Brian “Head” Welch: Too Zealous?
04-27-2005
by Amy E. Dixon

Last month, music news was abuzz with the announcement Korn and A Perfect Circle guitarist Brian “Head” Welch had left both bands and dedicated his life to Christ. It’s not an everyday occurrence for a celebrity to make such proclamation. But high-profile people have turned to Christianity before, and the news regarding Welch didn’t initially result in too much controversy.

The days and weeks following the initial announcement, though, more press releases stated things about Welch and his conversion, beginning with his wanting to use money from his solo music career to fund skateparks for kids and “rock ‘n’ roll churches,” and his wanting a reality show to document his life change, and his interest in founding a Christian product line with actor Stephen Baldwin, and his message from God to rapper 50 Cent.

Now, despite my 15-year history with the Christian music industry, and the skepticism I’ve incurred as a GenX, I feel encouraged that Welch is setting lofty goals and is so naturally inspired by his exciting and newfound faith.

I will admit, though, that I wish those who are providing his early Christian guidance would steer him away from such high-profile displays of religiosity. His wish to see 50 Cent turn his life to Christ and desist producing songs about drugs, sex and violence is as admirable as anyone’s desire to see someone dedicate his life to Christ. But to publicly announce a directive from God to save the rapper specifically, and “threaten” the release of unknown personal song lyrics about 50 Cent if he doesn’t respond to Welch’s request to meet, that feels to me like using God as a vehicle for publicity more than anything else. I can’t think of too many people, celebrities or otherwise, who would respond positively to such public demands regarding such personal matters. In the end, Welch’s badgering has proved little effect on 50 Cent, who, to date, has made no public comment about any of this.

MTV.com’s You Tell Us forum archived comments about the Welch and 50 Cent. Fewer than 1/3 wrote positively about it. The rest (including some Korn fans) expressed feelings that Welch was acting on an attention-getting stint, or felt he was approaching 50 Cent in the wrong manner. Assuming the MTV.com forum accurately represents MTV viewers as whole, then more than 2/3 of MTV’s audience has responded negatively to Welch’s proclamations. This seems like something to consider when taking a Christian message to a general, pop-culture savvy audience. I’m not at all advising he hide his light under a bushel basket, but humility and grace (a disposition to kindness and compassion; benign goodwill) go a long way towards attracting people to a message.

The song for 50 Cent, Welch’s testimony and developments can be read at his personal website www.headtochrist.com.