January 9, 2015

Billy Graham called him, “The greatest hymn-writer of our age. The modern-day John Wesley.”

Andrae Crouch went to be with Jesus yesterday at the age of 72.

Even though I never met him in person, few people outside my own family had as deep and lasting an impact on my formative years as Andrae did.

The first record I ever bought was Just Andrae. I was 12. A friend had played Just Andrae for me on his car cassette player, and from that moment I did everything I could to raise the $3 needed to buy the album for myself. I can still remember my mother driving me home from the record store as I sat in the back seat and tore the plastic off the bright, blue cover featuring Andrae’s profile with that cool denim jacket and mutton-chop sideburns.

When we got home, I don’t know if the car was fully stopped when I jumped out and ran into the house. I placed the needle on fresh vinyl, turned up the volume as loud as my mother would allow and heard what still stands as some of the greatest music ever recorded.

When it finished playing on both sides, I listened to it again. And again. I drove my parents so crazy with listening to it that they bought me my first set of headphones for my birthday.

I dare you to sit still as you watch and listen to this YouTube clip of Andrae singing “Can’t Nobody Do Me Like Jesus.”