Lazarus (band)
{{Short description|American Christian rock band}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Lazarus
| image =
| caption =
| background = group_or_band
| origin = Abilene, Texas, U.S.
| genre = Folk, soft rock, Contemporary Christian, pop
| years_active = 1969–1976
| label = Bearsville, Rhino, Warner Bros.
| associated_acts = Peter Yarrow Noel Paul Stookey
| current_members = Billie Hughes
Carl Keesee
Gary Dye
}}
Lazarus were a 1970s American soft rock band, consisting of principal members Billie Hughes, Gary Dye, and Carl Keesee. Hughes was the leader of the band, serving as lead singer and songwriter, and playing guitar and violin. The band are considered early artists in the Contemporary Christian movement.{{Cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/lazarus/285632847|title=Lazarus by Lazarus on Apple Music|website=iTunes|date=January 1971 |access-date=2017-07-18}}{{Cite web|title=Lazarus {{!}} Biography & History|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lazarus-mn0001185507/biography|access-date=2020-12-10|website=AllMusic|language=en-us}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/gloucester-county-times-lazarus-unknown/158763515/ |date=June 8, 1972|page=30|title=Lazarus Unknown, Needs Resurrecting - Jim Davis Lazarus album, Warmth of Your Eyes, Blessed, lyrics|newspaper=The Daily Times|location=|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=November 11, 2024}}{{Cite web |date=1977-10-03 |title=JESUS ROCK The Recording Industry Believes by Adon Taft Herald Religion Editor |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-jesus-rock-the-recordin/158763015/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=1977-10-04 |title=Jesus Rock It's Rolling Straight to the Top of Pop Charts Adon Taft Baker feels PPMs Hymn the start |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-jesus-rock-its-rolling/158763233/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en-US}}
Background
The band members of Lazarus met in 1968 in Abilene, Texas, while Hughes and Keesee were attending Abilene Christian College. Hughes, Keesee and Gary Dye formed a band, initially named Shiloh. At a Peter, Paul & Mary concert March 20, 1968, at the ACC Moody Coliseum Auditorium, they were able to meet Peter Yarrow backstage and play him their demo tape.{{Cite web|url=http://time-has-told-me.blogspot.com/2008/02/by-anonymous.html|title=Time Has Told Me: by Anonymous|language=en|access-date=2019-10-12}}{{Cite web|date=1969-02-07|title=The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 56, No. 15, Ed. 1, Friday, February 7, 1969|url=https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth99480/|access-date=2021-07-05|website=The Portal to Texas History|language=English}} Lazarus returned to Abilene, Texas to appear with Peter Yarrow in his concert at the Abilene Civic Center in April 1972.{{Cite news |date=30 April 1972 |title=Lazarus To Perform Peter Yarrow Due |pages=25 |work=Abilene Reporter-News |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/texas/abilene/abilene-reporter-news/1972/04-30/page-25/ |access-date=23 Aug 2022}}
In association with Yarrow and producer Phil Ramone, Lazarus moved to Peter Yarrow's cabin in Woodstock, N.Y., signing with the newly formed Bearsville Records (Warner Bros.) label, under the direction of Albert Grossman.
Releases
Lazarus released two albums, the self-titled Lazarus, and A Fool's Paradise on Bearsville Records, both produced by Peter Yarrow and Phil Ramone.{{Cite web |date=1972-01-01 |title=LAZARUS AT CENTURY II by Paul Baker, Music Director of KEYN |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-rosalia-enterprise-lazarus-at-centur/157912687/ |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=1972-03-11 |title=RECORD REVIEWS, Popular, Lazarus (Bearsville BR2044) Five Stars - Evening Sentinel, March 11, 1972 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sentinel-record-reviews-popular-la/157912214/ |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=1971-11-13 |title=ROUNDUP recordings Peter Frampton, Fleetwood Mac, Barry Gibb, Lazarus by Charles H. Sanders, |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-rock-island-argus-roundup-recordings/157912323/ |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=1972-05-27 |title=Pop Music, Blue Oyster Cult, Lazarus, John Batdorf and Mark Rodney, Dan Hicks/Hot Licks by Al Rudis |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-news-pop-music-blue-oyste/157912381/ |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=May 5, 1972 |title=Sounds from the King’s Road |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/westminster-and-pimlico-news-discs-sound/157912446/ |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=Westminster and Pimlico News |language=en}}
{{Cite web |date=1971-12-15 |title=Good living being served up at 2 coffeehouses this week, Lazarus, by Bruce Kirkland |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-good-living-being-serve/157912560/ |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en-US}} The band won a Clio Award for Best Commercial of the Year for the Life Savers campaign.
The self-titled debut album Lazarus was the second album released on the Bearsville label.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dvmcBAAAQBAJ&q=lazarus+band+opens+for+Todd+Rundgren&pg=PA235|title=Small Town Talk: Bob Dylan, The Band, Van Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Friends in the Wild Years of Woodstock|last=Hoskyns|first=Barney|date=2016-03-08|publisher=Da Capo Press|isbn=9780306823213|language=en}} On the album's release, RPM wrote about the band: "A find of PP&M's Peter Yarrow, Lazarus is a highly talented folkish trio very much in the strain of Crosby, Stills et al. Group has a quality of presence, unsurpassed.{{Cite web|date=February 19, 1972|title=New Albums|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RPM-IDX/IDX/70s/RPM-1972-02-19-OCR-Page-0018.pdf#search=%22bearsville%20%20%20lazarus%22|website=RPM|page=20}}
April 1972, a launch celebration in London with Albert Grossman in attendance, was hosted by Kinney (WEA), set to distribute the Bearsville label in the UK, with initial album releases by Todd Rundgren, Lazarus and Foghat.{{Cite web|date=April 15, 1972|title=Bearsville Set In London|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Cash-Box-IDX/70s/1972/Cash-Box-1972-04-15-OCR-Page-0044.pdf#search=%22lazarus%22|website=Cashbox|page=44}}
Released in 1971, this first album featured the single "Warmth of Your Eyes,"{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SEUEAAAAMBAJ&q=Yarone+&pg=PT26 |title=Pop, Billboard |date=1972-05-06 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |pages=74 |language=en}} which became a moderate hit the following year. Their second and final album, A Fool's Paradise, followed in 1973, from which "Ladyfriends I (Sing a Song to Your Lady)" was tagged as a single. Both albums were produced by Yarrow and Phil Ramone.{{Cite web|title=Deep Dive: Lazarus, A FOOL'S PARADISE {{!}} Rhino|url=https://www.rhino.com/article/deep-dive-lazarus-a-fools-paradise|access-date=2020-08-21|website=www.rhino.com}}{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MwkEAAAAMBAJ&q=Lazarus+band+++Phil+Ramone&pg=PA18 |title=Studio Track, Billboard |date=1973-01-13 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |pages=18 |language=en}}
Touring
Lazarus played The Troubadour, Los Angeles, toured with Peter Yarrow, and over the next four years, performed extensively throughout the United States and Canada. In a review of The Troubadour show, Eliot Tiegel wrote: "This is a totally enjoyable twin bill which is touring the country...Lazarus showed off a fine harmonic ability with its three members holding their voices in line and also performing adequately on piano/organ, guitar/violin and bass."{{Cite magazine|last=Tiegel|first=Eliot|date=May 6, 1972|title=Talent in Action|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1972/1972-05-06-Billboard-Page-0014.pdf#search=%22lazarus%20%20%20eliot%20tiegel%22|magazine=Billboard|page=14}}
Lazarus was represented by the booking agency East-West Talent, Inc. who also represented The Band, Paul Butterfield, Foghat, Hello People, and Todd Rundgren.{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nCgEAAAAMBAJ&q=lazarus+band+opens+for+Todd+Rundgren&pg=PA55 |title=Booking Agencies, Billboard |date=1972-07-22 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |pages=55–56 |language=en}} They opened for Rundgren at his USD concert in Vermillion, South Dakota, a city that Rundgren name-checks on his Back to the Bars live album.{{Cite web|title=46 years ago: Todd Rundgren's road to Utopia runs through USD {{!}} The Volante|date=27 September 2019 |url=http://volanteonline.com/2019/09/46-years-ago-todd-rundgrens-road-to-utopia-runs-through-usd/|access-date=2021-07-05|language=en-US}}
In a review of a Toronto show, RPM wrote: “When Carl Keesee/bass, Gary Dye/piano and Bill Hughes/guitar & violin, blend their voices together the resulting sound is supreme harmony…their songs are full of love, happiness and peace, and they give an overall tranquil feeling when they play.”{{Cite news |date=1972-02-26 |title=Lazarus Plays to Grumbles Crowd |pages=11 |work=RPM |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RPM-IDX/IDX/70s/RPM-1972-02-26-OCR-Page-0011.pdf#search=%22lazarus%22}}
Life Savers commercial
In 1976, the band won the Clio Award for Life Savers Best Commercial of the Year. The "Life Savers" TV commercial with the song written and performed by the band Lazarus ran nine years nationwide.{{Citation|last=FM1156|title=Life Savers A Part Of Living 1978 TV Commercial HD|date=2016-10-28|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nulOPjMCNe8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/nulOPjMCNe8 |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live|access-date=2017-07-18}}{{cbignore}} The commercial starred Peter Billingsley{{Citation|last=robatsea2009|title=Life Savers 1978 commercial with Peter Billingsley|date=2012-07-17|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxwgZ3ML128 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/sxwgZ3ML128 |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live|access-date=2017-07-18}}{{cbignore}} and Suzanne Somers{{Citation|last=robatsea2009|title=Suzanne Somers for Lifesavers 1979|date=2009-08-25|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqoRNcZlumU |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/RqoRNcZlumU |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live|access-date=2017-07-18}}{{cbignore}} in different versions of the commercial, respectively.
Solo careers
Following Lazarus' disbandment, Hughes went on to pursue a solo career and later formed a successful songwriting partnership with Roxanne Seeman.
Carl Keesee went to Canada to play a gig and remained there.{{Cite journal|last=Hopkins|first=Lisa|date=2012-01-01|title=Beautiful Scars: Jewels in English Renaissance Drama|journal=Linguaculture|volume=2012|issue=1|doi=10.2478/v10318-012-0015-5|issn=2067-9696|doi-access=free}}
"Ladyfriends" from A Fool's Paradise was included in the Bearsville Anthology released in 2006.{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/bearsville-anthology-mw0000538400|title=Bearsville Anthology - Various Artists {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=2017-07-18}}