This man’s story is one I am not qualified to write. Both he and his music bring me to tears. I first learned about him through a woman who is no longer in my life. Immediately, his music touched me and spoke to me.
Everything is taken from two resources listed at the bottom. If I have missed notating credit, please forgive me.
Keith’s Story
Keith began writing and singing his own songs at the very young age of 6. Sure, there was music in his blood through the influence of his parents and grandparents, but still, 6 years old?!
He learned to play the guitar and piano at an even younger age. The piano was his favorite instrument, but he became bored playing classical music, so Keith would memorize the classical pieces and pretended to read the sheet music during his lessons.
Confusion and Misunderstanding
At age 11, Keith signed his first recording contract, singing only his own material. With photos in the Teen Magazines but only minor success with his music, Keith became disappointed. By age 14, Keith “felt like a total failure”.1
At age 14, most of us have barely thought about what we want to do when we grow up, but Keith was more than a decade into his musical career by that time, if you include his singing baby songs before the age of 2 when his mother realized he had perfect pitch.
When Keith was 15, he ran away from home. That day, he started a journal, keeping track of his musical life as well as spiritual truths.
Like so many people, confusion and misunderstanding drove him to drugs and a broken life. For anyone, once in that hellhole, it is very difficult to escape, but Keith did escape and at age 19 met, Melody.
The two married a year later, both musicians and both seeking spiritual truth.
By age 21, Keith found the Rock he had been looking for all those years. That Rock is Jesus Christ.
The Greenhouse
It took a while after accepting Christ, to really understand and believe that Jesus was and is the One True God. When this point finally sank in, both Keith and Melody were baptized in the Pacific Ocean.2
They immediately became involved in ministry on the beaches and boardwalks where they lived.3
Still newlyweds, Keith and Melody opened their home for a pregnant woman in need.4 But it didn’t stop there. This couple invited so many people into their home that they needed more space.
Keith and Melody bought another home and rented even more to help house “the homeless, hippies, people fleeing cults, troubled youth, and more.”5 Their home affectionately became known as “The Greenhouse.”
Top of the Charts
Keith’s musical career took off. He went from “concerts of 20 or less, to stadiums of 12,000 people.”6
Keith and Melody, often gave their time and resources, including albums, away for free. At one point, the count of over 200,000 albums had been sent into prisons and the poor.7
By age 28, Keith’s music was at the top of the charts.
Incredible and Unbound Power
Keith and Melody had 3 children and a 4th on the way. Hosting some friends, everyone decided to take a ride in the plane the ministry owned. Melody didn’t want to go and stayed behind with their one-year-old daughter.
The group hadn’t been gone long, when Melody got a call that the plane had gone down. “Too much weight in the small plane prevented it from taking off properly.”8 There were no survivors. Keith, along with his friends, the pilot and two of his own children perished.
As I write this today, it has been more than 40 years since I first heard Keith’s music and determined faith. Perhaps you have heard of him. His name is Keith Green.
Keith’s deliverance from drugs and his life beyond the path of darkness and the shadow of death are an amazing testament to the incredible and unbound power of Jesus Christ.
The Last Days
There is so much more I can say. If you are interested in reading more about Keith’s life, I would encourage you to visit the ministry Keith and Melody started many years ago. It is called Last Days Ministries and can be found at LastDaysMinistries.org.
I believe we are truly in the last days. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is so near. Please take time today to discover who Jesus Christ is. May you find a like faith as Keith Green.
“The Lord says to us tonight, He gave us His Son, why won’t we give Him our life in return, all of it? Why not? He loves us.” Keith Green, final words in “Song for Josiah” lyrics.
Resources
- https://lastdaysministries.org/Groups/1000008700/Last_Days_Ministries/Keith_Green/Bio/Bio.aspx, paragraph 3.
- https://compelledpodcast.com/episodes/melody-green, Ministry Begins, first paragraph.
- https://compelledpodcast.com/episodes/melody-green, Ministry Begins, first paragraph.
- https://compelledpodcast.com/episodes/melody-green, Ministry Begins, first paragraph.
- https://compelledpodcast.com/episodes/melody-green, Ministry Begins, second paragraph.
- https://lastdaysministries.org/Groups/1000008700/Last_Days_Ministries/Keith_Green/Bio/Bio.aspx, paragraph 16.
- https://lastdaysministries.org/Groups/1000008700/Last_Days_Ministries/Keith_Green/Bio/Bio.aspx, paragraph 13.
- https://compelledpodcast.com/episodes/melody-green, The Tragedy, paragraph 8
- Information for this story was taken from the following two resources:
- LastDaysMinistries.org
- CompelledPodcast.com/episodes/melody-green