JAG (band)
Encyclopedia
JAG was a Christian rock
band that recorded during the early 1990s. The band's name is an acronym for the band's founder and lead singer, John Allen Garies.
The history of the acronym came from one of the many tours on which John accompanied Sacred Fire (SF) in 1987, when the SF guitarist constantly referred to John by his full name when not around, to which then SF Bassist Thurston Bell coined him as "JAG". (Source Edit: Thurston Bell)
John "Johnny" Allen Garies, Jr. (November 11, 1952-August 5, 2007) was born in Houston, TX
to John A. “Oscar” Garies, Sr. and Shirley A. (Gray) Garies, one of three children (Michael and Wendy, his two siblings). Garies started playing drums at age 10 and taught himself to play guitar and piano. Graduating in 1971 from Channelview High School in Harris County, Texas
, John attended Texas A&M University
. He married his wife, Ricka Cox around 1973, with whom he had two children, John Joel and Annie Grace.
Building on his passion for music, Garies formed JAG in the late 1980s. JAG's original lineup for their 1990 debut, The Longest Road included guitarist J. Paul Brittain, bassist Joel McCreight, drummer Chuck Connor, and Garies on lead vocals. Their 1991 follow up The Only World In Town traded McCreight for Michael Lush and featured additional help from drummer Chris McHugh
and guitarists, Jim Williams, Dale Oliver
(originally of Geoff Moore's
band) and Giant's
Dan Huff. Produced by frequent CCM
-session keyboardist Blair Masters, JAG's final album, Fire in the Temple, featured songs written by Garies, and the likes of Billy Smiley
and Mark Gersmehl
and performed by players Gordon Kennedy
, Chris McHugh
and Tommy Sims
, all of whom were current or former members of the group Whiteheart, a band's sound to which JAG is oft-compared.
Beyond life as a recording artist and songwriter, Garies once owned Garies Enterprises and a franchise of Precision Tune Shops in North Carolina
and South Carolina
. Upon his death from liver disease on August 5, 2007, Garies worked for Coach USA
.
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and 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...
band that recorded during the early 1990s. The band's name is an acronym for the band's founder and lead singer, John Allen Garies.
The history of the acronym came from one of the many tours on which John accompanied Sacred Fire (SF) in 1987, when the SF guitarist constantly referred to John by his full name when not around, to which then SF Bassist Thurston Bell coined him as "JAG". (Source Edit: Thurston Bell)
John "Johnny" Allen Garies, Jr. (November 11, 1952-August 5, 2007) was born in Houston, TX
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...
to John A. “Oscar” Garies, Sr. and Shirley A. (Gray) Garies, one of three children (Michael and Wendy, his two siblings). Garies started playing drums at age 10 and taught himself to play guitar and piano. Graduating in 1971 from Channelview High School in Harris County, Texas
Harris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...
, John attended Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
. He married his wife, Ricka Cox around 1973, with whom he had two children, John Joel and Annie Grace.
Building on his passion for music, Garies formed JAG in the late 1980s. JAG's original lineup for their 1990 debut, The Longest Road included guitarist J. Paul Brittain, bassist Joel McCreight, drummer Chuck Connor, and Garies on lead vocals. Their 1991 follow up The Only World In Town traded McCreight for Michael Lush and featured additional help from drummer Chris McHugh
Chris McHugh
Chris McHugh was the drummer of Christian rock band White Heart from 1986 to 1989. He also worked in the recording of several of their later albums....
and guitarists, Jim Williams, Dale Oliver
Dale Oliver
Dale Byron Oliver is an American music composer who works for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Formerly a guitarist in BackHawk , Oliver serves mainly as a composer of theme music used in professional wrestling.-Music composer for TNA:Since 2003, Oliver writes, records, and produces music under...
(originally of Geoff Moore's
Geoff Moore
In 1988, Geoff Moore and the Distance released their first official album together, entitled A Place to Stand. They also recorded Foundations in 1989 for Sparrow Records. After a while, they jumped to Forefront Records and recorded Pure and Simple in 1990.They followed in 1992 with A Friend Like U...
band) and Giant's
Giant (band)
Giant is an American melodic hard rock band that was formed in 1987.The band consisted of founding members Dann Huff and Alan Pasqua , and had Dann's brother David Huff on drums and Mike Brignardello on bass....
Dan Huff. Produced by frequent CCM
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
-session keyboardist Blair Masters, JAG's final album, Fire in the Temple, featured songs written by Garies, and the likes of Billy Smiley
Billy Smiley
Billy Smiley is a music producer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for being one of the core members of the Christian rock band White Heart. He was the bands' guitarist, vocalist, and main songwriter since 1982....
and Mark Gersmehl
Mark Gersmehl
Mark “Gersh” Gersmehl is a Christian musician who is best known as one of the founding members of the Christian rock group White Heart. He and guitarist Billy Smiley were the only two original members of the band to stay with White Heart from its conception in 1982 through its disbandment in 1998...
and performed by players Gordon Kennedy
Gordon Kennedy (musician)
Gordon Kennedy is a multi Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer, world-class guitarist and visionary at the forefront of Nashville’s music community....
, Chris McHugh
Chris McHugh
Chris McHugh was the drummer of Christian rock band White Heart from 1986 to 1989. He also worked in the recording of several of their later albums....
and Tommy Sims
Tommy Sims
Tommy Sims is a renowned bassist, songwriter, record producer and bandleader.-Music career:From 1987 to 1989 he was the bassist of the popular Christian rock band White Heart which he left to become a studio musician and producer. During 1992-1993, he played bass on the Bruce Springsteen and the...
, all of whom were current or former members of the group Whiteheart, a band's sound to which JAG is oft-compared.
Beyond life as a recording artist and songwriter, Garies once owned Garies Enterprises and a franchise of Precision Tune Shops in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. Upon his death from liver disease on August 5, 2007, Garies worked for Coach USA
Coach USA
Coach USA LLC is a holding company for various American transportation service providers providing scheduled intercity bus service, local and commuter bus transit, city sightseeing, tour, yellow school bus, and charter bus service...
.
Discography
- 1992: Fire in the Temple (BensonBenson RecordsBenson Records was founded by Bob Benson & John T. Benson, beginning as the John T. Benson Music Publishing Company in 1902. The record label started out as Heart Warming Records and would come to house labels such as Impact Records, Greentree Records, RiverSong, StarSong and Home Sweet Home...
) - 1991: On the Edge: The Cutting Edge of Christian Music Compilation
- 1991: The Only World In Town
- 1990: The Longest Road (Wave)