John Angotti's songs bring message

A former music director at St. Ann Catholic Church in Bartlett, John Angotti has seen his praise music cross over into the wider contemporary Christian market.

In 2008, in what would have been a career highlight for any musician, much less a Catholic one like himself, contemporary Christian music artist John Angotti performed at a concert on the occasion of Pope Benedict XVI's first papal Mass in the United States.

But to hear Angotti tell of it, the gig, though a great honor, was no more important than any of the dozens he plays around the world every year.

"That one was cool," says Angotti, ranking the papal show alongside his sold-out appearance last year at the famed Carnegie Hall. "But that was in Washington, D.C., at Nationals Stadium, and I immediately flew from there to San Francisco to do a day of reflection for about 35 eighth-grade kids, and that day was more special for me than playing for the pope. You get caught up in all that stuff, and at the end of the day, what did you do? If you played for the pope or you played for 50 kids, which is more important?"

With that in mind, Angotti is looking forward to his show Sunday at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, a rare appearance for the Memphis-based artist who, though acclaimed by Christian music fans throughout the world, is little known in his adopted hometown. The concert, titled "Extraordinary Love: A Family Christmas Concert," will feature Angotti and his rock-style band augmented by a horn section, guests artists like Kevin and Bethany Paige, and a 150-member choir.

"We'll have everything from traditional favorites that are kind of rocked out like 'Do You Hear What I Hear' and 'Angels We Have Heard On High,' to stuff like 'O Holy Night' and 'Go Tell It On the Mountain.'" says Angotti, who has released two holiday albums, including 2009's Welcome Home For Christmas, over his career. "Most of it is Christmas, and then some of it is inspirational as well, so it's music and a message. And the message is about real life. It's trying to bring a Christmas message in a positive manner that changes the world for better."

The concert is a fundraiser for the homeless services programs of Catholic Charities of West Tennessee and the St. Martin de Porres Shrine & Institute at St. Peter Catholic Church in Downtown.

Angotti came to Memphis from his native West Virginia a dozen years ago. Growing up in Clarksburg, W.Va., where his mother was a piano teacher, "playing piano for us was mandatory. It wasn't an option." After getting a degree in marketing at West Virginia University, Angotti joined the Navy and was a member of the highly respected U.S. Navy Band.

Upon his decommission, Angotti worked a 9-to-5 job, playing both secular and church gigs on the side. Then in 1994, he took a big leap of faith -- and a pay cut -- to become the full-time music director at a church in Wheeling, W.Va.

In 1999, looking to move a little closer to the music industry in Nashville, Angotti accepted a job as music director at St. Ann Catholic Church in Bartlett. For his first few years here, Angotti balanced his church duties by playing occasionally in the clubs on Beale Street, a situation that led to some interesting Saturday night-Sunday morning contrasts.

"Well, you know the church is full of sinners; otherwise, we wouldn't need it," he says. "I think people forget that. They forget to look in their own mirror. Look around the church. This whole place is full of sinners."

Angotti also continued to pursue his own praise music career on the side, signing with Catholic music publishers World Library Publications and releasing a few CDs. After five years though, his modern, rock-based take on religious music began to find an audience both in and out of Catholic circles. He was getting more and more offers to perform until finally he decided to step down from his post at St. Ann and pursue his music full time.

"It was a gamble," says Angotti, who estimates he spends about half the year touring all over the world. "But it's been a gamble that has paid off."

Since then, Angotti has won several Unity Awards from the United Catholic Music and Video Association. His song "Stand In the Light," which he performed at the papal concert, was chosen as the theme song to the 2007 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress.

Last month, Angotti released two singles -- "God Is Good All the Time" and "I Believe Because You Loved Me" -- as teasers for his upcoming 11th album, a follow-up to last year's Extraordinary Love, which he envisions as a record people can use for inspiration.

"We're going to start (on the new record) in January," says Angotti. "The objective is to have like a dual CD where part of it is music for worship and the rest of it is music for the rest of the week. I might even call it that. Stuff you would put on in the car as you're going to work. Something's that's still going to rock you or move you or help you think a little different that day. If you believe in God, then it's not just God on Sunday. It's gotta be the whole thing."

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John Angotti & Friends

7 p.m. Sunday at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, 255 N. Main. Tickets: $15, $25, $35, and $50; available at the box office, by phone at (901) 576-1269, and through Ticketmaster. For more information, visit thecannoncenter.com.

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