Divine Inspiration : Steven Curtis Chapman, Among the Top Christian Rockers, Continues to Grow With the Genre

Believers rejoice. Contemporary Christian music is one of the fastest growing forms of popular music.

Led by established performers such as Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman, plus newcomers DC Talk, Audio Adrenaline and Jars of Clay, the genre is growing in commercial popularity by nearly 20% a year, according to industry estimates.

Veteran singer-songwriter Chapman--who performs Saturday night at the Pond in Anaheim, on a concert bill with Audio Adrenaline and Carolyn Arends--has won three Grammys and nearly 30 Gospel Music Assn. Dove awards. The arena headliner also has three gold albums.

With that kind of commercial track record, no one would have blamed Chapman if he had dished up more of the same on his latest recording, “Signs of Life,” released in September on the EMI/Sparrow label.

But the 34-year-old resident of Franklin, Tenn., had other ideas.

True, among this 12-song collection are some of the familiar-sounding, Bryan Adams-like anthems that have defined much of Chapman’s recent work. Yet sonically and lyrically, “Signs of Life” stretches out.

The album offers a variety of musical textures, from rollicking, blues-tinged rockers to folk-tinged instrumentals to slower-paced, introspective ballads. Chapman’s prior abstract declarations of love, faith and redemption have given way to a more grounded, personalized approach to songwriting.

“I needed to challenge myself and kind of fan the flames in my art and my life,” Chapman said from a tour stop in Portland, Ore. “I wanted to go back to my musical roots and also touch base with the places and influences where my faith in God was born. I don’t think I was in a rut yet, but I sure was looking for a spark.”

His search took him back to his hometown of Paducah, Ky., the rural community where he learned to play guitar at age 12. Chapman’s father, who played in local bluegrass and folk bands, taught him his first song, the 1973 Dobie Gray tune “Drift Away.”

Growing up in a musical family, Chapman was exposed to styles from bluegrass, country and pop-rock to the gospel singing of Andrae Crouch. He recalls his musical taste gravitating toward the spiritual after singing the hymn “I Need Thee Every Hour” in church one Sunday morning.

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When Chapman returned home two years ago, he listened to albums by artists who initially attracted him to rock ‘n’ roll, such as Billy Preston, the Doobie Brothers and the Eagles. And, he said, he discovered Stevie Ray Vaughan.

This journey home inspired several songs on “Signs of Life,” including the careening rocker “Rubber Meets the Road,” a tribute to his wife titled “Celebrate You” and “What I Would Say,” one of his most personal and emotional songs, about honor and forgiveness.

The autobiographical “What I Would Say” examines Chapman’s love and admiration for his 83-year-old grandmother and his feelings about a grandfather he never met. In a continual battle with alcoholism, Chapman’s grandfather had deserted his family and never returned.

“When I visited my grandma, I read through a shoe box of letters he sent to her while he was gone and trying to get clean,” Chapman said. “It was heartbreaking reading how a good, loving man fell victim to the demons of the bottle. His was a struggle he just couldn’t overcome.

“In ‘What I Would Say,’ I wanted to tell him [that] I wish I had known him, and that I forgive him. But at the same time, I wanted to honor my grandmother for her strength and commitment to her family and the Lord.”

Chapman understands that life is full of temptations. He was recently reminded, he said, why he began playing music.

“When you’re up there in front of thousands of people, dollar signs do begin to flash in front of your eyes, and you can lose track of the simple pleasures of home life,” said Chapman, who has two sons and a daughter.

“My pastor at one point challenged me to grow artistically, but not to lose sight of my calling to keep the message pure . . . to communicate what’s going on in my heart and my relationship with the Lord.”

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All the industry awards and gold albums are appreciated, but the real measures of success, he stressed, have little to do with musical accomplishments.

“I believe success is having those closest to you love and respect you the most. The biggest compliment to me would be having my kids say, ‘We saw our dad live the songs he sings about.’ I don’t think you can underestimate the importance of honesty and integrity in one’s life.”

Chapman exudes joyous pride over the growing numbers of fans, particularly younger ones, who are embracing Christian pop music. But he says he’s not surprised.

“I think people are acknowledging that they have spiritual needs, and Christian music has been meeting that need now more and more,” he said. “I really believe our culture is more open to hear messages of faith and hope.

“The music itself has grown . . . too. Groups such as DC Talk, Take 6 and BeBe and CeCe Winans have elevated the art form. Christian bands have evolved to the point where we can articulate our faith in a more believable, less preachy way.”

* Steven Curtis Chapman, Audio Adrenaline and Carolyn Arends perform Saturday at the Pond, 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim. 7:30 p.m. $14.50-$25. (714) 704-2400.