A History Of Fundie Fury #1: Pat Boone Goes Metal, Fans Go Mental

THE idea of traveling back in time to see what filled Christians with righteous anger in past decades occurred to me after a friend and I began boozily reminiscing about the pop stars we worshipped in our teens.

Pat Boone was definitely not on my list. When I was in high school, if you were sullen and rebellious like me, Elvis was your man. Clean-cut crooner Pat Boone was strictly for the uncool kids, more so when he found Jesus and started singing gospel.

My mate, far better versed in pop history than I, chuckled and asked whether I was aware that, in 1997, Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) – a yuuuge Christian TV company – pulled the plug on Boone’s weekly show, Gospel America, after it received thousands of complaints about the singer’s appearance at the 24th Annual American Music Awards.

That incident somehow passed me by, so I did some digging and learned today that, for the occasion, Boone got all leathered up. The sight of Boone, sporting fake tats, a leather vest over a bare chest and (gasp) a dog collar gave his fans a fit of the vapours.

The whole thing was a joke. Boone hadn’t really “gone over to the dark side” as his Christian fan base wrathfully suggested. He was simply promoting his latest album, In a Metal Mood: No More Mr Nice Guy.

His followers didn’t get the gag, and as for music critics, well, they appeared more bemused than amused. For example, a reviewer for Society of Rock wrote:

Pat Boone leaping from gospel to heavy metal is much like seeing Ozzy Osbourne singing praises for Sunday service. It’s jarring and cringe-worthy at best. Honestly, there are just two ways of looking at it. If you take it seriously, then you lose.

It is what it’s supposed to be from the beginning – a joke. And Boone obviously didn’t mind being the butt of that joke. He deliberately donned the typical rockstar ensemble to lighten the mood and maybe, just for the heck of it.

But if you find this humorous and funny, then you obviously wouldn’t mind the sloppy arrangements, less-than-stellar versions, and an all-together forgettable album. It’s weird and gimmicky. It’s also confusing – Boone took these hard rock and heavy metal records and turned them into jazz …

If Christians were horrified, just imagine the outrage of heavy metal fans.

Anyway, TBN let Boone back in … to apologise on its national flagship programme, Praise. Speaking to audience that included a contingent of leather-clad Bikers for Christ, Boone, said:

To whatever extent somebody was wounded, I am very sorry. That was never my intention.

But not too sorry.

Little did I dream that the media and a lot of Christians would take it seriously. I was really stunned that Christians, evidently by the thousands, having known me for 35 to 40 years, would think that overnight I just radically changed my orientation and all my priorities.

Just because I wore some leather pants and fake tattoos and non-piercing earrings doesn’t mean that I’m a fundamentally different person.

He suggested that Christians need to:

Lighten up. We’ve got to do some stretching. If we have to apologise for making a joke, then we’re in big trouble.

During Praise, a viewer poll produced 500 votes to return Boone’s weekly gospel show to the air and 50 votes against. TBS founder and president Paul Crouch said the issue would be considered “in the near future.” It seems now all is forgiven, and Boone, now aged 86, is a regular on TBN.

So what’s next for Boone? A meeting in heaven with Rock Hudson, would you believe?

In 1985, according to this report, Boone visited AIDS victim Rock Hudson to pray for his recovery and anoint him with oil. The film star died hours later. Boone said:

He went to be with the Lord. He was raised through a brand new body. AIDS had ruined his normal physical body, but now the Bible says we’re given new bodies eternal bodies. And now we believe that Roy Fitzgerald, better known as Rock Hudson, is there with the Lord and he’ll welcome us when we come to our eternal habitations.

Ahhh, but will he be wearing leather along with his angel wings?