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july 2008 The music that never endsFifty years into Christianity and music, he continues to enjoy the longest running musical career in history and an active life of faith. Does the Church need some of what Cliff Richard has got? asks James Roberts
“Jesus is constantly relevant – the church isn’t always.” It never makes comfortable listening but when the critic is the only artist to have hit records in six consecutive decades, you could be tempted to ask: OK then, what’s the secret?
Cliff Richard may not be seen as cool or “down with the kids” but he has continued to adapt and find new audiences in each generation. His understanding of the need to refresh his image and adapt his message as times change is also something he translates to the church. If Christianity is going to be relevant to people today, he says, then it needs to be seen as a “rational, viable religion”.
The crux of Cliff’s opinion on what churches need is also the basis of his own faith – a simple approach. His relationship with Jesus is simply that “I know him, know that he loves me and introduces me to God”. He believes that the church, and individuals, shouldn’t be putting themselves in the place of God, and recommends removing judgement from our lives.
“The church is going to have to start seeing people as people, and let God be the judge.”
Cliff believes in the principle that all Christians make small contributions to the development of faith in others, simply by the way they live their lives and the example they show. “It is more important to be the Christian in people’s lives than to be speaking about it.”
The notion of Christians encouraging faith in others through their example is part of what prompted Cliff to launch a book of Bible stories for children earlier this year. The book and accompanying CD, with stories read by Cliff, is a collection of his 50 favourite Bible stories, to coincide with his 50 years in the music business. He remembers hearing Bible stories as a child himself and, although it was much later that he became a Christian, they gave him a basic familiarity with the Bible at the back of his mind.
“Books like this can introduce a spiritual aspect into someone’s life,” he explains. “Something insignificant can be the start for people of becoming Christian.”
The Bible has been his constant though sometimes troublesome touring companion. “I can’t pretend that even now I understand all of it. There are whole chunks of text that are puzzling and leave me searching for contemporary meaning.” Yet the Bible has shaped, guided and influenced his life in matters great and small. He hasn’t always obeyed its instruction he says, far from it, but he feels he has always recognised its wisdom. He thinks that even those who denounce the Bible should at least read it first.
Cliff’s particular moment of revelation came at a time when his career was booming, but in private he realised he was still unhappy. “I discovered Jesus existed and all I had to do was to say ‘I need you in my life’ and he would come in.”
When he announced his Christianity in 1966, some people believed it was a publicity stunt; many others said it wouldn’t last. Cliff himself considered it could be the end of his career: how can someone be a rock-and-roll singer and a Christian at the same time? The idea of pop stars “doing God”, even today, doesn’t sit easily. Cliff recalls how, at first, it was seen as a bit dodgy and people were wary. He decided that his faith had to mean everything or it would mean nothing.
The fear of public perception almost led him to retire, but when he started getting invitations to record gospel songs and appearing as a Christian actor in films and on television, he realised he could do both. Cliff admits that sustaining his faith and dealing with doubt hasn’t been easy and there are “moments you don’t always understand. But I decided that if my faith was important then my career was less important.”
In the 42 years since Cliff made public his faith, a number of other performers have followed suit. He acknowledges that it still isn’t without difficulty 3 but says, “As soon as one person has done it, the fear goes from it. It is easier to take a step of faith publicly.” There is still a conflict of faith and fame but “your whole outlook changes”. He described how the onstage persona and ego is still there but that is just for the performance, “the rest of the time it is unnecessary”.
Cliff’s “good boy” image could be attributed to the way he lives his life following “Jesus’s rules”. Would he behave differently if he didn’t have faith? “There just wouldn’t have been any rules” he explains, and he goes on to point out that even people with faith can still take unwise turns or actions.
Reflecting on how his faith has shaped his life, Cliff is certain that he wouldn’t do anything differently if he could go back and change the past. “It’s the ripple effect; it all adds up to where I am now.” The financial stability provided by his earlier career, and the occasional concert today, allows him the freedom to work on projects related to the church and to donate profits from faith-related endeavours to charities such as Tear Fund. He says that since about 2000 he has been “really happy”, not thinking about whether to retire, just “doing what I want to do.”
Far from curtailing his musical career, it is clear faith helped Cliff to develop a foundation for unending success. Should the church ever need to borrow his recipe, it appears to be a simple one: take a sensible, sustaining spiritual outlook and ensure you keep it relevant to the interests of your audience.
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