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1970 was during the turbulent era of hippies, long hair, drugs, rock-n-roll and anti-war protests – all reactions of a young generation searching for meaning beyond the status quo and conventional culture of the day. In the midst of such upheaval an amazing number of young people began giving their lives to follow Jesus Christ in what later came to be known as the “Jesus People Movement” – with the epicenter being southern California. It was there and then that three high school boys decided to serve God with their musical talents and formed The Children of the Light.
Living in the southern California beach town of Torrance, Randy Boldt, Dave Stanley and Steve Steffy, with their acoustic guitars and stand-up bass, began to sing anywhere they could. Nearly as plentiful as the Starbucks of today, Christian "coffeehouses" began to spring up all over southern California and were in search of musical talent that would come and sing to their gatherings of youth. Before long these three teen-aged boys, hardly old enough to drive, began to travel all over the L.A. area singing for churches, schools, youth groups, camps, outreaches and even restaurants.
All through their high school years the boys traveled and played, giving their testimonies of how Jesus had touched their lives. At times they performed as many as 25 concerts in a single month, with audiences ranging from a dozen to several hundred. Over time the music they wrote began to take on greater depth, being reflected in their lyrics, harmony arrangements and versatile instrumentation.
Other transitions began to take place as well. Once out of school, the realities of job life and financial responsibilities posed new challenges to the group. The addition of Doug Morgan and later Greg Fraser as fourth members of the group respectively also served to bring new complexity to their situation. Three boys and their guitars had a part-time music group – now it was four men with a trailer full of equipment considering full-time ministry.
For much of 1974-75 the group struggled with these issues and yet they continued, working jobs on the side to augment their income. However, 1976 opened a new chapter for the group – most notably through their newfound relationship with Jerry Melrose and Barry McGuire. With Jerry's help in booking concerts the group was able to take their ministry to a new level...and to new geography. Performing at Disneyland with Barry (along with several other concerts), going on their first tour outside their home state, the addition of a new member named Bobby Chance – the confluence of these events brought the band to a new place of faith, energy and commitment in ministry.
Their concert calendar continued to increase, leading them to embark on their first tour across the United States. The crowning moment of "success" for the guys happened in 1977 when they became the first band to record for Sparrow Records. This gave them a greater legitimacy within ministry circles, but more importantly, it multiplied the spread of their songs and sound that God had used to touch so many over the years.
The Children of the Light continued for the next year or so to do more regional and national tours, major festivals, and some TV and radio appearances, but things were starting to wind down. By the summer of 1978 they had outlasted nearly every Christian music group that started with the Jesus People Movement, and now as married men with children and callings of God to do new things, the group decided to disband. The rich experiences of that relatively brief season of serving God together had a profound and lasting impact on the lives and ministries of each band member, shaping the arc of their futures in significant ways. And the deep friendships forged during those eight years have continued to flourish ever since.
