The Damascus Road Tommie Helm * Johnnie Helm * Steve Schalchlin * Dennis Byram * Pat Asher

A Glimpse Of Freedom JesuSongs 1977
Always helps to have a cue sheet describing an album's styles. Hence Damascus Road's music can officially be described as rock, progressive country, folk, honky-tonk rock, country rock, acoustic rock, easy listening, and gospel blues rock. Texas roots shine through on occasion resulting in a slightly grittier sound than most country/Southern rock releases - about a 6.5 on the grit scale (for a reading of 10 check out Young Brothers and the other Damascus Road). They finally cut loose and sizzle on 'I've Been Talkin''Bout Jesus' where the lead singer does some serious throat-damaging growling, making up for a couple of way-too-mellow tunes. Acceptable. The band had previously released an lp under the name Spirit And Understanding and also had a third album which came between these two called "JesuSongs." KS

Story of Damascus Road by original member Steve Schalchlin:
We began as a group when I was going to Jacksonville Baptist College in Jacksonville, Texas. We were both singing for a hometown cable channel raising money for kidney machine a lady in town was needing. They sang a Gospel song and I sang "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" by the Beatles. (?)

As we matured (i.e. someone gave us a Love Song album), we shed our quartet clothes overnight and began writing songs that we could relate to. We were very young as writers, though, and had no other bands in the area to get inspiration from, so that's why our album veers so wildly from one style to the next. We had no artistic focus, really. Our "best friend" was Tom Autry, whose album you also have on the list. We played gigs together.

Most of our ministry (and we were a ministry -- Tommie Helm, the leader of the band, would preach when we held revivals) took place in East Texas, Louisiana, and -- well, West Texas. Texas is pretty big, so we were always in our van. The biggest concert we did was a July 4th celebration which drew in thousands of young people from all over the state. We set up on a mountaintop in East Texas. It was a fantastic event every year.

Tommie even hand lettered a "Declaration of Dependence" upon God which looked liked the Declaration of Independence, and we all signed it.

We never made any money, of course, despite five grueling years of playing and singing. For me, I learned to sing and to write. The songs on the "Glimpse of Freedom" album were among the first I ever wrote. (I wrote and sang the easy listening ones you hated.) :)

Toward the end of the band, though, just as we were getting really good and even headlining area festivals (on top of groups like Petra, etc.), we had to break up. I had a crisis of faith and told them that I could not go on because to do so would have been hypocritical. One thing our band had going for it was absolute integrity to the Word in our personal deportment.

It, unfortunately, left the band high and dry. I was the main songwriter and driving artistic force. They tried to hold it together, but couldn't. I think even Tom Autry joined for awhile. Finally, they broke up. The twins, Johnnie and Tommie Helm still live in Jacksonville two doors down from each other.

I personally drifted for years and years, playing in cover bands and doing a little theatre, first in Dallas and then around the country. Soon, I landed in NY and then LA, where I became Managing Director of The National Academy of Songwriters.

I currently have a musical playing in New York called, "THE LAST SESSION," which is about a band reunion in a recording studio. Though it confronts sensitive issues like AIDS and homophobia, it seems to be very popular among conservative church groups as it is among those who oppose Christian conservatism.

Members:
Tommie Helm (leader, back-up vocalist and evangelist)
Johnnie Helm (Tommie's twin brother, lead vocals and lead guitarist)
Steve Schalchlin (keyboards, lead vocals)-- why didn't someone say something about my hair????
Dennis Byram (drums, lead vocals)
Pat Asher (bass guitar, back-up vocals)