Harvest (band)
Encyclopedia
Harvest is the name of the Christian
band founded in Lindale
, Texas
by Jerry Williams in 1977. The vision of Harvest was to see 100 million people come to know Jesus Christ
personally through the band's music ministry.
. Along with Jerry Williams, the original members of Harvest were Ed Kerr and Paul Wilbur - both music students. Wilbur had met Williams at a church where Williams was the youth pastor, and Williams had been influential in Wilbur's decision to become a Christian. Ed Kerr was a mutual friend of both Williams and Wilbur. Kerr had met Williams at a rally at Indiana University
in Bloomington
, and made a decision to become a Christian afterwards. The three men collaborated on the first two albums created by Harvest: Harvest and Morning Sun.
Later in 1981, personal problems forced Williams to disband the original Harvest group - which at one time had numbered five. The group was reformed as a duo of Williams and Kerr. Williams and Kerr were together for the production of many records, including It's Alright Now, Send Us to the World, Voices, Only the Overcomers, Give Them Back, Holy Fire and Carry On. In 1982 the magazine CCM
took notice of the duo in its article, "A Bountiful Harvest."
The writer praised the group's vocal harmonies and was especially fond of the song "Because I Am" (found on the album It's Alright Now).
In 1988, it was the Discovery Broadcasting Network that took note of the band. The network recorded a live video of Harvest in concert. On the cover of the video, the network stated that Harvest averages "over 100 concerts a year."
By 1991, Ed Kerr left the group and Harvest became a five-player band led by Williams. With various members, Williams' band produced Let's Fight (For a Generation), Mighty River, and 41 Will Come. In 1992 the band went on an "Olympic and European Tour." They performed in Spain at the Barcelona Summer Olympics
and at the Sevilla World Expo
. Their tour also took them into Germany as part of Operation Mobilisation's
"Love Europe" crusade. Harvest finished its tour with a performance in Holland.
Milk & Honey Records
Greentree Records
Benson Records
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
band founded in Lindale
Lindale, Texas
Lindale is a city in Smith County, Texas, United States. The town had an estimated population of 5,024 in 2006. It is part of the Tyler, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
by Jerry Williams in 1977. The vision of Harvest was to see 100 million people come to know Jesus Christ
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
personally through the band's music ministry.
History
Jerry Williams had come from a nightclub entertainment background and music had been a major part of his life. In an interview, Williams stated that "[he] realized there had to be more to life than sports cars and dating beauty queens . . . I became a Christian." Williams spent some time playing the guitar on Texas streets before becoming a pastor in IndianaIndiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. Along with Jerry Williams, the original members of Harvest were Ed Kerr and Paul Wilbur - both music students. Wilbur had met Williams at a church where Williams was the youth pastor, and Williams had been influential in Wilbur's decision to become a Christian. Ed Kerr was a mutual friend of both Williams and Wilbur. Kerr had met Williams at a rally at Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
in Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
, and made a decision to become a Christian afterwards. The three men collaborated on the first two albums created by Harvest: Harvest and Morning Sun.
Later in 1981, personal problems forced Williams to disband the original Harvest group - which at one time had numbered five. The group was reformed as a duo of Williams and Kerr. Williams and Kerr were together for the production of many records, including It's Alright Now, Send Us to the World, Voices, Only the Overcomers, Give Them Back, Holy Fire and Carry On. In 1982 the magazine CCM
CCM Magazine
CCM Magazine was a monthly magazine published by Salem Publishing, a division of Salem Communications. It was first published in July 1978, and it has always been a Christian music magazine. On January 16, 2008, Salem announced that the April 2008 issue would be the final printed issue of the...
took notice of the duo in its article, "A Bountiful Harvest."
The writer praised the group's vocal harmonies and was especially fond of the song "Because I Am" (found on the album It's Alright Now).
In 1988, it was the Discovery Broadcasting Network that took note of the band. The network recorded a live video of Harvest in concert. On the cover of the video, the network stated that Harvest averages "over 100 concerts a year."
By 1991, Ed Kerr left the group and Harvest became a five-player band led by Williams. With various members, Williams' band produced Let's Fight (For a Generation), Mighty River, and 41 Will Come. In 1992 the band went on an "Olympic and European Tour." They performed in Spain at the Barcelona Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
and at the Sevilla World Expo
Seville Expo '92
The Universal Exposition of Seville took place from Monday, April 20 to Monday, October 12, 1992 on La Isla de La Cartuja , Seville, Spain. The theme for the Expo was "The Age of Discovery" and over 100 countries were represented...
. Their tour also took them into Germany as part of Operation Mobilisation's
Operation Mobilisation
Operation Mobilisation is an Evangelical Christian organization founded by George Verwer to mobilise young people to live and share the Gospel of Jesus...
"Love Europe" crusade. Harvest finished its tour with a performance in Holland.
Music Style
According to Jerry Williams in 1988, Harvest's sound is "light middle-of-the-road to light contemporary rock." He described it as hard to classify because it was a real mixture of styles. The group sound incorporated a little bit of rock, some country, and really good harmonies. Williams likened the group's harmonization to the Gatlin Brothers, who he had grown up listening to. Williams also said that "Every time people have tried to figure out who we sound like, we sound like Harvest. There's really no one else who sounds like us." But, when pressed to liken the band's sound to another's style, Williams would say the band's style was similar to that of Christian performer Wayne Watson.Studio Albums
Everlasting Spring- 1979: Harvest
Milk & Honey Records
- 1981: Morning Sun
- 1982: It's Alright Now
- 1983: Send Us to the World
- 1984: Voices
Greentree Records
- 1985: The Best of Harvest
- 1986: Only the Overcomers
- 1987: Give Them Back
Benson Records
- 1988: Holy Fire
- 1990: Carry On
- 1991: The Early Works
- 1991: Let's Fight (For a Generation)
- 1993: Mighty River
- 1995: 41 Will Come
Christian Radio Hits
| Album | Song | Year | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| It's Alright Now | "Because I Am" | 1982 | 8 |
| "The Wedding Day" | 24 | ||
| "Behold God" | 26 | ||
| Send Us To The World | "The Army of the Lord" | 1984 | 1 |
| "The Blood of the Lamb" | 8 | ||
| "If We Don't Believe" | 12 | ||
| Voices | "On the Water" | 1985 | 21 |
| Only the Overcomers | "Only the Overcomers" | 1987 | 16 |
| Give Them Back | "All That is in Me" | 10 |
External links
- Jerry Williams' EPIC (Exiles Pardoned In Christ) Ministries, Inc. website.
- Ed Kerr's kerrtunes.com: resources for worship musicians website.
- Paul Wilbur's Wilbur Ministries website.
- Wes Aarum's Vintage Ministries website.
- Christian Music Archive's Harvest page.
- One-way.org's Jesus Music website.
- Facebook Harvest Fans' page.
- YouTube Harvest Fans' page.
- Harvest blog.