July (Web-only) 2001

ARTICLE TOOLS

Find similar articles E-mail this page

Playing their first full-length set since 1991, Stryper closed the July 3-7 festival that showcased Christian legends such as Larry Norman, the 77s, The Sweet Comfort Band, Randy Stonehill, Kemper Crabb, Daniel Amos, Victoria Williams and others.

"There's a lot of music out here this week," Norman said at the Bushnell, Illinois event. "There's so much out now and a lot of different kinds of music like Christian reggae and hip hop. It's really great … but I kind of liked it better when I was the only one doing it."

Festival director John Herrin said Cornerstone likes bringing back old favorites just for fun. "By having 300 bands come here every year, we give ourselves the chance to do a lot," he said. "We have fun with it and the people who come all enjoy it a lot."

Having been a member of Resurrection Band, Herrin said he had the chance to play with many of the Christian rock veterans on the playbill, so bringing them to the Jesus People U.S.A. festival is just like seeing old friends. In fact, fellow Resurrection Band members Glenn Kaiser and Stu Heiss (now with GOD'Zone) also took the stage.

"We thought Stryper would be a great fit and a lot of fun," Herrin said. "They hadn't played in a long time so we thought, 'Let's see if these guys are still cooking.'"

Since their breakup in 1991, the band members have pursued their own projects and turned their individual focuses to raising families. Lead singer Michael Sweet put out ...