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Who’s always the wildest, baddest, rottenest kid in school? You guessed it – the preacher’s kid. The preacher’s kid was always the first to ‘jump off the bridge’ and last to get caught. Sometimes though, the preacher’s kid grows up to spread the Word throughout the land in a way his dad never could.

            Born in Lafeyette, IN, in 1978, Jeremy Camp is the son of the pastor of the Calvary Chapel church. His first lessons in both guitar and faith came from his father. After high school, Camp attended a Southern California Bible college and refined both his sound and his style. According to Camp, “I started doing music right out of Bible college full time. I did independent stuff for three years.”

            Camp’s life story is one of inspiration and devotion. He knows better than anyone what true sorrow and pain feels like but has held close to his Christian faith and through his music has helped others to muddle through their own difficult times. In October of 2000, Jeremy married his first wife Melissa Lynn Henning-Camp. Within four months, Melissa passed away from ovarian cancer. Instead of anger or reclusion, Camp turned his energies to lyrics that reflected his trials. After her death, Camp wrote “I Still Believe,” a song that reinforced his faith in God – even through the most trying time of his life.   Even though Jeremy’s message was so close to his own heart, he calmed the heartache of others by not only listening to their stories but also by providing them with songs that articulated their emotions when their sorrow left them unable to verbalize or internalize their own feelings.

            Jeremy explains how his life experiences are felt throughout all his music. “I write exactly how I’m feeling sometimes, and hardships that I’m going through. But I always end up, with choruses like, ‘God, You are good. God, you’re faithful. You know, I know. You understand, You’re right here by my side.’ All these different things. And I just say very personal experiences that I’ve been through.”

            "Some people might think I'm being preachy. I'm not angry; I'm not pointing a finger. Really, my heart is breaking. I'm talking about loving people and serving people. I'm telling my story," he clarifies. “I'm pointing that finger at me. If my heart's not breaking for the lost, I won't come across the way I need to. I've given up on making this life my home," he says, adding, "I don't want to put my messy handprints all over this."

            In late 2003, Jeremy married Adrienne Liesching, former frontwoman for The Benjamin Gate. With two young daughters, a home in Nashville, sixteen No. 1 songs, five Dove Awards, three ASCAP Songwriter of the Year wins and an American Music Award nomination, Camp’s life is more fairytale than tragedy. "It's so new because I'm in such a different place," he says. "I'm 30 years old now. I've been doing this for a while and so much has happened since it began.  At this point, I have a more clear-cut purpose and vision of what I'm meant to do. I'm more purposeful in what I'm sharing. Even my mom told me, 'you just seem more at peace and more settled than you ever have.’”

            Hailed as a rocker with a preacher’s heart, Camp still uses his stage to proclaim the message that brought him through dark times. But, with six albums under his belt, Camp continues to grow as an artist.

            In 2008, Camp released his newest album Speaking Louder. In the past, Camp’s songs have been a reflection of his own personal struggles but Speaking Louder is geared toward a younger audience.  "I see the hurt, the lack of direction, in this new generation," the former youth leader says. "I always had a passion for youth, but this album is really aimed at them. If you stay in the word of God then you’ll get a fresh leading of new things to share. I share my testimony of what God has done, but there’s certain things that when I slip into the Word and let God speak to me through His Word and it’s a fresh thing for me to share. "

            Whether you believe in the Christian faith or not, with such moving lyrics and a silvery voice that will pull emotion out of even the most stone-hearted of us, the musical talent of Jeremy camp is undeniable.  See Jeremy Camp at The Centre on Saturday, October 3 at 7:00 p.m. Special guests are Natalie Grant and Bebo Norman.  Seats are $75, $38, $28, $22 and $15. All tickets are subject to Ticketmaster Fees, Handling Charges and Facility Fees. Groups of 10 or more may call The Centre Box Office at 812-435-5770 ext. 211 to receive $2 off per ticket.

PHOTO CREDIT | www.jeremycamp.com