s daughter, Summer, married Peter Furler, co-founder and former lead singer of the Christian rock band Newsboys.
In 1981, he started a band called Broken Heart with some Bible study buddies at church. Since then, they have won a Grammy and two Dove Awards, sold over a million records, released a dozen albums, and toured over a million miles. In 2005, LeFevre was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
LeFevre passed away on September 8, 2023, after several years of fighting cancer. His wife, Christi, announced the news in a Facebook post that said, “Until his very last breath he fought the good fight of faith. He finished his race. He kept the faith. II Timothy 4:7.”
In 1968, a year before LeFevre’s We Believe, Larry Norman released Upon This Rock. It was seen as the first Christian rock album. In those early days, Christian rock reflected the Jesus Movement spreading around the U.S. Christian coffeehouses were opening nationwide. Communal Christian houses were being opened. Both establishments reached out to the troubled and the lost.
Young people were reading the Bible with fresh eyes and were full of hope, love, and zeal. This Jesus revival reevaluated traditional American theology, values, and lifestyles. With their long hair and sideburns, Norman and LeFevre reflected the revolution around them. Their lyrics challenged church and societal norms.
LeFevre and Norman’s music also opened the door for future Christian artists like 2nd Chapter of Acts, Andrae Crouch, and Keith Green, resulting in a new genre: Contemporary Christian Music. The debates this music raised about what music styles should be played in a church continue to be important—modern-day Christian music keeps changing, and churches still debate what is proper or improper for Christians to play.
LeFevre’s music has often embraced a countercultural attitude that his contemporaries in the Jesus Movement embraced.
In the “Sunday School Blues,” LeFevre questions the sometimes overbearing rules and regulations of the church and society at large. He writes that he doesn’t want to tell people how to live or what to do, but to be themselves. He stresses instead the importance of love and focusing on what Christ has done for us.
In “On the Road to Freedom,” LeFevre and co-writer Alvin Lee challenges the often materialistic American dream lived out post-World War II in the 1950s and early 1960s—a materialism the hippie counterculture criticized, and the Jesus Movement tried to fight with a more Christian spirit. LeFevre vocalizes that the world’s riches are tempting but can only be a distraction and restriction.
In “Sweet Peace,” LeFevre Reflects the evangelistic zeal of the Jesus movement. He sings that the main question people need to ask themselves is what will happen when they die and whether they have made peace with it.
In “I Wish We’d All Been Ready,” LeFevre’s contemporary, Larry Norman, takes a similarly countercultural stance. The song questions the government’s decisions to pursue the Vietnam War and emphasizes that the focus should be on the coming of Christ.
LeFevre’s music incorporated various styles and produced multiple hits, but here is an overview of some of his best work.
1. Mylon - We Believe (1969): LeFevre’s debut album, and one of the first Christian rock albums, helped usher in the new Contemporary Christian Music genre.
2. Love Rustler (1978): LeFevre shows his talent and range with this album—he mixes melodies, southern vibes, and even some funk, soul, and blues.
3. Rock and Roll Resurrection (1980): LeFevre’s last Rock and Roll album before fully committing to making Christian music. Reflecting the times, he mixes a little disco in as well.
4. Faith, Hope, and Love (1992): After touring with Broken Heart for a decade, Mylon took a year off to rest, reflect, and spend time with God before producing this album. It produced two #1 singles on the CCM charts, “Invincible Love” and “Closer Than A Friend.”
5. Bow Down (2003): LeFevre’s last solo album and produced by his son-in-law Peter Furler.
During his decades of recording and performing, LeFevre had a great impact. Thousands of people committed to follow Jesus through his concerts. He was been seen by millions on TV, ministered at NFL and NBA chapel services, and even ministered in the former Soviet Union.
To read about more Jesus Movement-era musicians or about Christian musicians you haven't explored, read:
Was Mark Heard Christian Music’s Best Songwriter?
What Made Barry McGuire a Christian Rock Pioneer?
Why Did Christian Music Forget The Call's Michael Been?
20 Great Books on Christian Music
How Did Randy Stonehill Revolutionize Christian Music?
10 Keith Green Quotes to Ponder Today
What You Should Know about Rich Mullins
Why Should Christian Music Pay Attention to T Bone Burnett?
Photo Credit: Unsplash/N Kamalov
Nate Van Noord is from Detroit, MI, a graduate of Calvin University, and has taught high school history for many years. He loves to bike, run, and play pickleball, has been to about 30 countries, and is a three time winner of NPR's Moth Detroit StorySlam competitions.
This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. Here are some of the most popular articles for knowing important figures in Christianity:
How Did the Apostle Paul Die?
Who are the Nicolaitans in Revelation?
Who Was Deborah in the Bible?
Who Was Moses in the Bible?
King Solomon's Story in the Bible
Who Was Lot's Wife in the Bible?
Who Was Jezebel in the Bible?
Who Was the Prodigal Son?