Ralph Carmichael

CARMICHAEL, Ralph. b. Quincy, Illinois, 28 May 1927; d. Carmillo, California, 18 October 2021. A pioneer in the Contemporary Christian Music industry, Carmichael was a prolific composer of Christian songs, whose experiments in popular musical styles garnered him recognition by some as the ‘Father of Contemporary Christian Music’. Carmichael, fostered by musician parents, early on took violin, trumpet, and piano lessons. He attended Southern California Bible College (now Vanguard University, Costa Mesa, California) in the late 1940s. At the time, the school had no music major, and Carmichael’s lack of interest in the university’s other academic programs cost him a degree. After he left, the...