Chuck Girard

Chuck Girard (August 27, 1943 – August 11, 2025) was an American musician, considered a pioneer of contemporary Christian music.

Born in Los Angeles, California, Girard and his family moved to Santa Rosa, California in his early teens and formed his first band The Castells. The Castells were influential in defining the early 1960s "California sound" and placed a couple of songs in the national charts including "Sacred" peaking at number 20.

After three years with The Castells, Girard along with Castells member Joe Kelley, left the group and both were recruited by producer Gary Usher to form the surf rock band The Hondells. The Hondells had a Top 10 hit with their version of The Beach Boys tracks "Little Honda" in 1964. Girard also was involved in other projects and side bands like The Knights and Mr. Gasser and the Weirdos.

In the early 1970s Girard was playing gigs in clubs with Tommy Coomes, Jay Truax and Fred Field. After experimentations with LSD and at least one drug bust in Las Vegas, the musicians were reading different spiritual texts when they were invited to what Girard called a Christian commune in Laguna Beach. An invitation to Calvary Chapel, before it became a megachurch, led to all four musicians becoming Christian coverts. Love Song became a house band of sorts at the Chuck Smith-led, counterculture-friendly church. Their 1971 self-titled debut album was considered a masterpiece. CCM Magazine named it as one of the 100 greatest albums in Christian music in 2001. Girard produced the first of a long series of compilation albums on Calvary Church’s Maranatha! Music label, The Everlastin’ Living Jesus Music Concert, although he said he was not credited as such on the album, “because I was told that would be giving the glory to man, not God,” he said. (Producer credits were added on subsequent Maranatha! releases.) Girard and his fiancé Karen were married on November 27, 1971. Love Song then released a second album Final Touch in 1974. It was the final album featuring Girard.

In 1975, Girard became a solo artist after leaving Love Song. He wrote and performed the songs "Sometimes Alleluia" and "Rock 'N' Roll Preacher"; both were featured on his debut album Chuck Girard. It also featured the band Ambrosia prominently throughout. Girard in turn was featured on Ambrosia's album Somewhere I've Never Travelled in 1976, although it does not mention as to what role or involvement Girard did on the album.

He was the father of Alisa Childers, a member of the former Christian girl group ZOEgirl and Christian apologist.

In 2024, Girard was diagnosed with stage IV cancer that had metastasized to his lungs. He was taken off chemotherapy as it was ineffective. Girard died on August 11, 2025, at the age of 81, just two weeks shy of his 82nd birthday.

More information on Chuck Girard at Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Girard

Discography

with The Castells:

So This Is Love (1961)

with The Hondells:

Go Little Honda (1964)

The Hondells (1964)

with The Knights:

Hot Rod High (1964)

with Love Song:

Love Song (1971)

Final Touch (1974)

Feel the Love (1977)

Welcome Back (1995)

Book of Love (2011) (4 CD/1 DVD boxed set)

solo albums:

Chuck Girard (1975)

Glow In the Dark (1976)

Written On the Wind (1977)

Take It Easy (1979)

The Stand (1980)

The Name Above All Names (1983)

All Those Years (1983) (compilation album)

Fire & Light (1990)

Voice of the Wind (1996)

Heart of Christmas (2001)

Evening Shadow (2008)

Moonrise Serenade (2024)