Carman in concert in Kingman, Arizona. Image used under Creative Commons License from Wikipedia user StAnselm.
This news is heartbreaking to read: Carman, who provided a major soundtrack for my formative years, announced on his Facebook page last night that he has been diagnosed with an incurable form of cancer.
One week ago I was diagnosed with Myeloma Cancer. It is incurable and I’ve been given a 3-4 year window of time. Tomorrow I go in for my first bone biopsy and the process will start. I used to go to movies in the afternoon, now I go see doctors.
He goes on to say he will continue to perform concerts and that he will “step up the intensity” of his message at each event.
This news is tough to digest. Carman’s late 1980s and early 1990s albums were on heavy rotation in my family’s cassette and CD players, and I remember how relevant and hard-hitting his messages were. He is a true pioneer in the Christian music industry, and there is a reason he sold out Texas Stadium in what became the largest Christian concert in history.
My mom has a typed letter from Carman somewhere congratulating the family on my birth in 1984. I hope she still has it.
Let’s all keep Carman in our prayers. Losing him will happen far too quickly, so let’s pray his ministry in his final years has a profound impact upon many lives. I know his ministry was a big influence on mine.
