Al Perkins: Witness for Christ via Pedal Steel Guitar
Photos courtesy of Al Perkins
Among several notable musicians with Calvary Chapel roots, Al Perkins was a legend on pedal steel and electric guitar when he came to Calvary Chapel in 1973. Now 80, Al remembers how God led him throughout his career—opening doors to share the Gospel and even using his secular contacts to help fine-tune the new Jesus Music of the 1970s.
Al Perkins (above), sitting behind his famous ZB pedal steel while playing electric guitar as featured in a book about the Rolling Stones (photo by Michael Putland). Al was already considered a legend on the two instruments when he rededicated his life to Christ in 1973 while attending Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, CA.
Soul-Hungry
It didn’t look like a church at all. The sign read “Calvary Chapel”, and a giant army-green tent was surrounded by a sea of cars, hippie vans, and people of all ages. Al Perkins got out and stretched his legs after driving an hour from his North Hollywood home, hoping this was what he had been searching for. He had visited almost two dozen churches in the last seven weeks on a quest for the Holy Spirit. A child prodigy in music and sought-after pedal steel player, Al had accepted Christ as a child in Texas but had later drifted from the Lord and suffered a devastating divorce by age 28. His heart was broken; his soul was hungry.
Described as “country-flavored Gospel music,” the Calvary group Wing And A Prayer highlighted the Maranatha Music Festival at Knotts Berry Farm in the 1970s. The short-lived group included (kneeling) John Mehler, (standing left to right) Tommy Coomes, Tom Stipe, Jay Truax, and Al Perkins.
As he walked inside the tent, he saw young people raising their hands and singing with eyes closed—some with tears, some radiating joy. The music was like nothing this veteran musician had ever experienced. Simple folk choruses of love to Jesus preceded other songs with full drums and electric guitar—something he’d never seen in a church. But what hit him the most was the sense of the Holy Spirit. Love, joy, peace—the powerful presence of God filled the room.
The people played the flutes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth seemed to split with their sound. 1 Kings 1:40b
A middle-aged man with an infectious smile took the platform and began to teach the Word of God. Pastor Chuck’s joy in the Lord was obvious, and the truth he shared was simple yet profound: the promises of forgiveness and salvation, of walking with Jesus as Savior and friend, of the soon return of Christ. The Spirit spoke to his heart, and Al knew this was what he had been searching for.
Al (second from right) joined the British Christian rock band, Ark, in the late 1970s and recorded one album, The Angels Come, compared to the Beatles. Much sought after for his proficiency on rare instruments like pedal steel and dobro, Al has played with dozens of Christian and secular bands in his lifetime.
After the message, Al sought out the man from the music shop who had invited him to Calvary Chapel, Don Abshere (now a Christian podcaster). “How can I become a member?” Al asked eagerly.
Don chuckled and said, “You’re a Christian, aren’t you?” Al nodded. “You’re already a member.” Al grinned and knew he had found his spiritual home. At first, he drove the hour each way twice on Sundays; soon he began to stay the whole day, fellowshipping and passing out tracts at popular spots around town.
Al Perkins performs with the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, eventually leading two of his band members to Christ. One of them, Richie Furay, first did not want to play with Al because of the Christian fish sticker on his guitar, shown above. This photo graced Al’s solo album, Snapshots, in 2002.
A Spirit-Led Jesus Movement
During the early 1970s in Southern California, the Jesus Movement blossomed. Al testified, “The Holy Spirit was poured out in that area—among the beach bums, hippies, and everyone else. Though they didn’t realize it, they were starving for the truth and love of Christ.” Asked if he was a hippie, the mild-mannered Al chuckled and confessed he had bought a short-haired wig so he could grow his hair long while serving in the military reserves.
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8
Al (far right) and Chris Hillman (third from right) played with Stephen Stills' Manassas band (above) and the Flying Burrito Brothers before Al led him to Christ. Over the years, Al has played live or in the studio with dozens of well-known artists, gently maintaining his Christian witness.
Al (far left), Chris Hillman (third from right), and Richie Furay (second from right) played together with the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band (above). Band members recalled spiritual tension as Richie first did not want to welcome Al because of his faith. Eventually, God used Al to bring Richie to Christ; and Richie became a Calvary Chapel pastor in Broomfield, CO.
Soon, Al’s focus in life changed from pursuing music to pursuing Jesus. “I wanted to rededicate myself to the Lord,” Al affirmed. “I went out to Pirate’s Cove and got baptized.” On the crowded beach where hundreds were baptized each week, Al recalled, “There was so much joy. People had brought friends who were new to church or had just given their lives to Jesus.” Al waited in line for Pastor Chuck, wanting to thank him for impacting his life. Full of emotions, Al got tongue tied. Pastor Chuck kindly acknowledged that many had a rough road on their spiritual journey. “I wanted to tell Pastor Chuck how much the Lord had just drawn me [through his ministry], but he just smiled and dunked [me].”
Pastor Chuck Smith, Calvary Chapel founder, has baptized thousands of people in Pirate’s Cove, a practice started during the Jesus Movement (left) when hundreds would stand in line to be baptized.
Pastor Chuck had an infectious joy in the Lord. “He was always smiling, always joyful. A wonderful teacher,” Al noted. “So many churches almost had this attitude of ‘we have to get this [church service] over with,’ but Calvary Chapel was different. You could feel the joy among the young people and older people when we would come together.”
Playing his electric guitar with the Christian fish emblem, Al Perkins performs on stage circa 1975-76.
Many began writing songs about Jesus. Chuck sensed the Lord’s leading to fund several albums of the sincere, original Jesus Music. Naturally yet profoundly, contemporary Christian music was born as part of the Jesus Movement. Tommy Coomes of LoveSong asked Al to help with engineering and production for the albums. Though a sought-after virtuoso in rare instruments like the dobro and pedal steel, Al had never engineered music. Yet God had a plan.
Al Perkins on dobro (right) and Chris Hillman play together in New York City’s Central Park on July 15, 1974. Al led Chris to the Lord and encouraged him to return to his faith after he strayed, never giving up on his friend. (Photo by Bugs Giglio)
God’s Divine Timing
Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:14b
God seemed to orchestrate Al’s education in producing. By that time, Al had been in Shiloh with Don Henley, in Manassas with Steven Stills, and had begun playing with the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band (SHF). Acquainted with several top producers, first Al bent the ear of Richie Parder and Bill Cooper. “The next year, in 1975, we had Atlantic’s premier producer Tom Dowd producing us [SHF] in Colorado. … He said, ‘I’ll tell you everything I’m doing and why I’m doing it, if you want to know.’ So I had the advantage of being able to [learn from] some of the best producers in that type of music at that time.” That training enabled Al to bring a professional quality to the Jesus Music. He later went on to win a Grammy for producing in 1997, in addition to two other Grammys as a performer.
Al (far left) with Dan Fogelberg and his band in 1985. Al played on several of Dan’s albums during the 1970s and 1980s.
Al testified, “I owe all of it to the Lord. It had to be a God thing. He just blessed me so much with putting me in one place and then another at the right time.”
Jesus Music helped the young believers connect with God outside of church. “I remember when the first Maranatha! album came out. I just flat wore it out,” recalled Jim Hollingsworth. “I was 16. When you’re a young person, you want to hear music you could relate to, ‘my people’ talking about Jesus.” The Jesus Music wasn’t just a new genre, Jim reflected, “The music was a gift from God to give us encouragement in our daily lives. Most of us who were coming to Christ weren’t brought up in Christian homes. This was a way that we could find encouragement where we were at. Those simple songs like ‘I Love You, Lord’ felt so personal, intimate.” Jim went on to play guitar with Dennis Agajanian and at Calvary Chapel outreaches in Russia that drew hundreds of young people to Christ.
Al first recorded with Dolly Parton in 1977, then later toured with Dolly and her band from 1986-89.
Himself a music producer and engineer, Jim Hollingsworth explained that the early Maranatha Music albums varied in style, with the first two being mostly acoustic folk then shifting to more of a “California country rock” feel by Maranatha! Four, influenced heavily by Al’s “stellar engineering”. Al was among a multitude of talented musicians who helped shape the early Jesus Music. “Love Song was good right out of the gate,” noted Jim. “Also, Al Perkins, Richie Furay, Phil Keaggy, and Larry Norman all brought a degree of professionalism to the music.” The Maranatha! albums showcased a variety of musicians including Mustard Seed Faith, Keith Green, The Way, Gentle Faith, Daniel Amos, Karen Lafferty, and over a dozen others.
Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy. Psalm 33:3
Al on stage playing dobro with the Nash Ramblers.
Music as a Platform
God often used music to open doors for the gentle-natured Al to share the Gospel. Eventually, two members in the Souther-Hillman-Furay band (SHF) accepted Jesus.
“When Chris Hillman wanted Al in the band, I said, ‘No way—I know this guy’s reputation. He’s one of those born-again Christians with a Jesus sticker on his guitar,’” Richie Furay recounted in an earlier interview. “I didn’t want anything to get in the way of my personal success. But I couldn’t deny his musicianship. And I couldn’t put my finger on what was different and attractive [about Al].” Richie remembered, “This guy was in the middle of rock ‘n’ roll, and he wasn’t getting drunk or doing drugs or chasing women every night. But he was having fun, being creative and enjoying music.
“I had no idea that my wife and I were beginning to have marital problems,” Richie shared. “When Nancy and I separated for seven months, I hit the bottom. That’s when I finally prayed with Al, and that’s when I found God’s plan for me.” Richie went on to become a Calvary Chapel pastor in Colorado for four decades.
Al shown with the Al Perkins Signature Dobro, designed to his specifications and released by Gibson guitars in 2001.
Their bandmate, Chris Hillman, had played bass for The Byrds and later alongside Al in the Flying Burrito Brothers and Manassas before SHF. Having lost his father to suicide as a boy, Chris had little spiritual guidance before he met Al Perkins. ”Al is a strong man in my life. He has led many people to the Lord. I accepted Jesus Christ in 1972,” Chris recounted in 2019. But the enemy came after him. “The minute you profess your faith and lay your burdens with Jesus, the enemy jumps on you,” said Chris. “He triples down his attack on you.” Soon, the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle got the better of him. “I got overwhelmed by the dark side. I didn’t have the strength to maintain the belief that I accepted.”
Al (right) and Chris Hillman perform at the Americana Music Awards in Nashville.
Chris struggled for eight years. “I turned my back on Jesus for years, but Al would say, ‘Jesus didn’t turn his back on you.’ I had to come to grips with who I was and what [my faith] meant to me, then I embraced it wholeheartedly.” James 5:20b says, he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. Richie and Chris were each inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and are still walking with the Lord.
A Gentle Witness
Over the years, Al has played live or in the studio with a diversity of secular artists such as The Eagles, The Rolling Stones, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, and many others. He toured and recorded with Dolly Parton from 1986 to 1989. He shared the stage with James Burton and Keith Richards at a Gram Parsons tribute show in 2004. Gibson guitar company lauded Al as “the most influential dobro player in the world”, even creating an “Al Perkins Signature” Dobro designed to his specifications. Though modest about his success, Al has earned three Grammys and been inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame via Manassas and the Texas Steel Guitar Hall of Fame.
From left to right: Al, Keith Richards, and James Burton—who performed together in 2004 at a Gram Parsons tribute.
Al appeared on several albums with Emmylou Harris as well as accompanying her live with the Nash Ramblers.
With every opportunity, Al would pray, asking God to lead him in which gigs to accept. “There were a couple times that I knew I couldn’t be a part of it, and I would decline.” Al continued to share Jesus whenever the Lord opened the door. “Sometimes people are ready to hear the Gospel, and sometimes all you can do is plant a seed,” said Al. “The most important thing is to be led by the Holy Spirit.”
Al thanked the Lord that after rededicating his life to Jesus in 1972, he wasn’t tempted by the drugs and alcohol and other sins that can accompany fame. He would politely turn down invitations to celebrity parties with drugs or alcohol. “Really, my biggest struggle was not being prideful,” Al admitted candidly. “God wants us to have a humble heart. My [sobriety] is because of Him—His power, not mine.”
Al and Jay Dee Maness at the Country Music Hall of Fame “Western Edge” event in 2022.
In fact, Al’s humble attitude and his clear love for the Lord were what drew his wife Pamela to him. She had been raised in a Christian home but then later got into New Age beliefs. “I could feel the Holy Spirit when I met Al,” she said, adding that she had no idea he was an award-winning musician, and he didn’t tell her. Instead, Al was kind, “a gentleman” to her and her friend, gently letting her know that Jesus loved her and that He was what she had been searching for. Soon they married, and she has been walking with the Lord ever since. “He has a gentle faith, but a strong faith. It’s been amazing to watch God work in his life.” Al and Pamela attend a Calvary Chapel in Tennessee, grateful for the same verse-by-verse style of Bible teaching that gave Al a strong foundation more than 50 years ago.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful… exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:23, 25b
Al and his wife Pamela enjoy their son's wedding in April 2017. “He has a gentle faith, but a strong faith. It’s been amazing to watch God work in his life,” Pamela stated.
Joe Walsh (right) and Al (left) warm up before Barnstorm opened for Manassas in 1973. As the Jesus Music movement progressed, Al was asked to help with engineering and production for the new Christian albums funded by Pastor Chuck. Although he’d had no experience engineering, God opened doors for him to learn from top music producers he knew in the industry.
Al Perkins was known for his gentle witness among nonbelievers and his clean lifestyle following Jesus.
Al jams on pedal steel at the popular Sundance Saloon in Calabasas, CA. After rededicating his life and getting baptized by Pastor Chuck Smith, the focus of his life changed from pursuing music to pursuing Jesus. Al, now 80 years old, and his wife Pamela attend a Calvary Chapel in Tennessee.
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