During his isolated and difficult teenage years in Wisconsin, Glenn Kaiser turned to music for comfort. Born the youngest of three children, he used singing to occupy himself once his older brother and sister had left home. Divorce shattered the family when he was nine, prompting him once more to seek refuge in song amid the resulting isolation and distress. He entered a neighborhood group within three years. Yet by eighteen his personal struggles had intensified: the same youth who had earlier relied on music had already attempted suicide, survived multiple drug overdoses, and cycled through numerous romantic involvements and musical projects. In 1971 Kaiser embraced Christianity and ceased performing to focus entirely on faith. Music reentered his life the following year when he considered using it for outreach. He joined the gospel-rock ensemble Resurrection Band, also known as REZ, through the Jesus People USA movement. In subsequent years he served as a pastor within the Chicago-based community and redirected his ministry into blues-rock by forming the Glenn Kaiser Band. Former Resurrection Band bassist Roy Montroy became a member of the new trio, completed by drummer Ed Bialach. Kaiser has also written two volumes issued by Cornerstone Press, The Responsibility of the Christian Musician and More Like a Master: A Christian Musician’s Reader.
