#98 GENTLE MOMENTS by Evie (1976)

GENTLE MOMENTS - Evie (1976)
Word (WST-9562)

Before Amy Grant became our Queen of Pop, and before Sandi Patti found her voice…there was Evie.  

This diminutive, dimpled Norwegian blond took American Christendom by storm in the mid-1970s. Her crystal clear voice and million dollar smile evoked a freshness and a purity of spirit that won the hearts of audiences around the world.

Rock? Um…no. Looking back, her music can best be described as Inspirational or Adult Contemporary (a genre that was often referred to as MOR – middle of the road -- in the 70s). There were plenty of strings, lush production values, and cheesy background vocal parts. But Evie was that rare artist who was endearing and completely unthreatening to mom & dad and just fresh enough to gain the ear of the teenagers in the house. While never viewed as an authentic Jesus Music artist, she was on the outskirts of the Jesus Movement scene – thanks in large part to her covers of many Jesus Music standards.

Over the years she recorded songs by Larry Norman (I Wish We’d All Been Ready & Sweet, Sweet Song of Salvation), Pat Terry (Meet Me Here), Honeytree (Clean Before My Lord, I Don’t Have to Worry & Live For Jesus), and Andrae Crouch (My Tribute, The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power, It Won’t Be Long & If Heaven Never Was Promised To Me), as well as Jesus Made Me Higher and Give Them All to Jesus (which were popularized by The Imperials). Her platform on Word Records (rather than Myrrh) helped to give a certain legitimacy to these songs and artists, paving the way for greater acceptance by the traditional church world. Every time she recorded or performed a song by Larry Norman or Honeytree, she helped to tear down some walls of tradition on behalf of the fledgling Jesus Rock genre. Her inclusion in 1985’s Do Something Now by “The Cause” was proof that she was respected by the rock ‘n roll side of the Christian music industry.

Evelyn “Evie” Tornquist was not foreign-born as many assume. She was actually born in Rahway, New Jersey in 1957 to Norwegian immigrants. She began her singing career as a teenager while visiting her parents’ homeland. One night a friend made an arrangement for her to appear on a popular late-night TV talk show in Norway. After that, invitations to perform poured in from around Scandinavia. She released her English language debut album at the tender age of 16 and went on to record more than 30 albums, some in Scandinavian languages. In addition to her CCM records, she recorded a children’s album and a hymns album. Oddly enough, her biggest hit ever came from a Christmas album (C’mon, Ring Those Bells). She took home Dove Awards for Female Vocalist of the Year in 1977 and 1978, and three of her albums were nominated for Grammy Awards. Evie was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame on February 22, 2005, and was one of the inaugural inductees into the Christian Music Hall of Fame. 

In 1976 Evie recorded what many consider to be her best album, Gentle Moments. Songs ranged from soft rock (Broken Up People and You Got the Power) to covers of Jesus Music classics penned by Pat Terry and Honeytree…heck, there’s even a cover of a John Denver song on this album (For Baby, For Bobbie), although the album’s liner notes credit the song to Deutschendorf, Jr., Denver’s actual surname, perhaps so as not to rile up a conservative audience that would disagree with Denver’s left-wing politics and radical environmentalism. Gentle Moments was Evie’s third album for Word, and one of her most popular. Other highlights of the album would include her take on the 60s youth camp favorite Pass It On, and Give Them All to Jesus, a song that received a ton of radio airplay and is said to have been one of Evie’s personal favorites.   
                        

The album cover has a definite 70s vibe; it looks like something Carol King or Rita Coolidge might’ve done. Gentle Moments is an essential album for any Evie fan and a great representation of what endeared her to so many listeners. 

Evie with producer Lennart Sjöholm (L) & Chuck Girard (R)

In 1979, Evie married Swedish pastor and musician Pelle Karlsson in Stockholm, Sweden. Even though she continued to record sporadically throughout much of the 80s, she left the “Christian music industry” somewhat abruptly in 1981 while she was still quite popular. Echoing similar reports from folks like Terry Clark and Chuck Girard, Evie told CCM Magazine, “Toward the end of that time, ’79 or ’80, I felt somewhat uncomfortable with what was happening. I felt as though my hands were tied in terms of ministry.” She and her husband Pelle focused their efforts on a Christian TV network (SkyAngel) and a missions project called Back to Jerusalem. The Karlssons reside in Florida; they have 2 adult children, and they are grandparents. Evie still does concert ministry now and then and has recently teamed with Rebecca St. James for a series of special events known as “SHE: Safe, Healthy and Empowered” which help young women apply Biblical principles to life in today’s culture.  


Evie Tornquist Karlsson says she looks back on the 70s with pleasant memories, calling it a “wonderful experience.” She says, “God has allowed me the privilege of doing what I love to do – ministering in various ways and touching lives through music all around the world. But make no mistake: the treasure I hold dearest to my heart is knowing Christ and experiencing the joy of making Him known.” 


Several years after Gentle Moments, Evie would record a song called Live For Jesus, written specifically for her by Nancy Honeytree: 

"Oh, I want to be remembered as a girl who sang her songs for Jesus Christ..." 

She most certainly will be.