Biography
In the sphere of early Jesus music, the Wilson McKinley occupy an intriguing niche within psychedelic history. Viewed as regional cult figures across their Pacific Northwest homeland, the ensemble is broadly recognized as the first non-religious act to abandon the indulgences of secular life and redirect both personal paths and creative output toward disseminating the Christian gospel.
Formed in Spokane, WA, during 1968, the original roster featured singer/guitarist Mike Messer, singer/bassist Don Larson, guitarist Randy Wilcox, and drummer Tom Slipp. At the outset the quartet delivered secular psychedelia aligned with prevailing trends of the era, cultivating a local audience through intricate vocal harmonies and folk-tinged song structures.
By means that remain undocumented, the musicians attracted the attention of Al Sherman, whose Alshire imprint specialized in inexpensive imitation albums of 1960s pop successes performed by studio-assembled ensembles. Nearly every such project—including Fats & the Chessmen, Los Norte Americanos, and the Bakersfield Five—was overseen by producer and songwriter Gary Paxton, the composer behind the novelty hit “The Monster Mash.” At Sherman’s behest, Paxton assembled the California Poppy Pickers to exploit the rising country-rock movement; four Poppy Pickers LPs followed, each consisting of covers and thinly disguised rewrites. For unexplained reasons, the final release, Honky Tonk Women, was produced without Paxton’s participation, substituting the prior studio personnel with the members of the Wilson McKinley.
Although Honky Tonk Women achieved only modest sales after its 1969 appearance, the Wilson McKinley secured sufficient compensation to issue their own three-song single that included Messer’s composition “Blues Go Home.” The group also developed a rock opera initially called Bread and Butter, yet the project never advanced past rehearsal. During summer 1970 the musicians encountered a Voice of Elijah Ministry gathering of the Jesus People movement. Messer, Wilcox, and Slipp embraced the beliefs, but Larson declined, prompting the band’s dissolution. Shortly afterward the remaining trio began presenting rock interpretations of traditional spirituals; Messer and Wilcox soon started composing original material with Christian themes. Recruiting singer/bassist Jimmy Bartlett restored the Wilson McKinley name, enabling the refreshed lineup to undertake a Canadian tour. A performance at Vancouver’s Pender Auditorium produced their 1970 debut On Stage (Jesus People’s Army), a now-rare live album first issued in hand-stenciled sleeves created by fellow Jesus People adherents. Though scarcely noticed beyond the movement, the recording became a milestone in the development of Christian rock.
Despite overtures from at least one prominent secular label, the Wilson McKinley declined offers, choosing instead to perform at Jesus People street gatherings while other church members handled counseling and ministry. The band frequently headlined the Voice of Elijah-owned Spokane venue the I Am, where they previewed fresh material before dedicated listeners, and they occasionally appeared at secular rock festivals, typically with the aim of drawing new converts.
The Wilson McKinley’s second album, Spirit of Elijah, emerged in summer 1971. Captured in a single overnight session without edits or overdubs, the set evoked secular influences such as Moby Grape and the Moody Blues, whose “It’s Up to You” was adapted within its tracklist. Marketed solely via advertisements in the Voice of Elijah’s free publication The TRUTH, the LP earned enough revenue to finance a third release, Heaven’s Gonna Be a Blast, which appeared in early 1972. Although tracked in a professional facility, the album reflected the musicians’ limited mixing experience; nevertheless it stands as their most exploratory work, featuring wholly original compositions rather than spiritually inflected adaptations of secular hits, along with intricate, weighty arrangements that occasionally recalled the Allman Brothers.
The group soon shifted away from rock, issuing the Nashville-styled Country in the Sky in 1973 and the instrumental hymn collection Yesterday/Forever the following year. As the Jesus People movement began to fragment, the Wilson McKinley resumed touring; returning to Spokane in 1976 they contributed to a student recording project at a local community college. The resulting tracks, “Ain’t That Good News” and “You Don’t Knock,” signaled a return to rock foundations and represent the final studio documentation of the classic configuration. The ensemble disbanded in 1979. Two decades afterward Messer released the solo album Good Ol’ Days, and in 2001 he and Wilcox rejoined original member Don Larson to commence work on a new Wilson McKinley project timed with the CD reissues of the band’s early catalog.
Formed in Spokane, WA, during 1968, the original roster featured singer/guitarist Mike Messer, singer/bassist Don Larson, guitarist Randy Wilcox, and drummer Tom Slipp. At the outset the quartet delivered secular psychedelia aligned with prevailing trends of the era, cultivating a local audience through intricate vocal harmonies and folk-tinged song structures.
By means that remain undocumented, the musicians attracted the attention of Al Sherman, whose Alshire imprint specialized in inexpensive imitation albums of 1960s pop successes performed by studio-assembled ensembles. Nearly every such project—including Fats & the Chessmen, Los Norte Americanos, and the Bakersfield Five—was overseen by producer and songwriter Gary Paxton, the composer behind the novelty hit “The Monster Mash.” At Sherman’s behest, Paxton assembled the California Poppy Pickers to exploit the rising country-rock movement; four Poppy Pickers LPs followed, each consisting of covers and thinly disguised rewrites. For unexplained reasons, the final release, Honky Tonk Women, was produced without Paxton’s participation, substituting the prior studio personnel with the members of the Wilson McKinley.
Although Honky Tonk Women achieved only modest sales after its 1969 appearance, the Wilson McKinley secured sufficient compensation to issue their own three-song single that included Messer’s composition “Blues Go Home.” The group also developed a rock opera initially called Bread and Butter, yet the project never advanced past rehearsal. During summer 1970 the musicians encountered a Voice of Elijah Ministry gathering of the Jesus People movement. Messer, Wilcox, and Slipp embraced the beliefs, but Larson declined, prompting the band’s dissolution. Shortly afterward the remaining trio began presenting rock interpretations of traditional spirituals; Messer and Wilcox soon started composing original material with Christian themes. Recruiting singer/bassist Jimmy Bartlett restored the Wilson McKinley name, enabling the refreshed lineup to undertake a Canadian tour. A performance at Vancouver’s Pender Auditorium produced their 1970 debut On Stage (Jesus People’s Army), a now-rare live album first issued in hand-stenciled sleeves created by fellow Jesus People adherents. Though scarcely noticed beyond the movement, the recording became a milestone in the development of Christian rock.
Despite overtures from at least one prominent secular label, the Wilson McKinley declined offers, choosing instead to perform at Jesus People street gatherings while other church members handled counseling and ministry. The band frequently headlined the Voice of Elijah-owned Spokane venue the I Am, where they previewed fresh material before dedicated listeners, and they occasionally appeared at secular rock festivals, typically with the aim of drawing new converts.
The Wilson McKinley’s second album, Spirit of Elijah, emerged in summer 1971. Captured in a single overnight session without edits or overdubs, the set evoked secular influences such as Moby Grape and the Moody Blues, whose “It’s Up to You” was adapted within its tracklist. Marketed solely via advertisements in the Voice of Elijah’s free publication The TRUTH, the LP earned enough revenue to finance a third release, Heaven’s Gonna Be a Blast, which appeared in early 1972. Although tracked in a professional facility, the album reflected the musicians’ limited mixing experience; nevertheless it stands as their most exploratory work, featuring wholly original compositions rather than spiritually inflected adaptations of secular hits, along with intricate, weighty arrangements that occasionally recalled the Allman Brothers.
The group soon shifted away from rock, issuing the Nashville-styled Country in the Sky in 1973 and the instrumental hymn collection Yesterday/Forever the following year. As the Jesus People movement began to fragment, the Wilson McKinley resumed touring; returning to Spokane in 1976 they contributed to a student recording project at a local community college. The resulting tracks, “Ain’t That Good News” and “You Don’t Knock,” signaled a return to rock foundations and represent the final studio documentation of the classic configuration. The ensemble disbanded in 1979. Two decades afterward Messer released the solo album Good Ol’ Days, and in 2001 he and Wilcox rejoined original member Don Larson to commence work on a new Wilson McKinley project timed with the CD reissues of the band’s early catalog.
Albums
Live
