OBITUARY: Chuck Henry Girard

Chuck Girard, singer, songwriter, recording artist, worship leader, and one of the founding pioneers of Contemporary Christian Music, passed away Monday, August 11, 2025, after a battle with stage 4 cancer. He was 81 and was surrounded by family at the time of his passing.

Born in Los Angeles on August 27, 1943, Girard was raised in California and began his music career as a teen, forming the vocal group the Castells, which scored two national Top 20 hits: “Sacred” and “So This Is Love.” He also recorded “I Do,” produced by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, and performed alongside Roy Orbison, Jan and Dean, Jerry Lee Lewis, Brenda Lee, and other major artists. As a studio vocalist, Girard sang lead on the Hondells’ biggest hit, “Little Honda.”

In his early twenties, disillusioned with fame and searching for meaning, Girard immersed himself in the late-1960s counterculture—experimenting with LSD, eastern religions, and the “hippie” lifestyle. His spiritual search ended in 1970 when he encountered the Christian faith at Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa. At the time, he was co-founder and lead singer of LoveSong, a band whose transformation from club-playing hippies to Jesus-focused musicians helped ignite the Jesus Movement and establish what became known as Contemporary Christian Music. LoveSong’s 1972 debut album remains a landmark recording. In 2012, Girard and the members of LoveSong were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, a testament to their enduring impact and unmatched influence.

Over the decades, Girard recorded many albums, toured extensively across the United States, Europe, Australia, Africa, Indonesia, Mexico, Canada, and the Middle East, and ministered through music and teaching in churches worldwide. In 1981, at the height of his career, Girard shifted his focus to worship ministry, embracing a simpler, church-centered calling that remained his passion for the rest of his life.

Most recently, Girard released his final digital album of new music, Moonrise Serenade, and has also been working to finish A Band Called LoveSong: The Music & Movement of the Jesus Revolution, a documentary series that will stream nationally on Prime Video and SalemNOW in September.

Girard is survived by his wife, Karen; four daughters, Kristin, Alisa, Cherie, and Nikki; four granddaughters, Lauren, Kailyn, Dyllan, and Charli; one grandson, Ayden; and one great-granddaughter, nine month old Brynn. He was preceded in death by his grandson Matt, who passed away in 2019.