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Christian 54 is Born!

 

This page was last updated on April 10, 2004.

 

 

 

 

Founding Christian 54 Program Director Lloyd Parker at the mike in 1979.To the left is a picture of founding Christian 54 program director Lloyd Parker in 1979.  I thank Mr. Parker for sending this and several other pictures you see on this website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WLIX changed its format to religious programming on Tuesday, March 27, 1979.  For a hint of what was going on in the secular popular music scene that WLIX was leaving behind, take a look at WABC’s March 27, 1979 survey at http://www.musicradio77.com/Surveys/1979/surveymar2779.html.  WLIX’s April 1979 survey, which was based on Contemporary Christian and gospel music sales on Long Island in March 1979,  can be found here.

 

 

This page is very much under construction, but I hope to add to it information about the change to the religious format and some of early Christian 54 scheduling highlights. 

 

In the meantime, I invite you to look at WLIX’s 1979 schedule.

 

I am also including here a list of the Top Ten Contemporary Christian songs of 1979 as given in the end-of-the-year episode of National Gospel Countdown, which aired on WLIX.

National Gospel Top Ten for 1979

 

  1. “I Am Loved,” by the Bill Gaither Trio. This song struck such a chord with people that Rex Humbard adopted it as the theme song of his weekly television ministry.
  2. “Cosmic Cowboy,” by Barry McGuire
  3. “Oh, Buddah,” by The Imperials
  4. “All Things Are Possible,” by Dan Peek. This first solo hit by former America member Dan Peek made it onto Billboard’s Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts after being the nation’s number one CCM song through a good part of the summer of 1979.
  5. “Praise the Lord,” by The Imperials
  6. “Jesus On My Mind,” by B.J. Thomas
  7. “Blame It On the One I Love,” by Kelly Willard
  8. “Rise Again,” by Dallas Holm and Praise
  9. “Forgiven,” by Don Francisco.  This was the first number one song on the official CCM surveys in 1978, however, the song continued to be very popular through 1979. (BTW, Don Francisco also had the number one CCM song for the final week of 1979, “I’ve Got to Tell Somebody.”)
  10. “My Father’s Eyes,” by Amy Grant. This was one of the earliest hits for one of the few late-1970s/early-1980s CCM acts to achieve crossover mainstream success.

 

 

 

 

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