Dana Key (born December 30, 1953) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Christian rockChristian rock is a form of rock music played by bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands. Much Christian rock has ties to the contemporary...
guitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as acoustic guitars, electric guitars, classical guitars and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :...
, singer, and
producerIn the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes...
who was co-founder of the
Christian rockContemporary Christian music is a genre of popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
group DeGarmo & Key with keyboardist
Eddie DeGarmoEddie DeGarmo is an American Contemporary Christian music recording artist, keyboardist, producer and singer. Became best friends with guitarist/lead vocalist Dana Key since the first grade, DeGarmo co-founded the Christian rock group DeGarmo & Key in 1978...
, who became best friends with him since the first grade, who also hails from
Memphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. Memphis rises above the Mississippi River on the 4
th Chickasaw Bluff just south of the mouth of the Wolf River....
. Key is a direct
descendantKinship is a relationship between any entities that share a genealogical origin, through either biological, cultural, or historical descent. In anthropology the kinship system includes people related both by descent and marriage, while usage in biology includes descent and mating...
(great-great-great-great-great-great grandson) of the famous
Francis Scott KeyFrancis Scott Key was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, who wrote the words to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner."-Life:...
, author of
The Star-Spangled Banner"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by Royal Navy ships in Chesapeake Bay during...
.
DeGarmo & Key toured the world, headlining and opening with other major Christian Rock bands including Servant,
PetraPetra was a prominent Christian rock band, regarded by many as a pioneer of the Christian rock and of the Contemporary Christian music genres. Petra was formed in 1972, in Fort Wayne, Indiana by Bob Hartman, Greg Hough and John DeGroff while they were students of the Christian Training Center...
,
Joe EnglishJoe English is an American musician who, during the 1970s, played drums in Paul McCartney's band Wings and in the Southern Rock/Jazz group Sea Level, among others....
,
Amy GrantAmy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, author, media personality and occasional actress, best known for her contemporary Christian music. Grant was born in Augusta, Georgia....
,
Resurrection BandResurrection Band, also known as Rez Band or REZ, was a Christian rock band formed in 1972. They were based out of the Jesus People USA Christian community in Chicago, Illinois, and most of its members continue to be part of that community to this day...
, Jesse Dixon,
Mylon LeFevre and Broken HeartMylon LeFevre is the former Christian rock singer of the Grammy Award-winning band Mylon and Broken Heart and a Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame member. He currently travels around the United States, ministering, teaching and singing...
, and
dc TalkDC Talk , is a Grammy-winning Christian music trio from Lynchburg, Virginia. The group formed around 1988, consisting of Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait, and Kevin Max Smith. They have released five major studio albums together: DC Talk , Nu Thang , Free at Last , Jesus Freak , and Supernatural...
(their roadie crew for a period).
Dana Key (born December 30, 1953) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Christian rockChristian rock is a form of rock music played by bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands. Much Christian rock has ties to the contemporary...
guitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as acoustic guitars, electric guitars, classical guitars and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :...
, singer, and
producerIn the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes...
who was co-founder of the
Christian rockContemporary Christian music is a genre of popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
group DeGarmo & Key with keyboardist
Eddie DeGarmoEddie DeGarmo is an American Contemporary Christian music recording artist, keyboardist, producer and singer. Became best friends with guitarist/lead vocalist Dana Key since the first grade, DeGarmo co-founded the Christian rock group DeGarmo & Key in 1978...
, who became best friends with him since the first grade, who also hails from
Memphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. Memphis rises above the Mississippi River on the 4
th Chickasaw Bluff just south of the mouth of the Wolf River....
. Key is a direct
descendantKinship is a relationship between any entities that share a genealogical origin, through either biological, cultural, or historical descent. In anthropology the kinship system includes people related both by descent and marriage, while usage in biology includes descent and mating...
(great-great-great-great-great-great grandson) of the famous
Francis Scott KeyFrancis Scott Key was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, who wrote the words to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner."-Life:...
, author of
The Star-Spangled Banner"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by Royal Navy ships in Chesapeake Bay during...
.
DeGarmo & Key toured the world, headlining and opening with other major Christian Rock bands including Servant,
PetraPetra was a prominent Christian rock band, regarded by many as a pioneer of the Christian rock and of the Contemporary Christian music genres. Petra was formed in 1972, in Fort Wayne, Indiana by Bob Hartman, Greg Hough and John DeGroff while they were students of the Christian Training Center...
,
Joe EnglishJoe English is an American musician who, during the 1970s, played drums in Paul McCartney's band Wings and in the Southern Rock/Jazz group Sea Level, among others....
,
Amy GrantAmy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, author, media personality and occasional actress, best known for her contemporary Christian music. Grant was born in Augusta, Georgia....
,
Resurrection BandResurrection Band, also known as Rez Band or REZ, was a Christian rock band formed in 1972. They were based out of the Jesus People USA Christian community in Chicago, Illinois, and most of its members continue to be part of that community to this day...
, Jesse Dixon,
Mylon LeFevre and Broken HeartMylon LeFevre is the former Christian rock singer of the Grammy Award-winning band Mylon and Broken Heart and a Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame member. He currently travels around the United States, ministering, teaching and singing...
, and
dc TalkDC Talk , is a Grammy-winning Christian music trio from Lynchburg, Virginia. The group formed around 1988, consisting of Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait, and Kevin Max Smith. They have released five major studio albums together: DC Talk , Nu Thang , Free at Last , Jesus Freak , and Supernatural...
(their roadie crew for a period). Dana released two solo albums as well.
Following retirement, Dana served as the head of
Ardent RecordsArdent Records, often shortened to "Ardent," is a Memphis record label founded by John Fry in 1959. Ardent of the 1960s and 1970s featured pop music acts and was distributed by Stax Records from 1972 until 1975. It is best remembered today for Big Star, whose first two albums, released in 1972...
, and hosted a TV show, featuring new, younger, Christian bands.
Dana now is the pastor of a small church in
Cordova, TennesseeCordova is a community in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. Cordova lies on Memphis' northeast side, north of Germantown, and northwest of Collierville....
,
The Love of Christ Church (tlc) .
Discography
DeGarmo and Key:
- This Time Thru 1978
- Straight On 1979
- Stella This Ain't Hollywood 1980
- No Turning Back 1982
- Mission of Mercy 1983
- Communication 1984
- Commander Sozo and the Charge of the Light Brigade1985
- Streetlight 1986
- D&K 1987
- Rock Solid--Absolutely Live 1988
- The Pledge 1989
- Go To The Top 1991
- Destined to Win 1992
- Heat It Up 1993
- DeGarmo and Key 1994
- To Extremes 1994
- Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 1995
- History Makers: DeGarmo & Key Collection 2003
Dana Key:
- The Journey: Walking with Jesus 1990
- Part of the Mystery 1995