Jonathan David Brown, legendary Contemporary Christian Music producer, RIP

From legendary CCM radio personality Jerry Bryant: Just heard from Oden Fong that Songwriter, Producer Jonathan David Brown just went home to be with Jesus. He was a pioneer of early Jesus music with his band SETH. Please pray for his wife Rachel and the children during this difficult time.

A couple of links with some general info:
Jonathan David Brown - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia »
Jonathan David Brown: Personal Information at A Guide to Petra »

The Petra album that Jonathan produced is Never Say Die, BTW, and he did produce a lot of the classic Maranatha stuff plus more great stuff during the early years of CCM.

 

To sample some of the music he did with his band Seth: http://www.fullcirclejesusmusic.com/episodes/episode113.mp3

 

In fact, Jonathan produced all of Petra albums from Never Say Die to Beat The System (the best Greg X. Volz era studio albums), plus albums for other artists including Twila Paris, Steve Taylor, and also Daniel Amos' Shotgun Angel album.

 

I was really into those Steve Taylor and Petra albums as an adolescent.

Yikes about his "federal sabbatical" detailed in the Wikipedia article though.

 

He was a great producer though, that's for sure. One of the defining producers of the golden age of CCM. He'd still be a legend if he had only produced Shotgun Angel and the bulk of the Greg X. Volz Petra catalog.

 

Brilliant work. My favorite DA album, so good it SHOULD have crossed over.
RIP

 

Wow, he sounds like a total racist *******. Good riddance.

 

THAT certainly colors my perception of the man.

 

He produced landmark albums for DA and Steve Taylor. The only Steve Taylor albums I own are ones that Brown produced. I'd be interested to know if he was vital to shaping the songs, or if he was just a glorified engineer. The engineering on the DA and Taylor albums is clean and clear for sure.

 

He was influential to the engineering of the Petra albums he was involved with that's for sure.

 

Producing these artists and others are among his tremendous legacy.

 

Interesting....he worked with Mark Heard as well, the best of the best IMO.

 

Yes he did.

 

At the risk of going off topic, Squint is Taylor's masterpiece (it's a must have)...though the early work is phenomenal as well...

Brown produced some genre-defining work before his issues came to light. Though his mind-boggling racist activities may diminish his final reputation, those earlier works remain unspoiled.

 

The Mark Heard album that Brown produced is Stop The Dominoes.

 

Exactly right. The earlier works are why his legacy is to be remembered.

 

Ironic that he produced "We Don't Need No Colour Code"!

 

Now I do like oldtime CCM such as Larry Norman, Mark Heard and Phil Keaggy but this guy was just a tad sketchy.

 

Steve Taylor is a very talented guy, but his style is way too far out there for most people. I do like his work, a very unique artist.

 

never really listened to him at all. But I did like the video for Cash Cow. I do understand his importance though. I was a serious Normanphile. Larry and his sister even had dinner at my home back in '96.....but I digress. Carry on....

 

I see him as an Elvis Costello or Warren Zevon for CCM...definitely not everyone's taste, but he uses razor-sharp wit and sardonic observation like no one else in the "community".

 

Jonathan said that Petra's "More Power To Ya" was "perhaps the most fun record" he ever made. And the backward-masking on the front of "Judas' Kiss" was his idea.

 

Plans have been made to have a service to honor the life of Jonathan David Brown on (this) Sunday, October 2nd in Ava, MO at the Dogwood Nazarene Church. Visitation will be before the service for a meet and greet at 1:00 PM. A service will start at 2:00 PM. We will then have fellowship time at 3:00 PM in the fellowship hall there at the church. If you would like to visit family and friends of Jonathan feel free to come to any of the above, or stay for all of them. This is really a time when friendships mean so much. Ava is 35 miles East of Ozark on Highway 14. Or, 57 miles East of Springfield on Highway 60, then South on Highway 5 at Mansfield The Barnes Family Funeral Home at 1700 S 15th Ave, Ozark MO 65721 will be handling all the arrangements for Rachel and the family. Any cards, letter, memories, or flowers are welcome to be sent to their address. More specific directions to the church will be posted soon. Thank you all for your outpouring of love, memories and gratitude.

 

The family thinks he died of a heart attack, BTW.

 

Phil Maderia had an interesting view of JDB on Facebook, saying something to the effect that "California was a good place for him (JDB), Nashville not so much". I have to say I'd agree with that - seems like things "went south" for him after he landed in Tenn. I never met him, but friends of mine who did know JDB (in Nashville) described him as being somewhat strange. Too bad, as he was extremely talented, and worked with some of the absolute best CCM artists of the era.