Paul Janz

Paul Janz (born 1951) is a Canadian theologian, and formerly a prominent singer-songwriter of pop rock music in the mainstream and contemporary Christian markets. He is known for such hits as "Every Little Tear", "Go To Pieces", "Rocket to My Heart", "Close My Eyes", "Stand" and "I Won't Cry".

Career

He began his music career in the 1970s with his brothers in a band called Deliverance. Brought up in a Mennonite family, he first learned the trumpet and by age 13 was engaged with his local chapter of The Salvation Army. Gospel music and rock, combined with a broad interest in music made him record with the band three albums within 10 years, successful in Germany and moving to No. 56 on Billboard with 1979's "Leaving LA". In 1984, he launched his solo career, which culminated in four projects with a string of chart-topping hits from each album. The first solo album recorded at Greenhouse Studios in Vancouver would achieve gold record status in Canada. The success of his projects led to his nomination for the Juno Awards, Canada's most prominent music award. Despite achieving great success in Canada, his record label's restructuring of its roster of artists led to the end of A & R promotion in the American market. Janz's final project, Trust, which was recorded under the Attic Records label, continued the same ground-breaking tradition with Janz's trademark lyrical compositions and driving melodic rhythms. Since that time, Janz hasn't released any new material.

In 1981 he took part in the German selection for the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Steine (Stones)". He finished tenth behind musicians like Taco and Peter Cornelius. Instead, Lena Valaitis was selected to represent Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest 1981 with the song "Johnny Blue".

Presently the Professor of Philosophical Theology and Head of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at King's College London, he formerly taught philosophy at Trinity Western University in Langley, British Columbia and has written a book entitled God, the Mind's Desire: Reference, Reason and Christian Thinking published by Cambridge University Press. In 2004, Janz's first album High Strung was re-released on CD for the first time by Escape Music in the UK. More recently, he has launched a new brand, Transformation Theology, a re-make of Bonhoeffer's grass-root theology.

His son Chris Janz is a recording artist and GMA Canada Covenant Award winning songwriter and Covenant Award-nominated producer.

Albums

• High Strung (1985)
• Electricity (1987)
• Songwriter (1989) - demo album, not commercially released
• Renegade Romantic (1990)
• Presence: A Collection of Hit Singles (1992)
• Trust (1992)

Singles

Deliverance

Solo

"Believe in Me" also reached No. 25 on the U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

Notes

1. ^ "God, the Mind's Desire - Cambridge University Press". Retrieved November 23, 2005. 

External links

• Canconrox - Paul Janz biography
• Blue Desert - Paul Janz discography
• Jam! Pop Encyclopedia entry
• Professor Paul Janz - King's College London biography