‘Father of contemporary Christian music’ an honored Baylor alum

[4/16/15 update: Billy Ray Hearn passed away Wednesday at age 85 due to complications from heart disease. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.]

Baylor alum Billy Ray Hearn is recognized by many as the father of contemporary Christian music, and a quick glance at his resume shows why.

In 1972, Hearn started Myrrh Records, one of the first labels dedicated to contemporary Christian music, at Word Inc. in Waco. Four years later, he formed his own label, Sparrow Records. He sold Sparrow to EMI in 1992 and semi-retired four years later but continued to stay involved with the world of Christian music.

Over the years, his labels have included artists ranging from Keith Green and 2nd Chapter of Acts to Steven Curtis Chapman and BeBe and CeCe Winans. Hearn even executive produced Andy Griffith’s Grammy-winning album “I Love to Tell the Story.”

A 1954 church music graduate, Hearn served on Baylor’s Board of Regents for nine years and was honored by the Baylor Alumni Association as a distinguished alumnus in 1995. Earlier this month, he was honored with the 2008 Award for Exemplary Leadership in Church Music, given by Baylor’s Center for Christian Music Studies.

Sic ’em, Billy Ray Hearn!