Contemporary Christian music pioneer Chuck Girard dies at 81

The singer, songwriter, recording artist, and worship leader died Monday after a battle with cancer. He was 81 years old. He was surrounded by family at the time of his death.

Girard in June said in a social media post that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer in the fall of 2024 and that it had already metastasized to his lungs. After several months of chemotherapy, his doctor stopped the treatments because they were ineffective. His daughter Cherie Girard said Thursday that as he neared the end of his battle, he believed serving the Lord through his music had been the greatest honor of his life.

What is Girard’s legacy? As a child, Girard formed a music group called The Castells, which had two hit songs that charted nationally in the United States. During that time, he shared the stage with famous musicians and sang for The Hondells. In his early twenties, Girard searched for God through the use of drugs, eastern religion, and the hippie lifestyle, according to a biography on his personal website. He became a Christian in 1970 while attending Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa in California. At that time, he was already the co-founder and lead singer of the music group Love Song. The ensemble shifted its music from secular to Christian after each band member decided to follow Jesus. The group and Girard were trailblazers for what would become known as The Jesus Movement and Contemporary Christian Music.

He played with Love Song for three years before he struck out on his own and launched a solo career. In 1981, he stepped away from concert performances and focused on ministering through worship and teaching. He appeared with Billy Graham and on programs like the 700 Club and the Trinity Broadcasting Network. Love Song was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2012, and a movie about the band is due to be released next month.

Girard and his wife, Karen, have four daughters, four granddaughters, and two grandsons. His daughter Alisa Childers is a Christian apologist and former member of the CCM band ZOEgirl.

Dig deeper: Read Arsenio Orteza’s review of Girard’s autobiography.