Song:Eye of the Storm
Album:Greatest Hits
Though Mark Heard had some success as a Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) artist, his songs were good enough to make an impact outside CCM. Sadly, Heard died prematurely of a heart attack in 1992. He was born Dec. 16, 1951 in Macon, GA. While studying with evangelical Christian philosopher Francis Schaeffer, CCM pioneers Larry Norman and Randy Stonehill saw Heard playing guitar. Norman liked Heard so much he signed him to his Solid Rock label. Heard signed with Home Sweet Home in 1981. That was a commercial CCM label. Heard didn't want to record commercial music. He wanted to make his own music at home. Heard recorded five albums for Home Sweet Home. Eye of the Storm is from the 1983 album Eye of the Storm. The music is more folk music oriented that CCM music of that era. Heard not only wrote all the songs but he played all the instruments. Once Heard got tired of record company politics, he left Home Sweet Home and started his own label Fingerprint. This comp covers his Home Sweet Home recordings. He continued to release his own music and he produced artists like his old buddy Randy Stonehill. On July 4, 1992, Heard suffered a heart attack while performing at the Cornerstone Festival in Illinois. He was taken to the hospital and he died on Aug. 16 at age 40. Heard was about to sign a record deal with the Canadian label True North, home of his friend Bruce Cockburn. Columbia Records was going to distribute in the US. The 1994 Mark Heard tribute album Strong Hand of Love features Phil Keaggy, Victoria Williams, Buddy and Julie Miller and Bruce Cockburn. Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris have also recorded Heard's songs. So Heard's reach is wider than the typical CCM artist. Here's a video of Eye of the Storm by Mark Heard.
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